Making Your Own Laundry Soap with Fels Naptha Soap

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RE: Making Your Own Laundry Soap with Fels Naptha Soap

I have used Fels Naptha soap for many years for my own and my daughters underwear when there has been an accident from monthly cycles. I usually soak them in some grated soap and cold water for a couple hours then rub the area with a hunk of soap to work up a good lather before washing in the machine. After this there is nothing left of the stain.

Post by mammabear3

RE: Making Your Own Laundry Soap with Fels Naptha Soap

I'm not familiar with Fels Naptha Soap. Is there a reason you use this over any other soap?

stephgarvey at gmail dot com

Post By Steph G. (Guest Post)

RE: Making Your Own Laundry Soap with Fels Naptha Soap

Hi, has anyone tried Lava soap to wash clothes instead of the Fels Naptha? Its cheap and it gets grease off your hands so it should get it out of your clothes.

Post by BRANBRUMOM

RE: Making Your Own Laundry Soap with Fels Naptha Soap

Can this homemade soap be used in the He only washing machines?

Post By Enter your name.Brenda Ayati (Guest Post)

RE: Making Your Own Laundry Soap with Fels Naptha Soap

Can I use this in a high efficiency machine?

Post By Enter your name. (Guest Post)

RE: Making Your Own Laundry Soap with Fels Naptha Soap

Thanks so much for all the info. I have a large family & need to save every way I can. I also love the concept of making homemade soap or anything else, for that matter.

Post By Janie W. (Guest Post)

RE: Making Your Own Laundry Soap with Fels Naptha Soap

Fels Naptha soap DOES NOT CONTAIN petroleum. In 1998 it was re formulated and the Stoddard Solvent was removed.

Post By marie (Guest Post)

RE: Making Your Own Laundry Soap with Fels Naptha Soap

Why would you use a product that contains petroleum solvents in it if your intention is to make a natural laundry soap? This is an excerpt on the hazards of FELS NAPTHA. While sometimes also sold next to personal-care body soaps it should not be used as an overall body soap or regular laundry additive since it contains Stoddard solvent, a skin and eye irritant.

According to the "Chronic Health Effects" section of the National Institutes of Health's MSDS for Fels Naptha:

Chronic toxicity testing has not been conducted on this product. However, the following effects have been reported on one of the product's components. Stoddard solvent: Repeated or prolonged exposure to high concentrations has resulted in upper respiratory tract irritation, central and peripheral nervous system effects, and possibly hematopoetic, liver and kidney effects.

Stoddard solvent is another name for mineral spirits, which are, like petroleum distillates, a mixture of multiple chemicals made from petroleum. Exposure to Stoddard solvent in the air can affect your nervous system and cause dizziness, headaches, or a prolonged reaction time. It can also cause eye, skin, or throat irritation[3].
think I'll stick to Ivory Soap

Post By concerned about fels napta's chemicals (Guest Post)

RE: Making Your Own Laundry Soap with Fels Naptha Soap

SoapsGoneBy.com is where I ordered the stuff to make my own. They also have recipes and quite a variety of other cleaning items. I'm looking forward to trying the detergent - just mixed up a batch of liquid today, but will also experiment with the dry mixture. Pampered Chef has a grater that works fabulously on the Fels Naptha. I live in a pretty rural area, so I didn't even look for the items locally - I assumed they wouldn't be in stores around here.

Post By Tammy (Guest Post)

RE: Making Your Own Laundry Soap with Fels Naptha Soap

I try to make this soap but ended up with a disk of soap floating on top of the bucket of water???? Any ideas?

Post by linnymay

RE: Making Your Own Laundry Soap with Fels Naptha Soap

Just wanted to add as some posts were concerned w/the smell of the soap. Vinegar is a natural fabric softener, about 1/4-1/2 cup in the rinse cycle will soften your cloths, neutralize odors and aid in the removal of any excess detergent. I use one of the downy balls and just fill it with vinegar and toss it in the wash.

Post By Rachel G (Guest Post)

RE: Making Your Own Laundry Soap with Fels Naptha Soap

I have tried this recipe, and I also recommend a soap called "Charlie's Soap" If you buy the bigger box (1250 loads) it comes out to about 9 cents a load. You only use a small amount, and I like that it saves me the time of making the soap.

Post By Jillian (Guest Post)

RE: Making Your Own Laundry Soap with Fels Naptha Soap

Hello all. What a neat idea to make your own laundry soap! I am excited to try this one. After a few minutes of researching I found what "washing soda" is and how to purchase it. http://frugalliving.about.com/od/laundry/f/washingsoda.htm Just copy and paste the link. It's made by Arm & Hammer, the same people who make baking soda. If you can't find it locally, call 1-800-524-1328. That's the Arm & Hammer number and they should be able to tell you where the closest place you can find it is. Good Luck to all!

Post by gailanderic

RE: Making Your Own Laundry Soap with Fels Naptha Soap

IT IS A BOOSTER FOR WASHING LAUNDRY
IT HELPS GET THE CLOTHES CLEANER
I HAVE MADE 2 BATCHES OF HOMEMADE SOAP AND HAVE GOTTEN 45-50 LOADS OUT OF EACH BATCH
I HAVE FIGUREDOUT THAT SO FAR IT HAS COST ME ABOUT 8 CENTS A LOAD BUT I STILL HAVE ENOUGH WASHING SODA AND BORAX TO MAKE SEVERAL MORE BATCHES. THIS HAS LEFT ME TICKLED PINK

Post By IMAQT1962 (Guest Post)

RE: Making Your Own Laundry Soap with Fels Naptha Soap

Hi I am new here and am intrigued by the laundry soap recipes and want to try them. Any tips for a first timer? Also, what is "washing soda?" Thanks.

Jeanine

Post by sjeanine

RE: Making Your Own Laundry Soap with Fels Naptha Soap

Visit http://www.goddijn.com/soap/sfels.htm for review of Fels Naptha soap before using it on your skin, especially those who have sensitive skin.

Post By K76 (Guest Post)

RE: Making Your Own Laundry Soap with Fels Naptha Soap

I'm having problems with the smell of the homemade detergent. Sometimes our clother come out smelling like vomit. We have fresh water not recycled, any hints on what could be wrong. It doesn't happen all the time.

Post by Megan's mom

RE: Making Your Own Laundry Soap with Fels Naptha Soap

My husband used Zote in the shower and for his hair when overseas to repel the sand fleas and the like.
He has never complained about any skin reactions.
In the summer, he has used it for mosquito repellant by simply wetting the bar and rubbing it on his arms- also, no reactions.

I use the Zote in the laundry recipes and they smell very nice when finished but sometimes I have a problem with the powder leaving a soap residue so I tend to stick to the gel/liquids or really let the bar dry out before putting it in the food processor.
I have also used "Pure and Natural" soap and it smells kind of like baby detergent.
Right now I have a batch of powdered Pure and Natural and a batch of powdered Fels Naptha for laundry detergent and the Fels is like a laundry room air freshener!
I think you could use any type of soap that you wish- the Borax and Washing Soda do most of the work anyway! The softer soaps would need to dry out to make a good powder detergent, otherwise they make a GREAT gel/liquid because they are easier to melt.

Post By Cari (Guest Post)

RE: Making Your Own Laundry Soap with Fels Naptha Soap

I am just concerned with using Borax and Washing Soda because i did a bit of research and Borax especially has been linked with cancers and skin irritations etc. Can baking soda be used instead of washing soda?

Post By Samar (Guest Post)

RE: Making Your Own Laundry Soap with Fels Naptha Soap

I use Fels Naptha Soap for cleaning almost everything in my house.It works great and is so cheap it's amazing. One bar lasts forever and costs about a dollar. I just washed my kitchen floor with it today - just lathered it onto a damp sponge mop and used water to rinse. It produces an amazing amount of lather. I have even used it on windows -- just lather it onto a wet sponge, swipe, then rinse with a damp towell. It doesn't leave a residue. It's great for countertops too.

Post By Susan (Guest Post)

RE: Making Your Own Laundry Soap with Fels Naptha Soap

I like to keep my 5 gallon bucket in my laundry closet next to the washing machine. I use cheap shampoo (Sauve, VO5, anything that I have gotten free. I make the most basic recipe using ivory soap/washing soda & water. Then I "boost" concoction w/my shampoo. I have saved a ton of money and I never run out of laundry detergent!

My family thinks I am crazy/crazy like a FOX!!!!!:-)

Post By COOKIEPOM (Guest Post)

laundry detergent

i'm doing a science project on laundry detergent

Post By Jo (Guest Post)

RE: Making Your Own Laundry Soap with Fels Naptha Soap

Tami,
Fels Naptha is on the shelf in Publix supermarkets....in detergent isle.

Post By Adam P (Guest Post)

RE: Making Your Own Laundry Soap with Fels Naptha Soap

This sounds great but I have 2 questions:
Are Zote and Fels Naptha the same thing?
What is washing soda?

Thanks,
Lee

Post By Lee (Guest Post)

RE: Making Your Own Laundry Soap with Fels Naptha Soap

I use the first recipe Thrifty_Fun posted, but I have some more specific intructions for it. The first time I made it it came out a little too watery and lumpy. After practice I have it down and it is a nice gel consistency.

Liquid Laundry Detergent

3 Pints Water
1/3 Bar Fels Naptha or Ivory Soap, Grated
1/2 Cup Washing Soda
1/2 Cup Borax
Bucket
4 Quarts + 1 Pint Boiling/Hot Water
optional: 15 drops Lavender Essential Oil (or whatever EO you prefer)
optional: 10 drops Tea Tree Oil

Mix Fels Naptha soap in a saucepan with 3 pints of water, and heat until dissolved. Stir in Washing Soda and Borax. Stir until thickened, and remove from heat. Add 1 quart hot water to bucket. Add soap mixture, and mix well. Add another 2 quarts boiling hot water and 1 additional quart plus 1 pint hot water and mix well. If using essential oils, add these now. Set aside for 24 hours, or until mixture thickens. Use 1/2 cup of mixture per load.

I use cloth diapers on my two boys so I have a lot of laundry. I make up the detergent two batches at a time in a 5 gallon bucket. I love this stuff!

Post by *Jessica*

fels naptha as a facewash??

Hey everyone!
I finally found what my grandma was talking about...she said as a little girl they used fels naptha soap in the shower and never had a problem with acne. ANyways, i've google-ed it and it sent me here. It sounds like a pretty powerful soap. I just bought a bar and im unsure about applying it to the face... please let me know if you guys think its a good idea!
thanks

email me if you got a suggestion
keliiaa @ berkeley.edu (remove spaces)
jackie, hayward, california

Post by cutepaiute

RE: Making Your Own Laundry Soap with Fels Naptha Soap

I just found fels naptha online for $1.00 at http://www.soapsgonebuy.com. Thank you for giving me the link!!!!

Post By Valerie (Guest Post)

zot uses

can zote be used for the body and face and does it contain lye

Post By lillian (Guest Post)

RE: Making Your Own Laundry Soap with Fels Naptha Soap

In 1943 I took the same Fels-Naptha soap, added 1 gallon of water & 1/4 cup of lye, stirred carefully, added 3 more gallons of water, let all "blend" for 24 hours in a 5 gallon crock (used for making sauer kraut), came back in the morning, and stirred the batch for one hour until "soupy." Let it set and sit, and sometime that day my mother would come down and with my 2 sisters and start washing clothes for her 9 children. I always tried to add a pleasant smelling chemical to it but searches in the library proved useless as the 2WW was grim news back then and no one listened to a 13 year old. But we sure had clean clothes! It was also the first line of defense, back then, against ridding poison ivy resins and pollen from my clothes and body and I did use it daily during the summer months.

Post By Blake Mooney (Guest Post)

RE: Making Your Own Laundry Soap with Fels Naptha Soap

I buy Zote soap bars at several stores in my area (Iowa). It comes in pink and white and is VERY soft with a nice fresh scent. It costs from $.66- $1.00 depending where I find it. It is supposed to repel mosquitoes and wash dishes as well...

Post By Breezeetew (Guest Post)

RE: Making Your Own Laundry Soap with Fels Naptha Soap

Fels Naptha soap >>

Could anyone recommend another type of soap to use that would be equally as good? I did a search and it is not sold in my area. Thanks!

Delaine

Post By Delaine (Guest Post)

RE: Making Your Own Laundry Soap with Fels Naptha Soap

Here is a list of Laundry Detergent Recipes from http://www.SoapsGoneBuy.com

"Fels Naptha Soap is a fantastic stain remover and pre-treater. It works especially well on oil-based stains. Just rub the stain with a wet bar of Fels Naptha Soap. Let it sit for a while and launder as usual. It works great on baby clothes which have formula stains.

* For chocolate smudge on clothes, rub the stain with Fels Naptha Soap and let sit in your filled washer with 20 Mule Team Borax for 30 minutes. Launder as usual.
* Thoroughly wash all clothing including hats, gloves coats in Fels Naptha Soap to prevent an outbreak of poison ivy. Poison Ivy resin can remain on your clothes for over 1 year. Washing with Fels Naptha will eliminate the resin from your clothing.
* To remove Halloween makeup from clothing, simply work a little Fels Naptha into the stain and launder as usual. It may take a repeat washing to completely remove the stain.
* To clean white canvas tennis shoes, simply work the Fels Naptha Soap into a lather and use a soft brush to work into the canvas. Launder as usual without chlorine bleach.
* To remove old stains on colored clothes, make a solution of 2 cups warm water and 1/2 cup white vinegar. Pour on stain. Let soak for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Rinse well and work in Fels Naptha Soap. Launder as usual.

SOAP RECIPES

First Recipe:
3 Pints Water
1/3 bar Fels Naptha Soap, grated
1/2 cup Washing Soda (Arm and Hammer, NOT baking soda though!!)
1/2 cup 20 Mule Team Borax
2 Gallon bucket to mix it in
1 Quart hot water
Hot Water
Mix Fels Naptha soap in a saucepan with 3 pints hot water and heat on low until dissolved. Stir in Washing Soda and Borax. Stir until thickened, and remove from heat. Add 1 Quart Hot Water to 2 gallon Bucket. Add soap mixture, and mix well. Fill bucket with hot water, and mix well. Set aside for 24 hours, or until mixture thickens. Use 1/2 cup of mixture per load.


Second Recipe:
1 cup grated Fels Naptha Soap
1/2 cup Washing Soda (Arm and Hammer again)
1/2 cup Borax (20 mule team Borax)
2 Tablespoons Glycerin
2 cups water
Mix first three ingredients together, than add glycerin and water. Use 1/2 to 3/4 cup per load. This one works best in cold or warm water.


Third Recipe:
Water
1 bar grated Fels Naptha soap
5 gallon bucket
1 cup washing soda (Again, Arm and Hammer)
4 1/2 gallons water
Put grated Fels Naptha in saucepan and cover with water. Heat on low until dissolved. Fill bucket with hot water and add soap. Stir to combine. Add 1 cup washing soda and mix well. As it cools, it will thicken. May be used immediately. Use 1- 2 cups per load.

Powdered Laundry Detergent
1 cup grated Fels Naptha Soap
1/2 cup washing soda
1/2 cup 20 mule team borax

Mix and store in airtight container or bag. For light loads, use 1 tablespoon. For heavy loads, use 2 tablespoons. "

Post by ThriftyFun

RE: Making Your Own Laundry Soap with Fels Naptha Soap

Fels Naptha is available at Lehman's online. http://www.lehmans.com/jump.jsp?itemType=PRODUCT&iProductID=2059

I think most any grocery store would order it for you if you asked them.

This site has grated soap and the bars also:

http://www.soapsgonebuy.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWCATS&Category=200

Post by ThriftyFun

RE: Making Your Own Laundry Soap with Fels Naptha Soap

I used Fels Naptha years ago to get baby puke oops! sorry, baby yuk out of their clothes worked like a dream. Got a new husband moved to Charleston Sc , been lookingfor it and just did a search and found that I would have to drive 2 hours to get some. Do you think I could request the store to order it? or do you know a place I could order some online? any info would help thanks T

Post By Tami (Guest Post)

RE: Making Your Own Laundry Soap with Fels Naptha Soap

I've been using this basic recipe for several months and its awesome! I'm a fitness instructor so you can imagine my laundry is STINKY but this mixture does the trick. I usually triple it to save time and I like to use 1/4 cup vinegar in the rinse cycle as well.

Post By Katie in NY (Guest Post)

Homemade Laundry Detergent Recipe - Dry

I try to save money at every turn, something I have just started doing is to make my own laundry detergent. It's very easy and ends up costing pennies per load. All you need is 1 cup grated Fels Naptha bar soap, 1/2 cup borax, and 1/2 cup washing soda. Mix it all and use 1 Tablespoon for a regular load, 2 Tablespoons for a really soiled load. If you can't find Fels Naptha, here's a website that can help you, http://www.dialcorp.com/storelocator/storeloc2.cfm

By Billie Yates

Post by ThriftyFun

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