Before the turn of the century, several brand name soaps appeared in the national market, including Ivory, Gold Dust, and Borax. Ivory soap was developed by Proctor and Gamble, a company who was selling over thirty different types of soaps by 1890.4 Other brands such as Lux Flakes, were confined to specific geographic areas. Lux Flakes was the first brand to come in flakes rather then a bar, as previous soaps had. In 1918, the first granulated general laundry soap, Rinso, appeared. Granulated soaps were designed specifically for the electric washer, which was first introduced in 1914.5

It is difficult to determine the exact brands that the residents of Greenbelt used. Advertisements for soaps in the Greenbelt Cooperator did not appear until after 1940, and those usually focused on the coop brands. On May 29, 1942 an ad appeared that offered a 22oz package of General purpose soap flakes for 25c, while Brown Laundry soap was advertised for 6c for 14oz.6 In all likelihood, the residents of Greenbelt used a variety of soaps, ranging from homemade to national brands like Ivory or Rinso.

Many the advertisements for soaps, like the following two, which appeared in homemaking magazines like Good Housekeeping and Ladies Home Journal, tended to revolve around a dilemma resulting from using the wrong soap. In the first Ivory Ad, the twins had bought matching silk dresses, but the "lazy" one washed hers with a "common" everyday soap. Of course, her dress faded, but she learned her lesson- use Ivory Flakes next time.

Soaps strong enough for the heavy weekly wash are too strong for delicate silks and woolens. Fine stores say: "Protect washables with Ivory Flakes, -made of gentle ivory soap."7

In the second ad, the conflict of old versus new is presented. The older woman is scrubbing and boiling her clothes in order to get the stains out. She claims that she has tried all the other soaps, but nothing has worked. The younger woman, appalled by the immense heat scolds her friend and tells her that she should be using the new 1937 Rinso because it soaks the out the dirt without scrubbing and boiling. The next washday, the older womans husband comments about not doing the was because it was so hot out. The woman replies, "but I did do the clothes, and they're at least five shades lighter than my old soap ever got them." Rinso had solved her washday dilemma.