Abstract: Colored detergent bars are provided comprising water soluble polymeric colorants that exhibit excellent non-staining performance on fabrics and other contacted surfaces, including manufacturing and/or washing equipment, are easy to process into the desired detergent bar compositions, and do not exhibit any appreciable harmful effects to the environment. The particular polymeric colorants utilized in this respect are of very high molecular weight (in order to assure staining will not occur on target cleaning surfaces), are extremely water soluble, provide excellent vivid and aesthetically pleasing color shades within the target bar compositions, and are present as liquid or waxy pastes at room and at processing temperatures. The ultimate laundry bar product thus exhibits highly pleasing colors for product distinction as well as for aesthetic purposes.