Fels Naphtha safety

[Henrietta23]

I've been using Fels for my laundry gel for over a year now. I recently was reading a book on natural cleaning and it was listing some reasons not to use certain products. I started searching to see what exactly makes this soap better for laundry. It seems that it has no detergents but is it truly natural? This is what Wikipedia has to say:

" Health Considerations
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[2].

It should be noted that using Fels-Naptha as a punishment for foul language is considered highly dangerous."

What do you guys think? Is it still a better alternative to standard laundry detergents?

ETA: I read on a forum just now that the Stoddard solvent was removed in 1998 or so but I can't find proof of that.

 

[Beekissed]

That is certainly interesting and probably why you won't find the ingredients listed on the bar. Hmmmmmmm...... :/

We use bleach on our clothing and it can be some nasty stuff as well. In its gas form, its positively lethal, but I don't see any research where using it on laundry will harm us...but who knows?

 

[Woodland Woman]

Could you substitute with Ivory Soap?

 

[PamsPride]

I can smell the mineral spirits in it!
I am going to try half Ivory and half FN the next time I make laundry detergent. I used just Ivory the first time and it seemed to gum up in my wash machine and in the spot I pour the detergent into. But, I loved the smell we got with the Ivory!!

 

[lupinfarm]

What about going to the powder, and throwing the ivory through a food processor. We put our sunlight soap through a food processor to make it all itty bitty.

Though, we've gone to TIDE for cold water with the febreeze in it, it smells absolutely amazing.

 

[2dream]

ummmm-food for thought on the Fels Naptha. I used ivory the last time I made detergent in preparation for the the new addition. But definately find your post interesting. Let me know if you find out anything else.

PP - I grate with the smallest part of the grater and then when I get ready to wash I always turn the water on first, then add detergent and let my washer get at least half full before adding clothes. This does two things for me. I get more water for my clothes and it gives the detergent more time to disolve. If you put your clothes in first it raises the water level up higher and causes the washer to start washing with less water than it thinks it has. (does that make sense)?

 

[Henrietta23]

I'll keep you posted. I love the smell of the detergent when made with Fels. I'll try something natural from our food coop next. But I suspect the reason that the naphtha soap was in the recipe originally was because it was intended for laundry and the solvent in it made it clean clothes well. Hmmmm. Guess I have a quest for more knowledge on my hands.

 

[Henrietta23]

Okay, I've emailed the Dial Corporation asking them to tell me what's in it. I found another forum where one person says it's got pine oil in it. I'd like to know for sure!

 

[the simple life]

I can't buy fels naphtha around here, I have to buy it online so I substitue ivory and its been fine. I grate it pretty fine anyway but I never have a problem with it being gummy.

 

[Henrietta23]

These are the Ivory Soap ingredients that I found on line. Certainly more gently than pine oil and solvents. I couldn't use it as a kid; it made me itch so I've hesitated to use it in laundry soap. How does the detergent work for you?


Ivory Soap Ingredients
Sodium tallowate, sodium cocoate or sodium palm kernelate, water, sodium chloride, sodium silicate, magnesium sulfate, and fragrance.

ETA: I get Fels Naphtha at Big Y. Since they're based in Mass. I was hoping there'd be one out near you, but it doesn't look like it.