Updated February 12, 2021

One of my earliest experiences travelling with soap leaves involved a lawyer from Australia and a Jordanian washroom.

Lawyer from Australia

I met Michelle, the Australian, beside a minivan in a large bus station park in South Amman, Jordan. We were both heading to Wadi Mousa to visit the ancient city of Petra. There was plenty of time to become acquainted because the minibus would leave only when all seats were filled. Trading travel stories passed the time profitably. Eventually, the minibus filled with people and gear and we were on our way, dropping off passengers and picking up others as space permitted.

Jordanian washroom

Half way into the three-hour journey, the bus paused at a rest stop. As Michelle and I were the only women on board, we found ourselves in the washroom at the same time. Washrooms in Jordan bear few similarities to western toilets. 

“Michelle, are you set for toilet tissues?” I called out. What was I thinking??? While waiting for the minibus to depart, I’d learned that Michelle had travelled extensively. Of course she was equipped to deal with washrooms without toilet paper.

Travelling with soap leaves

We ended up at the washbasin at roughly the same time. Like most public washrooms in Jordan, there was no soap. I asked Michelle if she would like a soap leaf. Clearly, this was a totally new experience for her. I demonstrated how a single leaf could lather up a storm and wash away travel grunge. She was clearly impressed.

Cleaning hands was one thing, but it was equally as satisfying to introduce a seasoned traveller to a new product.

After leaving the washroom, I ordered a tea that required pinching off mint leaves from a cluster of stalks on the counter — something I wouldn’t have attempted without clean hands.

By the way, it was one of the best cups of tea I’d ever had.

Buying and using soap leaves

There are plenty of brands available. Mine are Sea-to-Summit. You might find more reasonably priced soap leaves in a dollar store.

With 50 leaves in a lightweight plastic container, they’re easy to dispense using dry hands. They’re best removed from the dispenser before touching water. One leaf is quite effective and tearing a leaf in half may be adequate. It doesn’t take much water to work up a lather but if stealing water from a water bottle, keep in mind it will take more to rinse off the dissolved leaf. They’re also phosphate-free and biodegradable so the leaves won’t harm the environment.

Carry-on compliant and weighing in at just .5 ounces (14 grams), they’re worth their weight in gold when clean hands are essential and bar or liquid soap isn’t available.

Keep in mind that soap leaves, like soap, have an expiry date. If the package doesn’t list one, a general guideline is that bar soap has a shelf life of up to three years. Some handmade soap makers suggest their products be used within a year of purchase because the natural products in some soaps can become rancid. However, if your soap leaf produces lather when you wash your hands, it remains effective and can be used with confidence.

Packing soap leaves

Slip a container of soap leaves into your purse or day bag. Or, consider organizing a comfort pack consisting of miscellaneous items that promote hygiene and comfort. Include a travel pack of 3-ply bamboo tissues (they have to be 3-ply to double as emergency toilet paper), a small container with tablet towels, hand sanitizer, sanitizing wipes, and a few other things — all ready for washrooms or situations when cleanliness needs a helping hand.

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