The $2 Find This Pro Baker Swears By for Removing Stubborn Stains (Including Turmeric!)

“I have never found anything that removes stains so well.” These words from a professional baker-turned-AT-writer (yes, we know how lucky we are) are enough to make all of us over here hit the Buy Now button. Stella’s been a gluten-free cook and pro baker for years, which means she’s no stranger to experimentation with unconventional ingredients, plant-based food dyes, and other stubborn stain-makers. Like plenty of our readers, we trust Stella with our entire kitchens, but when she mentioned that her beloved under-the-radar Zote Laundry Soap Bar can erase turmeric stains like they never even happened, we knew we had (yet another) serious gem on our hands.

“For someone as messy as me,” she admits, the Zote Soap Bar “is a must have. I’ve used it for coffee stains, turmeric, red sauce, wine, you name it.” We had to ask, though: How is it that an unassuming bar of soap has this level of power against such infamous stains, especially when compared to other laundry stain removing formulas? “It requires a bit of scrubbing the wet fabric and letting it sit,” she says of the process. After applying Zote and agitating the material with your fingers or a fabric-appropriate scrubber, just put your garment right into the wash. Yes, Zote works very similarly to most other stain removers, but better. The simple, straightforward approach and overall effectiveness make it one of the most trusted products in laundry, even compared with more expensive, big-name competitors.

More than just a stain remover, Zote soap can be crumbled to create laundry detergent (like this reviewer does), so your $2 pre-wash stain fighter can also be part of your in-wash routine. It’s an all-natural product made with sensitive-skin-friendly (and delicates-friendly) ingredients, and since it’s gentle on fibers, plenty of shoppers also note its effectiveness at cleaning makeup stains and brushes. If you want a laundry solution that literally does it all, Zote could be the answer you’ve been searching for. It certainly was for Stella!

Buy: Zote Laundry Soap Bar 6-Pack, $11.99