All-purpose cleaner

Soap is a type of cleaning agent traditionally made from natural fats or oils and lye. It is known for its ability to effectively break down dirt and grease on various surfaces. Originally, soap was made from animal fats, but today vegetable oils are most commonly used. Soap is biodegradable and considered an environmentally friendly alternative to many synthetic cleaning products. There are several types of soap, including green soap, yellow soap, linseed oil soap, and brown soap, which differ in color and certain properties depending on the specific ingredients used in their production. The Västerbottenssåpa soap sold is a yellow soap made from recycled cooking oil from restaurants and food producers. This makes the soap a circular and more sustainable alternative.

If you’re choosing between soap and another cleaning product, soap is often the best option. But if you want a soap that not only cleans but also nourishes and treats the surface, you need to choose a superfatting soap. Otherwise, you’ll only get cleaning, nothing more. Most soaps you find in grocery stores aren’t superfatting. Västerbottenssåpa is.

Soft soap is made from fat, potassium hydroxide, and water. These ingredients are mixed and boiled, triggering a chemical process called saponification. Chemically speaking, the finished soap is a compound of fatty acids. Nothing more is needed to make soft soap.

Superfatted soap cleans and cares for surfaces without drying them out, while pine soap and green soap are mainly intended for heavy-duty cleaning and can dry out wood. It is not the color that determines what they are suitable for, but what they are made of.

Pine soap, which is often yellow, is effective for heavy-duty cleaning. It is well suited for bathrooms, vinyl flooring and other durable surfaces. However, it does not replenish oils and can therefore dry out wood.

Superfatted soap, such as Västerbottenssåpa, which is made from rapeseed or corn oil, cleans effectively while also being gentle. It can be used both for heavy-duty cleaning and for caring for surfaces such as wood and stone, because it does not dry them out but helps preserve the material’s natural properties.

Green soap today is usually ordinary pine soap that has been colored and perfumed. It offers no particular advantages compared with the yellow variety.

Västerbottenssåpa offers a range of different soap products adapted to various needs. Soap spray is perfect for surfaces where you want to spray it on and wipe it off. Pump soap works well for ingrained dirt or directly in the cleaning bucket. Solid soap is especially suitable for vertical surfaces because it does not run off. All Västerbottenssåpa soaps are super-fatted, making them extra effective and nourishing. They are available in several different fragrances or fragrance-free if you prefer.

Superfat soaps contain an excess of oils and fats that remain after saponification. This means the soap not only cleans, but also nourishes and replenishes the surface’s oils.

To choose the right soap, look at the ingredients, not the color. Pine soap (yellow or green) is well suited for kitchens, bathrooms, and other heavy-duty cleaning, but it does not replenish oils. Superfatted soap containing, for example, linseed, rapeseed, or corn oil cleans gently and cares for surfaces such as wood and stone, but also works excellently for regular everyday cleaning. Västerbottenssåpa is a superfatted soap made from recycled frying oil from restaurants or food producers. It is mostly rapeseed oil or a corn/rapeseed blend, but never palm oil or animal fat.