Question for Launderess

[cleanfresh]

Know anything about Felso brand detergent? My curiosity was peaked because the green bar logo on their box looks exactly like the logo on vintage Fels products. Searched the web and couldn't find any info on what company manufactured this detergent. I got the impression it wasn't on the market long.

 

[launderess]

Have never seen "Felso" soap/detergent, but if the logo resembles Fel's Naptha, one can almost be sure it probably came from "Fel's" due to copyright laws. Not to mention "Felso" sounds too much like a "Fel's" not to have come up on the "Fel's Naptha" soap people's radar for copyright infrigement.

L.

 

[angus]

I believe that was the Fels version of a synthetic detergent, since Instant Fels was a soap product.

 

[launderess]

If what you are speaking of looks anything like this, then it was made by Fel's.

As automatic washing machines took hold, and detergents like Tide were rapidly replacing soap for laundry duty, it would make sense for Fel's to start branching out into detergents.

Pardon Our Interruption...

 

[cleanfresh]

No, that's not it. This detergent is in a box. There's an ad for it posted on Ebay. I planned to post the link today so that you could see a picture of it.

 

[launderess]

There are two "Felso" adverts on ebay at the moment.

The box give it away that "Felso" is a product of Fels and or related to Fels soap.

Advertising/marketing by "sight" was not unknow in the 1950's and the easily sighted shape of the Fels logo and repeating "Fels" type writing (in red on the angle) were the same on Fels soap bars.

Finally one can see in small print, it clearly states "product of the Fels company".

As suspected Felso was Fels answer to modern detergents like Tide which were rapidly displacing soap for laundry and other household cleaning chores like washing up.

Then as today one product is marketed for laundry, and dishes. In another advert (also on eBay) Felso is marketed as "why by three when only one will do". An obvious ploy for housewives seeking to make their housekeeping allowance go further.

Notice Felso advertises it contains "nylon whiteners" and gives a "whiter, brighter" wash. This would indicate Felso like the vintage bars of Fels soap in my larder contains some sort of OBA. Am willing to bet "Felso" is a white version of the vintage Fels soap bars. Give away would be the claim to "fluffier" and "softer" laundry. Pure detergents like Tide do not make that promise, and washing laundry in soap does have a built in "fabric softener" affect. Indeed my vintage box of Instant Fels states it contains "built in fabric softener".

L.

 

[cleanfresh]

Thanks so much. Missed the fine print. Had a problem twice trying to post the link. So I'm glad that you saw it. And since detergents were rapidly displacing laundry soaps and there were a lot of competitors that may explain why it wasn't around long. Unless, they just changed the name to Instant Fels detergent. One poster said they did use an Instant Fels detergent in the 80's when they were in college.

 

[cleanfresh]

Saw the fine print

Found an ad for Felso on ebay where I could finally make out the fine print. It clearly states that it is a product of Fels and Co. And like the MAJORITY of Fels ads, they emphasize that this detergent will leave your laundry clean and sweet smelling. This is understandable because benzene (naphtha) has a sweet aromatic odor. But I'm not sure if the Fels DETERGENTS contained naphtha. I know that at one time their soap, soap chips, and soap granules(Instant Fels) did.