A solid dish soap bar is a block of soap you rub onto a wet brush or cloth, then use to wash your dishes. There's no bottle and no pump. If you're curious about switching but not sure what it's like day to day, this guide covers how to use a bar, how to keep it from turning to mush, what it does well, and where it falls short.
What a dish soap bar is
It's a firm bar of soap made for dishes instead of hands. Bars vary by maker. Green Llama lists saponified coconut oil as the ingredient in its coconut bar. Sweet ʻŌkole Soap says its bar is made the old-fashioned way. Sea Spray Soap says it makes its bars by hand in small batches in Florida and cures them for four weeks.
You don't squeeze anything out. You pick up soap by rubbing the bar on a damp tool, so you decide how much to use.
How to use a dish soap bar
The routine takes a few washes to feel familiar. Here's the basic version.
- Scrape the dishes. Knock leftovers into the trash or compost first.
- Wet your brush or cloth. Hold it under the tap. A dry tool picks up very little soap.
- Rub the bar onto the tool. Use a few firm strokes or small circles until it lathers. If the lather looks thin, add a splash more water.
- Wash. Start with glasses and cutlery, then plates, and leave the greasiest pots and pans for last.
- Rinse the dishes and the tool. Rinsing your brush lets it dry clean.
- Put the bar back on its dish. Don't leave it sitting in the sink.
If you like a sink full of suds, some bar-soap guides suggest grating a little of the bar into a basin of hot water. A bristle brush is also easy to rub the bar against, and it scrubs while it lathers.
Keep the bar dry between uses
This is the habit that matters most. A bar that sits in a puddle gets soft and wears away fast. A bar that dries out between washes stays firm and lasts longer.
- Set it on a draining dish, a slatted holder, or a soap lift so air can reach the underside.
- Keep it out of the direct spray from the tap.
- Tip off any standing water after each wash.
Green Llama's Dish Washing Starter Pack includes a small dish to keep the bar dry. Its Dish Starter Kit includes a bamboo holder.
What a bar does well, and where it falls short
Everyday dishes
Plates, glasses, mugs, and cutlery are an easy fit. You rub, lather, scrub, and rinse, much like you would with a liquid soap.
Greasy pans
This is where a bar asks for the most patience. A heavily greased or baked-on pan may need more scrubbing than you're used to. A few things help. Wipe out extra grease with a cloth or paper towel first, use hot water, let the pan soak for a few minutes, and reach for a firm brush instead of a soft cloth.
Hard water and soft water
Soap reacts with the calcium and magnesium in hard water and can leave a whitish film, often called soap scum. If your water is hard, you might see a cloudy look on glasses. A hot rinse and a quick wipe with a drying cloth can help. Sweet ʻŌkole Soap says its bar works in hard or soft water, so that's one to try if hard water is your worry.
Hand washing only
A bar is for washing by hand. If you also run a dishwasher, you'll still need a detergent made for it. Green Llama's Dish Starter Kit pairs a solid soap bar with 40 dishwasher tablets, per the listing.
How long does a bar last?
It depends on the size of the bar, how many dishes you wash, and how well you keep it dry. Two makers give a guide:
- Sea Spray Soap says one of its XXL bars lasts two to three months of dishes and replaces five to seven plastic bottles.
- Soaplicity says its bar is good for about 30 loads of dishes.
Those numbers come from the makers, and they aren't directly comparable, since bar sizes and kitchens differ. Treat them as a rough guide, not a promise.
Which bar to try
- Solid Dish Soap Bar, Unscented from Sweet ʻŌkole Soap is unscented. The maker describes it as plastic free and made the old-fashioned way.
- XXL Solid Dish Soap Bar from Sea Spray Soap is a larger bar that comes in several scents, including unscented.
- Solid Coconut Dish Soap Bar from Green Llama lists saponified coconut oil as its ingredient.
- Dish Soap Bar with Aloe, Tea Tree & Lemon from Soaplicity comes in a wrapper the maker says is compostable.
What you need to start
- A bar: Sweet ʻŌkole Soap, Unscented, Sea Spray Soap XXL, Green Llama Coconut, or Soaplicity Aloe, Tea Tree & Lemon.
- A brush or cloth: any sturdy dish brush or cloth you already own will do.
- A dish or holder: something that lets the bar drain and dry.
- Everything in one box: the Dish Washing Starter Pack has a coconut oil soap bar, a sisal brush, and a small dish. The Dish Starter Kit has 40 dishwasher tablets, a solid soap bar, a bamboo holder, and a sisal brush. Green Llama lists the kit as fragrance free.
- A cloth for drying glasses: a clean towel works fine.
Give it a week or two. The first few washes feel different, and then it becomes habit. If something isn't working, try changing one thing at a time: the water temperature, the brush, or the bar.