Not long ago I grabbed a bar of ZOTE to help deal with the oily mess on my baby’s bibs due to the high-fat content in my breast milk this round. The Tide in the washer on hot still leaves a bit of that breastmilk smell on the fabric of our favorite bibs. Which is odd because it gets everything else out. Perhaps because we mainly stick to pure cotton which cleans easy. Check out these uses for Zote soap.
Zote is a soap made in Mexico using beef tallow and coconut oil and a whole lot of citronella oil. I have heard good things about this soap being able to clean well from neighbors that grew up with it. Sure enough, we fell in love. Seriously where was this stuff when I had to wash everything by hand for years? Since getting to try the Mexican laundry bar soap Zote I have been looking for other handy uses for this WD 40 of the soap world.
Handy uses for Zote Soap
1. Washing laundry by hand
Zote has so many uses beyond laundry though you will find it by the laundry detergent. For the laundry, you can use it for laundry soap (great for hand washing or use a greater to toss some in the wash), spot treater, and brightener for whites. We use this bar laundry soap when washing laundry by hand.
How to use Zote to remove stains
When it comes to stain removing Zote packs a powerful punch. Dampen your fabric surface and rub Zote into the stain. Hod the fabric in both hands and rub together to release the stain. REisnes away and repeat until the stain is gone.
2. Homemade laundry detergent
Don’t wash your laundry by hand? You can use Zote to make your own laundry products. Zote works great in these homemade laundry detergent pods that make machine washing using Zote soap a breeze. You can make your own Zote laundry flakes with a simple grater.
3. Clean skin and hair
Zote is safe to use on your skin and hair making it a cheap option that goes far. A great way for large families to buy in bulk and save money. To use with your family slice the large bars you find at the store into quarters and dry them out to make the soap last longer. When you are down to slivers to thing to use toss into a pan with other slivers, add water and boil to create a liquid hand soap. Wash your face with Zote soap for acne.
4. Dish detergent and degreaser
Boil shredded Zote to make soap for other cleaning uses. Zote can be used to make multi-purpose and even dish cleaner. Zote makes a great degreaser for use around your home.
5. Cleaning makeup brushes
Zote is a favorite for cleaning oil and dirt out of your make up brushes. It can be melted in hot water and used in place of the dawn in this DIY makeup brush cleaner if you prefer a more natural option. Don’t forget the DIY makeup brush cleaning board for this one. Cleaning your brushes can reduce acne.
6. Temporary plumbing repairs
A paste made from sugar and Zote will block a hole in your plumbing to get you through the night so you can make repairs to your plumbing.
Interesting uses for Zote Soap
7. Repel Bugs
The coolest use for Zote we have found is keeping bugs away. When I opened the Zote I realized that the soap smelled strongly of citronella which is known for keeping the that mosquitoes we have been dealing with at bay. Sure enough, putting a bar of Zote in each of our beds put an end to the nightly barrage of mosquitoes.
8. Catfish Bait
While I have not tried it personally people swear by using Zote to catfish. Meltdown Zote soap adding in garlic and leftover bacon grease. Pour into molds and let cool until solid for cheap and effective catfish bait. I will have to keep this one in mind next time we plan a fishing trip.
Zote soap should be added to your emergency kit.
Every emergency kit needs soap. Keeping things clean to help protect your family from the spread of diseases during disasters. Zote makes a great option because of it’s many uses. It can be used in every way regular soap can, it can wash everything from your clothes to your dishes and even you and it repels pests that spread disease easily during natural disasters when our immune systems are low.
Money-saving tip:
While Zote is a cheap soap you can get a 14.7 oz bar for under $1 just about any major retailer that sells laundry soap you can make it go further just like other large bars of soap by cutting it as you see in the top photo on this post. I just use a very large sharp chef’s knife.
Is Zote soap safe for my family?
Zote soap is made from natural ingredients that are mild and safe for your family. The biggest issue you may find with Zote soap is if anyone in your family has a reaction to citronella oil. You can learn more about the safety of citronella oil here.
If you have a military member in the family you can not use zote soap on their uniforms. Zote soap bars contain optical brighteners which make them more visible with night vision glasses in a combat situation.
What is in Zote Soap?
Along with citronella oil zote soap contains:
- odium tallowate (beef tallow)
- Sodium Cocoate (coconut oil)
- Fragrance (citronella oil)
- Optical Brighteners.
- Dye (Pink and Blue Bars only)
The dye used in pink zote soap is violet 10. Unfortunately, I can not find a bar of blue zote soap to find out which dye is used.
Want another great soap option with many uses? Check out these great uses for Fels-Napa soap
Leave a comment below about your favorite way to use Zote Soap…
Zote Laundry Soap Bar Pink 14.1 Ounce Each (Pack of 4)Jabon Zote Blanco Laundry Flakes Pack of 2Fels Naptha Laundry Soap Bar & Stain Remover – Pack of 2, 5.0 Oz per bar
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