Fels Naptha Soap: Here’s What It is & How to Use It!

Fels Naptha soap is one of the oldest household products still available today. This laundry stain remover bar works just as well now as it did years ago. Fels Naptha Laundry Bars effectively remove grease, grime, sweat, and odors.

It remains popular and is called a “super product” because of its laundry and cleaning uses.

What is Fels Naptha Soap?

Fels Naptha is an excellent all-purpose and affordable product.

It’s essentially a laundry soap bar and stain remover that was first manufactured somewhere around 1894. This soap has a long and interesting history.

This Fels-Naptha Laundry Bar and Stain Remover became increasingly popular during the Great Depression because it was surprisingly inexpensive and could be used to clean most things around the house.

Fels Naptha is available from Amazon.com.

Fels Naptha Ingredients

This soap contains sodium palmate, sodium tallowate, and sodium cocoate. It also consists of talc and water. Fels-Naptha soap ingredients work together to tackle your toughest stains.

A wet bar of Fels Naptha Laundry Bar is also the perfect pre-treatment for tough grease stains. It is a fantastic degreaser.

You may be wondering where to buy Fels-Naptha soap. Look in the laundry aisle at large stores like Walmart, Target, Ace Hardware or Amazon.

A Word of Caution

As with all cleaning products, use extreme caution and always use Fels Naptha Soap in a well ventilated area.

Safety of Purex Fels Naptha

Make sure to protect your skin from exposure by wearing rubber gloves at all times while using this soap.

Remember, this is a heavy-duty stain cleaner, so use with caution.

For reference, here is a copy from OHSA for all hazardous type materials.

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10+ OF MY FAVORITE USES FOR A FELS-NAPTHA BAR

Fels-Naptha was typically used for making homemade laundry soap, but that is just one of its many uses that most people aren’t even familiar with.

If you’re curious about this super product, read on to find out 5 amazing uses for Fels Naptha bar soap in and around your house.

Fels Naptha is a vintage product, take a look at other old fashioned remedies that are still helpful today!

1. Pre Stain Treatment

This household soap is is still one of the best pre-wash laundry stain removers for ring-around-the-collar and cuffs. It is easy to use and works extremely well.

This Fels Naptha laundry bar soap is ideal to keep in your laundry room.

Simply wet the area with warm water and rub the bar of Fels Naptha soap into the fabric. Create some lather by rubbing the fabric.

Or, make the spray bottle version as listed below with 1/4 cup grated Fels Naptha soap to 32 oz of hot water. Melt and pour into a spray bottle. If you need a stronger solution, try increasing the Fels Naptha soap from 1/2 bar to a full bar.

For Laundry Stains-always test on small hidden area prior to using on garment

This step helps tremendously in getting your clothes super clean.

2. Homemade Laundry Detergent

You can make your own laundry soap with this simple laundry detergent recipe is one to love! Click on the link for printable How-to instructions. To make your own laundry detergent, you will need these items.

3. Bathroom Air Freshener

Need a simple but effective air freshener for your bathroom, closet or trash cans?

If so, then simply place a bar of Fels-Naptha Soap under the sink or on a shelf. The freshness is amazing! You can also place a small amount in the bottom of the trash can.

Make sure to place the bar of soap in a small dish or on a plate of some type to protect the cabinet or cupboard surface.

Also, look at how you can use Thieves Oil as a Bathroom Air Freshener.

4. Poison Ivy Treatment for Clothing

Fels-Naptha can help you get rid of poison ivy on your clothes.

There is also some information suggesting that Fels Naptha can be used on your skin to treat poison ivy but be very careful.

5. Protecting Your Garden from Aphids

You can also use Fels-Naptha to protect your garden from bugs.

A simple recipe for Aphids:

• Dissolve 1 tablespoon Fels Naptha soap grated in 1 gallon hot water
• Stir to dissolve the grated soap, cool and pour into a spray bottle.
• Spray aphids weekly until they are gone.
• Then spray once a month as routine maintenance.

For your vegetable garden, make sure you use a safe organic product like one that is approved by the Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI)

Maybe try something like Safer Insect Killing Soap for your garden veggies.

Or, make your own DIY insecticidal soap from a milder safer liquid soap.

6. Protecting Your Garden from Deer:

If you need to protect your yard or garden from deer using natural products then consider this recipe:

• Grate 1 bar of Fels-Naptha and
• Dissolve it in a 5-gallon bucket filled halfway with hot water.

Take a 12″ x 12″ piece of cheesecloth and add the follow ingredients:

• 2 Bunches of Chopped Green Onions
• 2 Heads of garlic (unpeeled)
• 4 Whole Eggs (do not crack but leave whole until next step)
• 1 Cup Chili Powder
• 1 Cup Cayenne Pepper

Chop the green onions and garlic or process in a food processor.

Place the chopped onions and garlic , the 2 whole eggs, chili powder and Cayenne Pepper in the middle of the piece of cheesecloth.

Tie this bundle with string to secure.

Once you’ve tied it up nicely, put the bundle of cheesecloth inside the bucket and then crack the eggs. Add more hot water to the bucket and top it with the lid.

For your vegetable garden, try something that is approved by the Organic Material Review Institute (OMRI) like Safer Insect Killing Soap for your garden veggies.

Place in Sprayer Bottle

Let it sit in a safe place for a week and then pour the mixture into a spray bottle.

Spray this mixture on any areas that you want to protect from animals.

Plan on respraying your garden or yard with this mixture about every 2 weeks or after any heavy rains. Use either a hand sprayer or a pump sprayer.

Do not spray on any edible plants in your garden! Remember, for your vegetable garden, use a safe product reviewed by Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI)

Use a product such as Safer Insect Killing Soap for your garden veggies.

7. Cleaning Your Sink

Looking for an easy way to clean your sink, this little bar of soap will do the trick! You can use Fels Naptha to get your sink to look shiny and spotless; with its grease cutting property, this works great to clean your kitchen sink.

Just lather up some Fels Naptha on a soft cleaning cloth, wet sponge or soft brush, scrub the sink, and then rinse.

Or, make the spray bottle version as listed below with 1/4 cup grated Fels Naptha soap to 32 oz of hot water. Melt and pour into a spray bottle.

This soapy mixture works great as a grime, grease and oil remover  ! If you need a stronger solution, try increasing the Fels Naptha soap from 1/2 bar to a full bar. Grate and dissolve as indicated above.

Once you’re done washing and rinsing, use a dry cloth to wipe the sink and gently rub to a shine.

This will give your sink that smooth polished look you’ve been hoping to see.

8. Clean the Bathroom

Make a simple spray to clean your bathroom. Grate and dissolve 1/4 cup of Fels Naptha Soap into one quart (32 oz) of hot water. As mentioned above, if you need a stronger solution, try increasing the Fels Naptha soap from 1/2 bar to a full bar. Grate and dissolve as indicated above.

Pour this mixture into a spray bottle and use to clean and freshen your bathroom.

Use on the following:

• Sinks
• Toilets
• Floors
• General Household Cleaning

9. Mold and Mildew

Bathroom mold and mildew are nasty especially as they build up in your tile grout. Take preventive steps to keep mold and mildew away.

Using a dry bar of Fels Naptha soap bar, simply rub the bar into the grout and scrub with a brush to help clean mildew and mold from damp places. Do this weekly to prevent shower scum and mildew.

10. Stubborn Stain Removal on Your Carpet

Have a stubborn stain on your carpet? Feel free to use Fels-Naptha to get rid of it within minutes.

All you need to do is grate a bar of Fels-Naptha soap and then dissolve it in hot water. Use a scrub brush to get the stain out or use the hot water mixture in your carpet cleaner for even better results.

Make sure to test a small area to make sure this mixture is safe for your carpet or rug.

Extra Info: Zote vs Fels Naptha

If you are wondering about the differences between Fels Naptha vs Zote laundry soap, this information is very helpful!

Additional Fels Naptha Benefits and Uses

Fels Naptha soap is one staple product to have on hand. Here is an overview of the possible uses for this simple soap.

• Odor Eliminator – place unwrapped bar of Fels Naptha and place in area to freshen the air.
• Use as a Magic Eraser on counters and floors to remove black marks. Make sure to wipe up on floors so they are not slick.
• Clean and freshen refrigerator and fruit/vegetable drawers
• Garden Insecticidal Soap Spray for aphids
• Garden spray to repel animals
• Laudry uses including Pre-Treament
• Homemade Laundry Soap Recipe
• Carpet Spots and Stains (always do a pre-test)
• Ring-Around-The-Collar Pre-treatment
• Air Freshener Bar
• Clean Outside Lawn Furniture

Final Words

This soap has stood the test of time. Although there are a ton of spot and stain removers available on the market, I find I reach for my bar of Fels Naptha soap more and more to remove stubborn stains and it still works the best!

Fels Naptha laundry bar is a fantastic product, but please note that it has a C rating from the EWG (Environmental Working Group). One of my readers pointed this out, so I wanted to pass this on so you have the information to do your own research on this product to find out if it will work for you.

I hope you will give this longstanding product a try…..such a handy item with a multitude of uses. Let us know what your experience is with using a vintage product in our modern age!

Disclaimer: This information is for learning only. Please check for ingredient substitutions and possible allergies to stay safe.

The Food and Drug Administration has not reviewed these statements. According to FDA rules, the information and products on this website do not aim to treat, cure, prevent, or diagnose any illness or disease.

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