Spring Cleaning, Properly Done
Most cleaning products are designed to solve one problem at a time. The result is complexity — and a cupboard full of products that overlap, dilute and often underperform.
Traditional soap works differently. It is not designed for a category. It is designed to remove grease. That single function — done properly — is enough to clean most of the home.
A Simple Way to Clean the Home
The same core products can be used across surfaces, fabrics and everyday cleaning, reducing complexity while maintaining effective results.
At its simplest, the method is:
• Soap to remove grease
• Water to rinse it away
• Targeted materials where needed
How Cleaning Works
Cleaning relies on a small number of underlying mechanisms:
Soap: binds to oils and grease, allowing them to be lifted and rinsed away
Acid: dissolves mineral deposits such as limescale
Oxygen: oxidises stain compounds, breaking them down in water
Absorption: draws oils and impurities out of surfaces and fabrics
These mechanisms cover most household cleaning.
Most Dirt Is Oil
Most visible dirt is not dust. It is oil.
Cooking fats, skin contact, airborne residues — these leave a thin layer that traps dirt and dulls surfaces.
Remove the oil, and the rest follows. This is why soap works.
The Foundation: Soap
Soap is not a gentle alternative to modern cleaning products.
It is the original one.
Its effectiveness comes from a simple mechanism: it binds to oils, allowing them to be lifted and rinsed away.
This makes it suitable across the home:
• kitchen surfaces and washing up
• bathrooms and general cleaning
• laundry and fabric care
• floors and everyday use
Two traditional forms sit at the centre of this method.
Savon Noir (Black Soap)
A liquid potassium soap, typically made from olive oil. Used diluted for floors and surfaces, or more concentrated for grease and heavier cleaning.
Savon de Marseille
A solid sodium soap made from vegetable oils. Used for laundry, stain treatment and general washing.
These are not specialist products. They are historical and the foundation of our entire range.
Kitchen Cleaning: Grease
Most dirt in the kitchen is oil-based. Soap is naturally effective here.
Use Savon Noir, multi-surface soap cleaners, or washing up liquids and bars to break down grease on worktops, tiles, cookware and everyday surfaces.
Apply, allow contact, wipe and rinse. This way grease is removed not spread.
Washing Up
The same principle applies to dishes.
Soap breaks down cooking fats and food residues so they can be rinsed away cleanly.
Liquid soaps provide convenience. Solid soaps provide a more concentrated, long-lasting alternative.
Both rely on the same underlying mechanism.
Bathroom Cleaning: Limescale and Residue
Bathrooms introduce a different problem; Limescale is not grease, it is mineral.
Soap alone will not remove it so this is why acids are used.
Vinegar and citric acid dissolve mineral deposits on taps, tiles and shower surfaces. Once removed, soap can be used for general cleaning.
Descale where needed then maintain with soap.
Glass: Clean, Not Coated
Glass requires a different approach. The issue is not dirt, but residue.
Use minimal product and a clean cloth to achieve a clear, dry finish.
Laundry: Cleaning Fabric Properly
Laundry follows the same principle as surface cleaning: soap lifts oils from fibres so they can be rinsed away.
Marseille soap can be used directly on stains, as flakes in washing, or in liquid form for convenience. Different soap types behave differently.
Olive oil soaps
Lower, creamier lather. Particularly effective on oily residues and delicate fabrics.
Natural (also called White or Vegetable oil) soaps
Higher foam. Suited to general washing and more robust use.
This is not a question of better or worse, but of use and personal preference.
Stains and Fabric Treatment
Some stains require more than soap.
Sodium percarbonate releases oxygen in water, breaking down stains through oxidation and restoring whiteness without the need for chlorine-based bleaches.
Clay absorbs oils and impurities, drawing them out rather than dissolving them. Particularly effective for delicate fabrics and pre-treatment.
Apply, allow it to act, then wash with soap.
Floors and General Surfaces
Floors do not require specialised products. Savon Noir diluted in warm water provides an effective cleaning solution for most surfaces, just be careful on a varnished flor (the oils will grip the dirt but can lift the varnish as part of this). Other soap-based floor cleaners offer a ready-to-use alternative where convenience is preferred.
Foam and Cleaning
Foam is often mistaken for cleaning power. It is not.
Foam is simply air trapped in liquid. It may signal activity, but it does not remove grease or dirt. Cleaning comes from the soap binding to oils. Low foam and high foam soaps can both clean effectively.
The difference is visual, not functional.
Multi-Surface Cleaners
Many modern multi-surface cleaners are designed to work across materials.
To do this, they are often formulated to avoid being too strong in any one direction.The result is acceptable performance across many surfaces, but limited effectiveness on grease or mineral build-up.
Soap-based cleaning takes a more direct approach. It removes the cause, not the surface effect.
Targeted Ingredients
Soap does most of the work however some problems require something different.
Citric acid dissolves mineral deposits such as limescale, rather than acting on grease or organic dirt.
Sodium percarbonate releases oxygen in water, breaking down stains through oxidation.
Clay absorbs oils and impurities, drawing them out where dissolving alone is not effective.
Bicarbonate of soda neutralises odours and provides light abrasion, supporting cleaning rather than replacing it.
Soda crystals soften water and increase alkalinity, improving grease removal and the performance of soap in washing and laundry.
Each has a specific role. Used together, they extend the effectiveness of soap without adding unnecessary complexity.
Fewer Products, Better Results
A typical cleaning routine relies on multiple products designed for individual tasks.This approach reduces that to a small number of essentials:
• Savon Noir
• Marseille soap
• A small number of targeted materials
Everything else becomes optional. Not because it is simpler, because it reflects how cleaning actually works.
Where to Start
If you are simplifying your cleaning:
Start with Savon Noir for surfaces and floors, dilute and use are required.
Use Marseille soap for laundry and stains.
Add citric acid or vinegar for limescale.
Add sodium percarbonate for stain removal and whitening.
Use bicarbonate for odour control and light abrasion.
Use soda crystals where additional grease-cutting strength or water softening is needed.
This covers the majority of household cleaning effectively.
Cleaning does not need more products. It needs the right method.
To Summarise
Cleaning works in a few key ways:
Soap: removes grease
Acid: removes limescale
Oxygen: removes stains
Absorption: lifts oils from surfaces