8 Best Things You Can Use Zote Soap For

Zote soap's low price and many uses (including as a laundry detergent) make it an incredibly useful item to keep around the house! If you want a nifty, budget-friendly cleaning product that can also wash and soften your clothes, repel dirt and bugs, and make your kitchen sparkle, Zote soap is your best bet! We partnered with a laundry & dry cleaning expert to learn more about how to use this inexpensive soap product. Keep reading to learn more!

Zote Soap Uses at a Glance

Laundry & dry cleaning expert Jeimy Flournoy says Zote works well as a laundry soap. To use it, just mix the Zote flakes with Borax and washing powder (or baking soda). Other ways to use Zote include:

Stain remover: Wet the Zote bar and scrub the stain on your clothes with it.
Brush cleaner: Make a brush-cleaning paste with boiled Zote chunks and safflower oil.
Insect repellent: Set a fresh bar of Zote soap on your porch to keep bugs away.
Dirt repellent: Rub your nails over Zote soap to coat them and repel dirt.

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Laundry detergent

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Mix Zote flakes with Borax and washing powder (or baking soda) to make laundry detergent. Flournoy recommends grating off a few tablespoons of Zote flakes and mixing it with 1 cup (162 g) of Borax and 1 cup (162 g) of washing powder (or baking soda if that’s all you have). Dissolve the mixture in warm water before adding it to your washing machine. Flournoy suggests using 1 to 2 tablespoons (14.3 to 28.6 g) of the mixture per laundry load.^{[1]
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Expert Source

Jeimy Flournoy
Laundry & Dry Cleaning Expert

Expert Interview}
- Typically, you’ll use 1 tbsp (14.3 g) for a light load and 2 tbsp (28.6 g) for a larger load of laundry.^{[2]
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- The tallow and oil in Zote will also help soften your fabrics!
- Caution: Avoid putting Zote soap in high efficiency (HE) washers! As this TikTok by @pairswellwithwhine points out, Zote contains an animal fat called tallow, which HE washers can't process. If you put Zote in it, you could ruin your washer and void the warranty. Use Zote for handwashing or non-HE washers only!
- White vs pink Zote soap: The iconic pink Zote soap has gentler ingredients (less citronella oil), so it’s better for those with sensitive skin and for colored clothing. The white Zote soap has more whitening power and a stronger citronella scent. Choose the color that works better for your needs!^{[3]
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- Tip: If you’re handwashing your clothes, dissolve roughly 1 tbsp (14.3 g) of homemade detergent or the flakes per gallon of warm water.^{[4]
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Meet the wikiHow Expert

Jeimy Flournoy is a laundry & dry cleaning expert based in Capital Heights, Maryland and the Founder of Salon 809 and 809 Laundromat.

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Stain remover

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Rub a Zote soap bar on the stains on your clothes to remove them. To remove stains from your clothes, wet the Zote soap bar and scrub the soiled area until it’s completely covered with soap residue. Afterward, toss the piece of clothing in the washer with a regular load of laundry.^{[5]
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- This method is helpful for particularly tough stains!

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Brush cleaner

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Use Zote soap to make a paste that cleans brushes without drying them out. Cut a pink Zote bar into small chunks and set them in a pot. Fill the pot with water until it’s slightly above the soap. Allow it to boil, then wait until the soap becomes soft enough to squish into a paste. Pour out the excess liquid, then mix the resulting paste with 1 tbsp (14.3 g) of safflower oil. Smush the paste into a plastic or metal container and cover it with a lid when you're not using it. When you're ready to use it, remove the lid and swirl your dirty brushes across the surface of the paste. Rinse them with water. Now you have clean brushes!^{[6]
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- This hack works great for both paint brushes and make-up brushes!
- Optional: Add 2-3 drops of essential oil to the paste to mimic other brush cleaners and leave a nice scent behind!
- Tip: Instead of pouring it out, save the excess liquid from the paste in a squirt or pump bottle to use as a counter or dish cleaner.

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Insect repellent

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Insects can't stand citronella oil, which is one of the primary ingredients in Zote bars.^{[7]
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National Pesticide Information Center
Organization run by Oregon State University providing objective, science-based information about pests and pesticides

Go to source} The scent of citronella is especially strong right after tearing open one of the bars. Setting a recently opened bar by your bed, or carrying a small chunk of it while you’re outdoors, does a good job keeping bugs at bay!

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Dirt repellent

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Before you head outside, gently scratch your fingernails over a Zote bar. The soap will coat the undersides of your nails, creating a barrier that will not only repel dirt, but also bugs!^{[8]
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Stove and dish cleaner

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Boil Zote bar flakes in water to concoct a handy degreaser. While it’s not going to get the absolutely toughest kitchen messes out like regular dish soap, Zote soap still makes a great daily cleaner. Here's how to use it to clean your dishes and your stovetop burners:^{[9]
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- To clean dishes, either wet a dish sponge and scrub it across a Zote soap bar until it's sudsy, or dissolve Zote flakes in the warm water you're using to wash your dishes.
- To clean your stovetop burners, grate ¼ bar of Zote soap and add it to a pot of boiling water. Add 1 c of vinegar to the mixture, then let it simmer for 20 more minutes.
  - Remove the pot from the heat and don kitchen gloves. Next, dip a sponge or bristle brush in the mixture and use it to scrub the stove top burners.
  - Let the burners sit for 3 minutes after scrubbing, then wipe them off with a clean, wet rag.

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Catfish bait

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Melt 5 lb worth of Zote soap bar shavings in a pot on low heat. Add 0.75 lb (0.34 kg) of bacon fat, 0.4 lb (0.18 kg) of garlic powder, and 3 c (24 fl oz) of water. Stir until it's all combined, then mix in 0.1 lb (0.05 kg) of anise or fish oil. Pour the mixture into a large, shallow pan or baking dish, then let it sit for 24 hours. When it's solidified, cut it into cubes, and you have your bait!^{[10]
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Deodorizer

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Place pieces of Zote soap in smelly items to mask their odor. For example, you can place a chunk of Zote soap in those sweaty gym shoes you’ve shoved under the dresser. It’s also nice to leave some pieces of soap inside closets or at the bottom of hampers to keep them from stinking up the room too much.^{[11]
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1. And if the steps above have been helpful, be sure to download this article as a PDF so you can print, read, or reference it any time.