A little change made to Fels Naptha

[stan]

Noticed the label change, now with the "Purex" a top. And some slight changes made to the ingredients list!
Appears they have added a anti bacterial, anti fungial ingredient. ( triclorocaban) and another new ingredient.

More to come as I find out.

 

[stan]

Back side

Dial corp still listed as Dist?

 

[stan]

Sorry

Dipentene is the other new ingredient!

Suspect this may be a better formula for cleaning then the last?
But for those with sensitive skin types...

 

[supersuds]

We need Launderess to weigh in, but she seems to have been AWOL lately. Hope nothing is wrong.

 

[teknikleespekng]

Interesting...

Hi! Poppping over from the Deluxe forum. I love Fels-Naptha for pre-treating stains. I only found out about it in the last year. Now they go and change it!

Going to the website, it doesn't list these new ingredients. Im going to Walmart later to pick up some before they stock this newer version.

From Fels-Naptha website:
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

Dipentene from toxipedia
Dipentene is a terpene liquid, a class of hyrdocarbons produced by plants, that is colorless with a lemon-like odor. It is most commonly used as a solvent in a variety of products. It is a high production volume chemical with US annual production over 1,000,000 pounds. It is only known as limonene.

 

[teknikleespekng]

I went to my local Walmart

and they had the new bars on the shelf. I dug way into the back and bought the last 5 bars of the older type. That should hold me a while until we hear more about how these new ingredients affect the product.

 

[stan]

Until I use it

And research a little more, Il just hope the the changes made, are for the better! (For the time being)
The Dipentene "may" make this a little better, and "possibly" come a bit closer to the original Fels that use to contain stoddard solvent .

More to come!

Laundress where are you?

 

[rp2813]

I just bought a bar a month or two ago, but haven't used it yet and can't remember where I got it.  The wrapper has the "100 Years" medallion on it.  That would be some really old stock.  It might have been at my favorite ACE Hardware.

 

[stan]

Ralph

It's probably not that old.
This is a recent change. The Fels website is still listing the old ingredients.
When I bought this new bar, the older ones were mixed with it. I opted for the newer one, because I spotted the labal change, and a change in the ingredient list, but needed to get home to see exactly what those changes were.

I'm washing with the new one now, and will see if there is a appreciable difference?

 

[stan]

Only

One washing with it, and don't notice any chage in performance?
Will have to get some really dirty whites with some grease on them to be able to tell if the new stuff is better, or worse, or same?

 

[teknikleespekng]

Waiting for update

Please let us know when you do a more soiled/greasy/stained load with results

 

[launderess]

Don't Care What Purex/Dial Says

You cannot call something "Naptha" without it having some sort of solvent inside the soap. Dial/Purex keeps changing the original formula of Fels "naptha" soap removing that substance but using another solvent in it's place.

Limonene is indeed a natural chemical made from citrus fruit waste (the peels IIRC), but it is considered toxic by some. Limonene is the power behind most if all citrus oil based solvent cleaners/detergents including "Goo Gone" and similar products. Bi-O-Kleen and other "natural" products also include the stuff as well.

The orginal Fels and the copy cat naptha soaps which followed were in a sense the first petrol derived wash day detergents. Because it was the solvent that did much of the soil lifting housewives and others doing the wash didn't have to use all that boiling, rubbing, beating and whatever to shift soils. Adding naptha to soap was better than the other age old method of adding petrol,usually kerosene to the boiling wash tub. One can only imagine how many were burned and or badly maimed if not killed by using such a flammable substance so close to fires. Kerosene was chosen because in the age of oil lamps it was already in most homes. While this method *did* work to shift soil from wash, the petrol often combined with soaps to form a horrible scum which was difficult to shift. Indeed the entire wash load done with such a method would require many long and hot rinses to not only shift the soap but the residue from petrol as well.

Being as all this may the orginal Fels (one has a huge enough stash) is wonderful for shifting "solvent" required stains such as ink, lipstick, candle wax, oil, grease etc.

From what one can see of the above label (sorry Stan, but my getting older eyes couldn't deal with the upside down picture, *LOL*) this latest incarnation is more soap with a bit of solvent thrown in than the original Fels Naptha soap. That product contained water softener (washing soda), soap, and other chemicals including fabric whitening agents. This was the Purex incarnation and with good soft water probably would do as a laundry "detergent" on it's own.

 

[stan]

Greetings Dear (laundress)

Was hoping you'd show up to look over that latest version of the time honored classic!
And sorry for the upside down pic, (is right side up on my end LOL) and glad your back!

Looking over the new ingredients on this new one... I think they may be a little closer to the intended purpose of the old. Limonene is at least a solvent, where's as the last version of this laundry bar didn't have any, natural, or otherwise.

Teknikleespekng, haven't had anything dirty enough to really give it a good test yet, but as soon as I do I'll post my findings.

 

[stan]

Update

Used the new one today, and think its better than the last incarnation of Fels.

As Laundress points out, its somewhat fustratiing that they are able to call something "Naptha" when it no longer contains it.

Laundress was kind enough to send me some real Fels (vintage) a while back, and there is absolutely a huge difference in how it cleans! The original formula works beautifully, and actually is fairly easy to rinse (for a soap)

While this new version, will not come close to the original, it dose seem to clean better than the last version, as it did shift some oily stains better than expected. Probably due to its new solvent.

This test was done using a wash water temp of 125 degrees, and rinse temp of about 100 degrees. A 1/3 cup of the grated soap, and 1/2 tbls of STPP. ( top loader)

 

[launderess]

Totally Off Topic - Stan About That Persil

Went to use some the other day and whilst putting the box back into the Persil tin noticed the various languages on the box. This particular "universal" Persil is from/for the Eastern Europe market, not the usual German/North American stuff one and am sure others are used to as well.

Yes, Henkel produces both versions but it could explain why the scent is so different.

 

[stan]

Well Dear

Dose it still carry the strong scent, or has I'd faded ?
How dose it preform?

To get back on topic.. Let us know if you ever try this new incarnation, (new Fels) and what your thoughts are!

After using the real stuff (you sent) I'm moved to try to make some myself, using Naptha solvent in the formula LOL
just won't be able to purify or " prove" the soap the same way it was done back in the day!

Good to hear from you, as always.

 

[teknikleespekng]

Thanks for the update!

I'll be a while before I buy the new formula since I bought 5 bars of the one with the "100 years" label, LOL.

I have to say though, I pre-treated a beach towel that my daughter had used regularly for removing makeup when she was too lazy to properly remove it. I thought for sure the towel was ruined. I wet the towel and rubbed the bar onto the stains. I left it to sit in the utility sink and returned a bit later. I noticed how much had dissolved before even going to rub it. I rinsed the towel and was amazed how much came out! I retreated and left it again. Its amazing how it works almost right before your eyes. Remember those early oxyclean commercials? Yeah, like that. It also works great on blood stains. Plus it doesnt lift the dye/fade fabrics like pre-treating with other types of products.

I'll be sure to let my friend know about your results. She uses Fels-Naptha in her homemade laundry soap.

 

[launderess]

New Soap Purchases

No, there won't be any further additons to my "collection". *LOL*

Have quiet enough to last the duration if not several lifetimes and thus see no need to further expand. As it is one runs the danger of after one's demise the subsequent estate sale will leave persons wondering "why did she hoard so much soap?".

 

[stan]

Teknikleespekng

Also
Plain old " Lye Soap" is excellent, when used as a stain stick.
It's a little harder to find than the Fels, but if you ever run across some give it a try!
Dose an amazing job on ring around the collar, cuffs, oily stains, ect.