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Azul e branco (blue and white), also known assabão Offenbach (Offenbach soap) orsabão macaco (monkey soap), is a type ofsoap used inPortugal.[1] It is comparable to household soap, but has a rugged texture, bulky shape, lack of odor, and can generally be purchased in manyconvenience stores andsupermarkets. In Portuguese"azul e branco" literally means "blue and white", which are the distinctive colours of the soap. It can also be found in red and white.
Given the size of a loaf of soap (a long six-sidedprism weighing approximately 1.5 kg, 3.3 lb), it must be cut to the desired size before use.
Formerly,azul e branco soap was popularly used to wash linens, carpets, and floors, as well as for personal hygiene.
Popular brands includeClarim,Confiança andSolavar.
Being more effective than normal soap,[citation needed] it was formerly used to disinfectoperating theatres. With the advent of the2009 Influenza A virus pandemic, the Portuguese health minister advised the population to use it as a substitute for the alcohol-based hand cleaners that emerged at that time.[1]
Its usage has greatly declined in recent years as more attractive soaps and detergents become more common, but around 6,000 metric tons are still produced every year.[1]
Due to theCOVID-19 pandemic caused by the novelSARS coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), azul e branco soap is again being put into use by public institutions, namely in bathrooms.[2] Commercial demand is also increasing as stocks decline and prices rise, with schools and home consumers being the main customers.[3]