Best Way to Clean White Softball and Baseball Pants (For $1!)

White softball pants. My biggest nightmare. Until I found the best way to clean white softball (and baseball) pants, and it only cost $1!  I was shocked at how easy it was to clean white softball pants with Zote soap. I did an experiment of Zote soap versus Fels-Naptha soap. Fels-Naptha seemed to be what the baseball moms recommended. Here’s the best way to clean softball pants for around $1!

The Best Way to Remove Stains From White Softball Pants

Zote is a Mexican bar soap that is pink and apparently is magic. It was recommended to me by another softball mom. I definitely recommend using Zote to remove stains from softball and baseball pants quickly and on a budget. After letting these pants sit for 3 days without treating them (sorry, we got busy), I didn’t think anything was going to get out the dirt stains from my daughter’s softball pants.

One friend recommended using Fels-Naptha with a little Borax to clean baseball pants. When I went to Walmart, they were out of Borax, so I decided to try a different soap on each leg for an experiment.

How to Clean Softball Pants

1. Brush off as much dirt as you can. We didn’t do this, but it’s probably wise. 

2. Soak the pants for about 10-15 minutes in water if you have the time. 

3. Scrub Zote soap against the pant and run water over to create a lather. Once you get that lather, scrub the pants against each other, and you’ll see the stain start to lift.

4. After the stains are removed, wash in the washing machine. They don’t all have to be completely out, but you’ll notice if you keep scrubbing, the stains will start to come out. You can rinse the soap off in the sink, too, before putting in the washing machine.

Zote Soap versus Fels-Naptha Soap: Which is Better?

In this instance, Zote was so much better and gave instant results. It was a little unfair when I used Zote on the leg that was cleaner, but it pretty much removed all of the stains and left a little residue.

When I used the Fels-Naptha soap on the softball pants, and scrubbed just like the instructions above, this was what was left.

Fels-Naptha did get a bunch of dirt off, but it wasn’t as impressive as the Zote. So then I used the Zote soap in the same spot on the same leg to see if it could remove more stains from the softball pants.

It was a big difference! Then I washed the softball pants in the washing machine (Tide Detergent) and this was the result without having dried the pants.

This was the best and most inexpensive way to clean white softball pants, and it was super easy! I found Zote soap at Walmart in the laundry detergent aisle for about $1. Yes, that’s one dollar. I scrubbed that pants for maybe a total of 3 minutes, and I’m thrilled with the results. I guess I can let go of my grudge against white softball pants now.