Zote soap, a laundry staple that has been in many Mexican households for many years. Made from natural ingredients like sodium tallowate (animal fat), citronella, sodium cocoate (coconut oil) optical brighteners and dye, Zote has proved its capability in washing delicate clothes, removing stubborn stains and its usage in also making homemade laundry detergent. The optical brightener ingredient bleaches the clothing without fading or harming the original colours of the clothes.
Manufactured by a Mexican based company, Fabrica de Jabon la Corona, Zote laundry soap has been made available in single and double packs, each bar weighing around 7.0 ounces. It also comes in white, pink or blue colours with intact formula and cleaning abilities. Initially, the soap was primarily used to wash clothes by hand especially in rural Mexico where washing machines were not available. Today, its manufacturer has been able to modify the soap to suit all your washing needs whether by hand or by washing machines.
There are several ways in which you can use Zote soap in various laundering circumstances. Below are some of the ways of using Zote soap for all your washing.
Here are they:
Uses of Zote Soap
Laundry and Detergent
Use it as intended out of the box!
Use Zote soap when you want to wash delicate clothing such as knitwear and lingerie. It is important to note that for the best results, you should hand wash all your delicate clothing to avoid any damage or over stretching.
Simply fill a sink with warm water and soak your clothing items. Scrub the garments with a bar of Zote until the foam begins to form. When satisfied with the results, rinse your garments with water until the foam disappears and then hang your clothes outdoors to dry.
Stain Pre-Treatment
Zote soap has been commended for its stain removal capabilities especially those that involve oily substances and body oil stains that leave an oily like a ring around the shirt collars.
Zote soap breaks up the oil into very tiny particles that can be flushed away by water. This is because the soap is made up of molecules with two different properties. On one end, there are water friendly soap molecules also known as hydrophilic molecules. On the other hand, there are hydrophobic soap molecules that don’t interact well with water. The hydrophobic soap molecules attach themselves to the oil while the hydrophilic soap molecules wash out the oil and suspend it on the water.
When washing your clothes, use Zote soap to pre-treat stains before laundering. Simply rub Zote on stained parts of the garments including armpit areas and also the collar areas. Allow the soap to work on the stains for five to ten minutes before washing, if you want to achieve the best results. Thereafter you can choose to launder as usual in your washing machine or to hand wash the garments.
Special Liquid Detergent
Zote soap has been modified to incorporate other cleaning agents just the way you would like it. You can actually mix Zote with other ingredients to create a perfect cleaning mixture. Boil three cups of water in a saucepan and remove from the heat once the boiling begins.
Grate a bar of Zote soap into the hot water and stir until the soap particles are all dissolved. In another larger container which will also be used for storage purposes, fill it with three gallons of hot water. Add in the dissolved Zote soap, then add one cup of baking soda and one cup of Borax and stir until all the ingredients are dissolved. Your mixture is now ready for use.
You can wash clothes normally using this mixture in a washing machine with three quarters to one cup of the Zote liquid detergent.
Make Powdered Detergent
Another modification that Zote soap has is that you can create your own powdered detergent with it. Grate a bar of Zote soap into a cup. Add the grated material into a storage container, and then add half a cup of Borax and half a cup of soda ash. Mix all the ingredients well and store the detergent for your future washing.
For regular washing, add a full tablespoon of the powdered detergent into the washing machine. If you have a huge load of stained garments, you can proceed to use two heaped tablespoons of the powdered detergent.
Fabric Softner
Did you know that Zote soap could also act as a fabric softener or conditioner? To produce extra soft sheets or extra soft towels, place a small piece of Zote inside a sock or a knee-high stocking and tie at one end. Place the sock or stocking inside your washing machine during the last washing cycle.
The washing machine will rinse your garments and spin cycle and in the process the soap will be integrated with your garments, conditioning them for a soft feel after they are dry. Once the washing machine finishes the rinsing, you can then dry your towels and sheets normally.
Before using Zote on specific stains, it is crucial to check a stain removal chart to ensure that the soap will not set the stain. Apart from washing competences,
Cat Fish Bait
Zote has been found to be very effective in other areas of living. The most interesting fact about Zote soap is that you can use it in fishing as it acts as an ideal bait for catfish. This is because Zote’s citronella scent attracts the fish and works best in warm waters. If you want to try this experiment, basically cut the Zote soap into small chunks and attach them on the fishing hook and you have yourself the perfect bait.
Where to Buy Zote Soap
This high-quality detergent soap is available in many stores across America and Mexico. Amazon also carries it online. Check here for Price.
Conclusion – Wrapping it Up!
Zote soap is very common in some parts of the world. It could be used as it is or you can modify it a bit and extend its use to other areas of your life. We discussed some of the uses for Zote soap that might have been new to you.
Do you know any more usage of Zote soap? Let me know through your comment.