Savon de Marseille Specialists - Since 2012

Proper Soap - Packed and Dispatched from North Yorkshire

For Washing, Laundry & Cleaning
style_washing-up-FrenchSoapsUK-Marseille Soap

Marseille Soap Washing Up & Kitchen Care

Washing dishes has long been one of the original uses of Savon de Marseille. 

Produced from vegetable oils, traditional Marseille soap was relied upon to break down grease and cooking fats, allowing them to rinse cleanly with water, without the need for complex formulations. 

Today that same principle continues in a variety of formats. This collection brings together practical kitchen cleaning products rooted in traditional soapmaking, from the historic savonneries of Marseille and carefully selected French household makers.

A Range of French Dish Soap Formats 

Marseille soap for kitchen use is available in several formats, each reflecting a different practical approach. 

Liquid soaps offer ease of use for daily washing up, while solid soap blocks provide a more traditional and long-lasting alternative. 

Powders and multi-purpose soaps extend this further, allowing use across dishwashing, surface cleaning, and light laundry tasks. 

The variation in format does not change the underlying principle: cleaning through simple soap formulations derived from oils. 

A Traditional Approach to Everyday Cleaning 

Marseille soap has remained in use across French households for generations due to its consistency and practicality. 

Whether in liquid or solid form, it represents a method of cleaning that is deliberate, simple, and based on established soapmaking processes rather than modern reformulation.

  • Why Soap Works So Well for Washing Up

    Soap works by binding to oils and fats. One end of the soap molecule attaches to grease while the other attaches to water, allowing cooking oils and food residues to be lifted from surfaces and rinsed away.

    Traditional Marseille soap is particularly well suited to this task because it is made from vegetable oils that produce a stable, effective cleaning soap when saponified. For this reason it has long been used not only for washing hands and laundry, but also for cleaning cookware, dishes and kitchen surfaces.

  • Solid Dishwashing Soap: A Traditional Kitchen Staple

    Solid dishwashing soap bars remain widely used across France. A sponge or brush is simply rubbed directly onto the soap before washing dishes.

    Because the soap is concentrated in solid form, these bars last a long time and avoid the need for plastic bottles. Many are enriched with bicarbonate of soda to support grease removal and help lift stubborn residues from pans and cookware.

    For households looking to simplify their cleaning routine, solid dishwashing soaps offer a durable and economical alternative to conventional washing-up liquids.

  • Marseille Soap Washing-Up Liquids & Traditional Dishwasher Powders

    For everyday convenience, many savonneries also produce washing-up liquids based on their traditional Marseille soap formulations. These liquids combine the natural degreasing properties of vegetable oil soap with the familiar format of modern dishwashing liquids.

    Dishwasher powders take a different approach, using mineral cleaning agents such as sodium percarbonate and soda crystals. These traditional ingredients release active oxygen during washing, helping break down grease and food residues while supporting dishwasher maintenance.

    Together, these formats reflect the continuing evolution of traditional cleaning methods — simple formulations designed to work reliably in everyday kitchens.

Proper soap, since 2012
Packed and dispatched from North Yorkshire.

Unit 14, Ousegill Business Park, Carr Side Road, Great Ouseburn, YO26 9AE