# Is Fels Naptha natural?



## counterGOPI

I founda recipe to make my own laundry detergent using this stuff but the smell and ingredients are kinda scaring me. Is it safe and natural?


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## coyotemist

Not sure, but you could use Dr. Bronners instead...yummy pepperminty laundry!


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## diana_of_the_dunes

I can't really comment on the "safe" part, but we have been using it in our soap for years without a problem. DH even has sensitive skin, and the Fels-Naptha has never caused him to break out. And the smell somehow washes out... Our laundry just smells fresh and clean, not like any particular fragrance (and certainly not like the soap smells by itself!).

"Natural"? Nope. I don't think it contains any petro-chemicals, though.

And be careful about using any castille soap for laundry. We have hard water, and it doesn't rinse clean. All the "natural, vegetable-based" soaps we used caused massive build-up problems. We used Method for a while, and had no problems, but making our own was WAY cheaper.


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## treehuggermama

I had the opposite experience with it. My dd who has never broke out from anything in her life got HUGE hives from contact with it. And I too was a bit leary about how "natural" it is. We decided to go the Soap Nuts route and not only are they cost efficient but fragrance free.


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## Delicateflower

Uranium is natural, and so is poison ivy. You get my drift.

The ingredients list of Fels naptha is:

Quote:

Ingredients

Soap (sodium tallowate*, sodium cocoate* (or) sodium palmate kernelate*, and sodium palmate*), water, talc, cocnut acid*, palm acid*, tallow acid*, PEG-6 methyl ether, glycerin, sorbitol, sodium chloride, pentasodium pentetate and/or tetrasodium etidronate, titatium dioxide, fragrance, Acid Orange (CI 20170), Acid yellow 73 (ci43350)

*contains one or more of these ingredients
I wouldn't wash my clothes in soap because of hard water buildup, and sensitivity to fragrances. I prefer a more detergenty ph neutral substance that washes out of the clothes without leaving residue.


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## moondiapers

Quote:


Originally Posted by *treehuggermama* 
I had the opposite experience with it. My dd who has never broke out from anything in her life got HUGE hives from contact with it. And I too was a bit leary about how "natural" it is. We decided to go the Soap Nuts route and not only are they cost efficient but fragrance free.

Do you find they work less with time, as the detergent residue rinses out of your washer? They seem to work as well as plain water to me.


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## sunnysandiegan

I found the fels naptha bars at a great price and later found the laundry making ingredients. Grated it and made dry and liquid detergents....6-7 recipes on tipnut dot com. The best recipes for our hard water are the ones with the lower ratio of soap (fels naptha) due to build-up. They all work and laundry smells clean and fresh. The build-up for my one gallon experiments has been mild, but noticeable for certain recipes (mostly on the stainless steel measuring device even though I rinse it in hot water every single time and on the inside of the washer).

We all have sensitive skin in this house, mine is the most sensitive (the slightest irritation really hurts me) and DD's is the most dry and easily irritated visually (red welts and bumps). We have loved the homemade laundry detergent!







Zero issues. I added essential oils to the recipes for the nice scent while dispensing, but not enough to really stay potent through the washing process.


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## adorabelle

I was JUST reading about people questioning if Fels Naptha is natural! http://ultimatemoneyblog.com/natural-laundry-detergents

I think I would use Dr. Bronner's or Ivory instead.


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## Adaline'sMama

Quote:


Originally Posted by *adorabelle* 
I was JUST reading about people questioning if Fels Naptha is natural! http://ultimatemoneyblog.com/natural-laundry-detergents

I think I would use Dr. Bronner's or Ivory instead.

Why Ivory?

Ive tried with Dr Bronners, and it seems to leave oily spots on my clothes. Are you all grating dry bars or using the liquid in a homade liquid detergent?


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## adorabelle

I've used Ivory before with no problems and I do the liquid. I am sure Ivory is not 100% natural but it has worked


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## mamadelbosque

IDK, but its what we used to wash with to (mostly) avoid getting poison ivy when hiking as kids. Seemed to work pretty good for that.







I can't imagine using dr bronneres to wash clothes with - that stuff never washes out of stuff, ime.


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## deanawat

My 76 year old mother in law remembers using it as a young farm child while helping the older siblings do the laundry. So it can't be too much bad stuff in it. All the listed ingredients in the post above are natural. But as states in the pother post ,so is poison ivy. I think to each his own. I've used it for over a year now and saved 'who knows' how much in HE laundry detrgent. I love it.

Also, no one in my family has had any reaction to it, including my sensitive skin. Enjoy soap making folks!


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## I Fly

I've recently made laundry soap with both Dr. Bronner's bars and Fels Naptha. The heavy perfume smell of the Fels Naptha is a little off-putting to me. I trust Dr. Bronner's, so I think I'll stick with grating those bars for my soap in the future. I add about 3/4 cup vinegar to combat hard water/soap issues, and so far have noticed NO build up anywhere (after a couple of months).


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## melvinjo68

The recipe on budget101.com claims that Fels Naptha is essential to her recipe & no substitutions shld be used as the Fels Naptha helps keep residue from forming in the washing machine, whereas the soaps others were suggesting like Ivory & Zote would cause eventually gum-up the washing machine & also re-distribute dirt on the washing ... It sounds like it's some kind of enzyme product, rather than a pure soap? ...
I'm in Australia, so I don't know the product, but the name Naptha worries me - I've bn wondering if it contains any napthalene? I'd rather use something greener if that is the case ... I just like the idea of her recipe because it's concentrated - I have health issues which make it difficult to produce laundry detergent in large volumes...

This Australian lady's blog does a lot of natural bits & pieces ... her laundry liquid recipe is basically soap flakes, borax & washing (not baking) soda http://slowlivingessentials.blogspot.com.au/2011/11/homemade-laundry-liquid.html


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## OkiMom

I use Fels Naptha.. My daughter has super sensitive skin and allergic reactions to most cleaners (which is why I started to make my own detergent) but I can use Fels Naptha on her clothing with no issue. The smell though WOW its strong. I usually either get my hubby to grate it for me or do it outside. I can't deal with the smell in an enclosed space, gives me a migraine.


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