What Is Fels-Naptha Soap? Here's How to Use It

Using Fels-Naptha in Laundry Detergent and Stain Removal

By
Mary Marlowe Leverette
Mary Marlowe Leverette 2018
Mary Marlowe Leverette

Mary Marlowe Leverette is one of the industry's most highly-regarded housekeeping and fabric care experts, sharing her knowledge on efficient housekeeping, laundry, and textile conservation. She is also a Master Gardener with over 40+ years of experience and 20+ years of writing experience. Mary is also a member of The Spruce Gardening and Plant Care Review Board.

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Updated on 04/25/24
Reviewed by
Amanda Rose Newton
Amanda Rose Newton
Reviewed by Amanda Rose Newton

Amanda Rose Newton is a pest specialist and horticulture expert, reviewing pest control and gardening content for The Spruce's Cleaning and Gardening Review Board. Her passion for pest control and sustainable gardening allows her to review plant and pest content for best practices and accuracy. She is a board-certified entomologist and volunteers for USAIDs Farmer to Farmer program. She is a professor of Horticulture, an Education Specialist, and a pest specialist.

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Fels-Naptha Soap in a basket of laundry

The Spruce / Candace Madonna

In This Article
Project Overview
  • Working Time: 3 - 15 mins
  • Total Time: 15 - 30 mins
  • Skill Level: Beginner
  • Estimated Cost: $1-6

Fels-Naptha Laundry Bar can be used to treat laundry stains and hand wash clothes. It is often grated and included as an ingredient in homemade laundry detergent. It is particularly effective in removing oily stains and ring-around-the-collar.

Created by Fels & Company in Philadelphia in 1893, the bar originally contained naptha, a flammable liquid and cancer-causing hydrocarbon known as benzene, and was sold as a cleaner for the entire household from floors to laundry.

The benzene was removed from the laundry bar in 1964 when the company sold the rights to Fels-Naptha. After many decades of production and switching owners a few times over the years, Fels-Naptha is still very affordable, usually retailing on average under $3 or $4 a bar.

Uses for Fels-Naptha Soap

  • Deer repellent: Cut soap slices and hang them from plants.
  • Personal pest repellent: Bathe with the soap to repel mosquitos, lice, and other pests.
  • Silence squeaks: Rub on squeaky door hinges and the drawer glides.
  • Household cleaner: Grate and mix with hot water to clean floors, toilets, and sinks.
  • Air freshener: Use unwrapped bars to freshen the air.
  • DIY insecticidal soap: Mix 1 tablespoon of soap with 1 gallon of water and spray affected plants weekly.
  • Remove poison ivy: Wash clothes with soap to remove poison ivy oils.
  • Remove stains from leather: Gently rub the soap bar into stains on various leather goods to lift them.
  • Remove grease stains: Pre-treat grease stains with soap before washing them in the washing machine.

Fels-Naptha Basics

Detergent Can be combined with other laundry products
Water Temperature Can be used in any water temperature
Cycle Type Can be used in any washer cycle
Special Treatments Can be used as a stain remover, for hand-washing, or as an ingredient in DIY laundry detergent
Ingredients Terpine, tetra sodium etidronate, sodium soap (latest known data and limited ingredients disclosure to date)
Shelf Life Indefinite

What You'll Need

Equipment / Tools

  • Washing machine
  • Laundry sink or plastic tub
  • Grater
  • Measuring cups and spoons
  • Wooden spoon
  • Air-tight storage container
  • Rubber gloves

Materials

  • Fels-Naptha Laundry Bar
  • Baking soda
  • Washing soda
  • Borax

Instructions

Materials for using Fels Naptha in laundry

The Spruce / Sanja Kostic

How to Use Fels-Naptha Laundry Bar for Hand-Washing Clothes

Mixing Fels Naptha flakes with ingredients in an air-tight container

The Spruce / Sanja Kostic

  1. Grate the Bar

    To make sure the soap dissolves and disperses throughout the water, it should be grated. Use a kitchen grater to finely grate about 1 tablespoon of soap flakes per 1 gallon of water.

    Grating a bar of Fels Naptha soap

    The Spruce / Sanja Kostic

  2. Mix the Washing Solution

    • Fill the sink or plastic tub with cold to warm water.
    • If using cold water, dissolve the flakes in 1 cup of hot water before adding them to the sink.
    • Use sufficient water so the clothes are not crowded as you wash them.
    Adding Fels Naptha flakes to a tub of water

    The Spruce / Sanja Kostic

  3. Sort the Laundry

    Sort the clothes by color and type of fabric before deciding what to wash together.

    Sorting laundry by color

    The Spruce / Sanja Kostic

  4. Submerge the Clothes

    • Add the clothes to the sink.
    • Allow them to soak for about 10 minutes so the soap can begin breaking down the soil.
    • Handle the fabrics gently by squeezing the water through the clothes or scrub sturdy fabrics together to release the soil.
    Submerging clothes in the tub of water

    The Spruce / Sanja Kostic

  5. Rinse and Dry

    • Once the clothes are clean, rinse in cool water.
    • They can be dried flat, placed in an automatic dryer, or hung from a clothesline or drying rack.
    Hanging wet clothing on a drying rack

    The Spruce / Sanja Kostic

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How to Use Fels-Naptha Laundry Bar as a Stain Remover

Preparing to add the washing mixture to the washer

The Spruce / Sanja Kostic

  1. Wet the laundry bar: Dampen the laundry bar and rub it directly onto the stained area of the clothing, then work the product into the fabric with your fingers or a soft-bristled brush. Let it work for at least 10 minutes before washing the garment.
  2. Wash as usual: Wash the garment by hand or in the washer with a commercial or homemade detergent. Check the stained area before placing the garment in the dryer and if the stain remains, repeat the steps or try another type of laundry stain remover.

Tip

Fels-Naptha works best on oil-based stains. It is not the best treatment for all problems; soap can set stains like berries, fruit, or vegetables, making them difficult to remove.

How to Use Fels-Naptha Laundry Bar in Homemade Laundry Detergent

Grating a bar of Fels Naptha soap

The Spruce / Sanja Kostic

  1. Grate the bar: Use a kitchen grater to create one cup of Fels-Naptha flakes.
  2. Mix the ingredients: In an air-tight container, combine 1 cup of soap flakes, baking soda, and washing soda. Add 1/2 cup of borax and mix all the ingredients with a wooden spoon. Store the container in a cool place and keep it well-sealed.
  3. Add to the washer: Use 1/2 cup of the mixture per load of laundry in a standard top-load washer. Use only 2 tablespoons in a high-efficiency top or front-load washer.

Warning

Washing soda (sodium carbonate) may be slightly irritating to very sensitive skin, so wear rubber gloves when mixing it with other ingredients.

FAQ
  • Can Fels-Naptha be used as a detergent?

    Yes, you can make homemade laundry detergent by combining grated Fels-Naptha soap with baking soda, washing soda, and borax, then using up to 1/2 cup of the mixture per load of laundry.

  • Does Fels-Naptha remove grease?

    Yes, Fels-Naptha cuts through grease stains on a variety of materials. Use the soap bar to pre-treat a grease-stained area on an item before you wash it in the washing machine.

  • What is Fels-Naptha soap good for?

    There are many uses for Fels-Naptha soap. They include using it in homemade laundry detergent, grating it into hot water to make an all-purpose household cleaner, cutting the bar and hanging it to repel pests and deer, removing stains, and silencing squeaking door hinges.

How to Do Laundry in 10 Easy Steps
Originally written by
Erin Huffstetler
Erin Huffstetler

Erin Huffstetler is a frugal living expert who has been writing for over 10 years about easy ways to save money at home.

Learn more about The Spruce's Editorial Process
The Spruce uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

  1. ToxFAQs: Benzene. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. CDC.

  2. Lancaster pediatric associates—Poison ivy. (n.d.). Retrieved April 25, 2024, from Lancaster Pediatric Associates website: https://lancped.com/poison-ivy

  3. Fels-Naptha Heavy-Duty Laundry Bar Soap. Environmental Working Group.