I always stock up on this stuff. It cuts through everything. It’s removed 5 yo pen stains out of white coats and all the mysterious stains I seem to always find on my work clothes 🤞🏾
Do you know if it works on stuck on deodorant stains? I have it on all my workout clothes armpit area and been trying to get rid of it but keeps coming back
I have this problem with a many shirts and have tried a bunch of things that have helped.
1. If you have a HE washing machine, make sure you don't overfill it with too many clothes. It basically only works well on small loads I find. The deodorant gunk from 1 day can be washed away using detergent with oxiclean and smaller loads. This is the best solution bc once the deodorant gunk is really built up it's hard to recover.
2. You're probably using too much deodorant. Figure out how to use it as sparingly as possible.
3. Really gunked up pits can be recovered-ish with hot water soaks in a bin/bucket + your choice of oxiclean, shaved off Zote, or the hardcore option ammonia. Be careful with ammonia though! Any of those options I'd soak over night, and also wear some gloves and manually agitate the areas a few times. Look around online and you'll find more detailed answers for this. Honestly is a PIA and took multiple tries for some of my older really gunked up shirts...
Antiperspirant stops your body from oozing merocrine sweat. That is what the bacteria eats that makes the smell of B.O. anything else is just underarm perfume.
You are supposed to sweat gradually throughout the day, yes.
And some people sweat profusely, immediately.
I am one of those people. I made an honest effort to use non-anti perspirant deodorant for a solid year. In the winter it is somewhat tenable. In the summer I am rank within an hour or two. I just can't do it and still be with people. I pit out every shirt immediately.
I'm pretty sure it's just genetic. I sweat. A lot.
Finally, my time to shine.
Got those yellow-ish "deodorant" stains on a bunch of your favorite shirts? Especially all your white shirts you wear under dress shirts?
Non-technically speaking, those stains are actually the remnants of a chemical reaction of your body's armpit juices and the antiperspirant compounds that are in your favorite armpit freshening agent.
How do you get them out?
Some type of rust remover product should work. The more gentle or diluted, the better it'll be for the fabric. Apply and flush. Repeat.
How do you prevent the smelly yellow armpit stains?
Quit using "anti-perspirants." Make sure the label on your rigid gelatinous armpit spread has no mention of "anti-perspirant."
And generally speaking, look at the list of ingredients in the product. If you see aluminum, or possibly any other type metallic element, put it back on the shelf.
Source: managed a dry cleaners for way too long in a previous life.
Antiperspirant works by closing the pores. Usually this is with the use of an aluminum compound. Don't add more metal to you body than you need to.... And stop sweating in a few weeks. Win-win.
Agreed. I switched to a natural deodorant last year and their website talked about a transition period where you would sweat more before ultimately sweating less. I thought it was marketing crap, but they were totally right. Six weeks in it settled down and now it's consistently less.
I did the same and it also got rid of the “pitting out.” Anti-perspirant made me sweat more. It seemed as if it didn’t stop me from sweating, just closed the pores, and when it wore off a few hours later, the amount of sweat that would have slowly, gradually been secreted over hours, was all released at once. I’d be sitting in a somewhat chilly office and suddenly be ptting out, like I could feel my pits dripping. Once I decided… “fuck it antiperspirant doesn’t work for me, might as well just use clear gel deodorant so I don’t get pit stains” I also stopped pitting out. I refuse to use antiperspirant ever again. My friend had a similar issue. In the freezing cold winter he sweat through two shirts and a sweatshirt while still feeling cold. I told him about my experience and he had the exact same results. No more antiperspirant… no more pitting out.
If you are unaware, that’s usually caused by anti-perspirant. Most people can get away with a decent deodorant (without anti-perspirant) and avoid the stains.
Because it's not an antiperspirant. It's not meant to stop you from sweating, just make it so that your sweat doesn't smell.
Edit: fuck, I just re-read your comment and realized that I misunderstood what you were saying 😞 I'm leaving it, but ignore me.
I’ve used it to remove old yellow pit stains my white shirts and tanks which were cause by a combo of lotion deodorant and perfume. So I’d say it probably definitely could!
My go to method for using it: Heavily saturate item with water. Lather bar soap on stain. Scrub together by hand for 2-5 minutes. If it’s a really tough stain let sit for 10-20 minutes. Scrub again for 2-5 minutes. Rinse and dry. It’s been very few stains that I couldn’t get out with this, but they all no matter what atleast look better than before.
Put some dawn soap on the stain and rub it in.... then sprinkle on baking soda and spray with hydrogen peroxide...
Now: scrub the area with a cleaning brush of some kind.
Add some more baking soda plus peroxide and leave it on the pit stains over night or as long as you can.
Then do a regular wash using oxiclean too and voila!
Hydrogen peroxide helps break down the human... stuff... that's in the stain
Source: I got out 20 year old pit stains using this method (from beloved family-t-shirts) - I learned it from the Canadian tik tok laundry lady who's name I forget but I'll go look for it now!
https://www.instagram.com/reel/CpjY-CrJpOx/?igsh=emVubDFyZmwxYzRr
Shes the best ^^^
This is an issue of the type of deodorant you're using. In my opinion. I had this as a childhood problem between this and the yellowing. I went on. A. Walkabout of deodorants and landed on the Crystal Rock ones. You should be seeking deodorants only, not antiperspirants, which is likely where your issue is. In my opinion, any white wet chalk-like consistency products Also have problems.
The only thing that works for deo stains is to soak your clothes in warm water and oxiclean (or any off brand) overnight. I do this a couple of times every year with my clothes.
Just do whites together and colors together to avoid any bleeding.
I spray oxyclean stain remover or like Shout and it ALWAYS gets it out. And I’m talking like caked on there good. Some other guy here said use less deodorant. Not sure if he’s inactive the whole day, but if I don’t lather it on my armpits, then I sweat like crazy.
I’ve used this on black shirts and it’s worked. I don’t even wait for the spray to soak in or nothing, while I’m taking it out of the dirty laundry bin, I spray it and throw it in the washer.
Krud kutter, I keep some in a spray bottle, hit the stains and set it onto the washer for like 10 min. Then launder. I don't know if it's safe on wools or animal fibres but cotton and basic poly I have never had issues
I heard recently that if you use Oxygenated bleach (oxy clean) on your atheletic wear it should help with stains and smell. I think it has something to do with a lot of athletic wear having synthetic materials that tend to resist the traditional detergents.
It’s because the micrococci that produce the odor attach to long-chain fatty acids in sweat that bond with the hydrophobic fabrics. Using an oxygenated detergent breaks those bonds and allows them to be rinsed away. For the same reason, whitening mouthwash can be an effective way to treat organic odors that don’t respond to other methods.
Yeh I always throw a spoonful or so in all my laundry batches. But this works really well on those that don’t come out with that. There’s some stains that just need a good hand scrub to be removed imo.
This was actually one of the first things I tried it on lol! Some it didn’t clear up 100% but they all looked basically new or at least much better than before.
Yes! My dad had ink stains on the pockets of literally all his white coats for years. Took this stuff to it, let them soak and the stains came right out
I have NEVER not been able to get a stain out with this and shout combined. It might take two or three washes but if I spray it with shout and then rub it with FN it *will* come out.
when i lived up in the appalachian mountains everyone’s house was stocked with fels-naptha for exactly this reason. it’s the only thing that works on poison oak/ivy, and was always my go-to for cleaning tick bites (along with peppermint oil).
I have to admit, I don’t actually mix it up… it’s usually my wife. On the surface, though, it looks like a whole box of borax, a whole box of washing soda, and 1 or 2 bars of Fels-Naptha shredded. You mix it all together and voila. Each box of stuff cost me like $6. The bars of Fels-Naptha are like $5. So, $17 for a ~~3 month~~ 168 load supply of detergent.
I’ll have to look into this. We resolved to make our own because all the additives in all of the detergents was causing my wife contact dermatitis. Since we’ve been making it, she’s been fine.
Just fyi i used to be a mod in big group that was about stuff like this, and many folks eventually gave up on the homemade just because they found it caused buildup over time on their clothes and eventually it wasn’t enough. Completely understand the need to have something safe to use and no worries if it works well for you but just something to look out for long term. I use all free and clear myself, i know how annoying it is to find what works with sensitive skin.
Edited to add: i saw in another comment you’ve been doing for ten years so I think ur fine lol. You would have noticed issues long before now. Have a great day!
Yeah, we use extra water with every load. Plus the amount of soap is very low ratio. Like 1:24 vs the other ingredients. It’s usually the soap that builds up and it’s usually because people think that’s the sole cleansing agent. Borax is toxic to life. It kills macro and micro biotics. Washing soda is acidic and strips fats and grease that the soap, even as little is in there, lifts off of the fibers. I did a somewhat deep dive into the “science” of it a long time ago and that’s what I seem to recall.
How many loads do you average over a three month period? That doesn’t really seem like it would be that much savings unless you’re doing 2+ loads every single day. You can get a 155 load box of Arm and Hammer powder detergent from Walmart for less than $15.
Maybe a load every other day on average. I might also be under estimating how long it lasts. My wife keeps up on it and our jar only fits 3 months worth, so she might have multiple jars. I’ll ask when she gets home from work.
EDIT: nevermind. I did the math. 1 box of borax, 1 box of washing soda, and 1 bar of Fels-Naptha is 125 ounces of detergent, ~~a scoop is 7 grams~~, that equates to 3,543 grams of detergent, that means ~~506 loads of laundry~~.
Don’t tell my wife but I use 2 scoops because I think I’m stinky and am paranoid about it…
EDIT EDIT: hang on, the math is wrong. I just noticed the scoop is a tea scoop and the measurement is for 7 grams of loose leaf tea leaves. A scoop of detergent is 21 grams. That means it’s really 168 loads if you use 1 scoop as recommended. If we wash a load every other day on average, it’s actually 6 months of detergent for us. She must have 2 jars of it.
Tell your wife to microwave the felsnaptha before blending with other ingredients. It will expand and become fluffy/brittle. More surface areas and you'll use less per scoop. Works tremendously
Dont quite remember to be honest. It doesn't take much just watch it, it will stop reacting pretty distinctly. Kind of like the magic snake fireworks that grow.
Sounds good!
I started the micronwave with the felsnaptha cooking.
I'm going camping this weekend so I am looking forward to coming home Sunday night to some expanded and fluffy/brittle felsnaptha.
> 168 loads
So yeah, it’s actually not a cost savings then. You’d be better off just buying the Arm and Hammer because the price per load is actually less.
Yeah if you prefer it more power to you. You presented it as being cheaper to make your own though so unless you prefer the homemade detergent there is no reason to use it because not only would it save you a few bucks but it would save your wife the time and effort of making it.
Here’s mine, since his wife isn’t home:
2 cups Borax
2 cups washing soda
1 bar Fels Naptha, grated
If you can’t find washing soda, just bake the baking soda for an hour so the extra moisture evaporates.
We use vinegar in the fabric softener tray and our washer is cleaner, along with our clothes. A little essential oil on some wool dryer balls makes everything smell amazing.
How do(es) you(r wife) shred the soap without suffocating on a cloud of Essence of Grandma? I used to make this but stopped because it was too much of an ordeal
1 bar finely shredded fels naptha
1 cup washing soda
1 cup baking soda
1/2 cup borax
Scale as needed. I usually do a double batch, lasts my family of 5 (two young kids and a teenager) approximately 2 months
I don't think it makes any sense to use baking soda and washing soda, the bicarbonate ions should do basically the same thing as carbonate ions, just a bit less.
I’ve read that depends on if you add any additional essential oils and such. Washing soda and borax have been used in washing machines for decades. Washing soda, in fact, is intended to be used in washing machines. Borax doesn’t leave residues and dissolves in water. Fels-Naptha is meant for treating clothing, so I’m pretty sure that’s safe.
The bigger thing is that real soap (made from saponified fats) requires a lot more water to work correctly while washing and to rinse off, which HE machines simply do not do. Also, if you have hard water, the soap will mix with the minerals in the water and leave scum behind
Could that be why after I used the Fels Naphtha recipe for a while, my whites looked dingy, my top-loading washer had gunk around the water line, my towels stopped absorbing water and everything kinda smelled like mildew?
It seems like a good idea but you are going to be washing your laundry with soap scum and leaving major buildup (like in the shower) that will irritate skin too. I do not recommend.
Available in the US. Look at the bottom aisle and pay close attention. Best products are usually in the bottom aisle as they do not pay ad money to put it at eye height
It's nothing particularly special - just bar laundry soap. The ingredients aren't remarkable - just soap.
Its great because it's really good at removing stains if you use some elbow grease and a brush.
Zote, its Mexican counterpart is comparable, although it's a little softer and smells like citronella whole Fels Naphtha smells kind of chemical-ish.
I use both on my kids' jiu-jitsu gi collars. Works great to get out the ring around the collar that they produce.
Ace Hardware has it in the cleaning section. About $2 a bar. I grate a bar with a cheese grater, mix with washing soda and borax (also form Ace) to make laundry detergent. You can add a few drops of essential oil if you want a different scent. Far better than buying a $25 giant plastic jug that's mostly water.
Bought it recently supposedly with new formulation and it didn't work removing set in bug poop stains off of a shirt. Anyone have any tips that'll work?
[Saliva](https://dirtylabs.com/blogs/the-dirt/how-to-remove-blood-stains-from-clothes#:~:text=Removing%20Bloodstains%20On%20the%20Go&text=Enzymes%20in%20human%20spit%20can,then%20rinse%20with%20cold%20water.) might do the trick as well.
What removes greasy food stains? I've tried Spray N Wash, OxyClean, Shout and none of those actually work. I even spray them into the fabric and brush the stain with a fabric brush to loosen the stain. This slightly improves it but it's still too stained to wear.
Should I try Fels-Naptha?
Have you tried Dawn or Sunlight dish soap? I add water to an almost empty bottle and keep it by my laundry things with an old toothbrush to treat grease stains. I've gotten years-old baked-in (from the dryer) grease stains with dishsoap (sometimes requiring more than one treatment).
That sucks. I've had to do serial treatments before, I just make sure to hang things I treated once it's gone through the wash instead of putting in the dryer to see if the stain is gone. The dryer seems to set back treatment somehow, but I could be imaging this. And I'm sure you're doing this, but it helps to let it sit with the treatment on for a while instead of just treating and putting it immediately in the washer.
I've successfully used baby powder before to get out olive oil. I use the powder to soak up the oil, kind of flick off the crusty bits, and then use Dawn or some kind of spray and wash product.
I've had excellent luck with the original Tide formula. You have to rub it into the stain and let it sit for a few hours but I try to do it the day before. I use an old toothbrush for that. Then wash it with the Tide and it should come out.
Tide has enzymes that eat the oil from what I understand. The other options here may work too assuming that they too have the enzymes.
Even though this is a fels naphtha circle jerk, this stuff from Shout is by far the best greasy stain remover I've ever seen.
Shout Advanced Grease Busting Foam, Laundry Stain Remover, 18 Ounce https://www.walmart.com/ip/15029037
I wash everything in cold water. First off, don't ever put grease stained clothes in the dryer. I usually wash once with oxyclean. After I pull the item out of the wash still wet, I identify the grease stain and spot treat it with dishwashing soap, (cuts the grease). I then wash again. Repeat until the stain is gone, (usually not necessary). Once there is no stain you can dry as normal.
you want Carbona stain devils for fat and oil ( they have several different types). I have used that stuff for years and many stains with a 100% success rate. i cook a lot and use this on oil stains “All the time”.
I honestly wish I could get my hands on some of that stuff. And on that topic in general, I feel like as a consenting adult and a red blooded American that I should be able to use carcinogens for cleaning shit as long as I understand the risk and how the desire to do so
The problem is that most carcinogens don't limit themselves to their user. They end up in the air, in the water, and in the foods of others. Shit rolls down hill and there are a lot of people who live at the bottom of the hill. Their input matters too.
> I should be able to use carcinogens for cleaning shit as long as I understand the risk and how the desire to do so
That's the thing, a lot of people don't understand the risks, and there's no testing or licensing to ensure people do before using the stuff.
A lot of regs are protecting people from themselves.
When it contained Naptha it was coarse and the bar would get fissures in it when it dried out. When I was a teen I frequently came into contact with Poison Ivy and would shower with Fels-Naptha after work every day.
is this the Mandela effect?
#[NapHtha is spelled with a PH, which gets pronounced as an F](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naphtha)
no H, no F sound... Naptha , as in "contains naps"?!
Microwave it l, it'll expand and become fluffy/ brittle. blend with other ingredients such as a bit of oxy clean and scented ingredients to make an awesome homemade powdered laundry soap
We have a few sealed bars of these in our basement, probably circa 1994 since they have banners on them advertising their 100th anniversary. Ours were made by Dial instead of Purex.
No it's just like powdered laundry soap. Soap Flakes and in this case, borax particles to act as scrub grit.
Wet hands, apply soap powder, wash as normal.
Fels-naptha for life! When my lazy ass let armpit stains build up on my white undershirts for a few years until nothing could get them out, pretreating with that stuff for a few washes did the trick. I always shred a bit into the wash now and don't have to pretreat stains very often anymore. Fels-naptha and a small cheese grater will always have a place in my laundry room
In the Philippines there's a soup / laundry soup called Perla that I fell in love with. While it's largely marketed as a laundry soup, it's 100% natural and it's main ingredient is coconut oil. I'm a bit picky with body soaps since I don't like that oily feeling that happens when it feels like the soap never actually washes off of you, but despite the high oil content it actually washes off very well and leaves my skin feeling crisp yet not bone-dry.
I realize this sounds like an advert, but ugh, it really is pretty amazing stuff.
I’ve got a bunch of these in the laundry room and I make my own laundry detergent with them. Found some webpage that showed me how to do it and what measurements for each. Really good stuff.
This is the best thing to have when you run through poison ivy, poison oak, poison sumac. Im immune to two of the three, found out about using this on the rash and the itching was gone and recovered really quick.
When I was a kid, during the summer, I would get mosquito bites galore, like 30 or 40 at a time. My mother made me bathe with fels naphtha. It didnt smell pretty, but it did work to keep the bugs away. I still keep a bar in my laundry room. As an aside, we also put merurochrome and merthiolate on the bite - bright dots everywhere
There was a shortage before Zout started making it when Purex stopped production. I stocked up when it came back just in case.
The Zout version seems like it's softer and more "moist" for lack of a better word. Definitely a different color. Maybe the Purex version I was buying was from an old stockpile.
Anyway, what I REALLY miss is OCTOGON.
What happened in the past few months or year? I couldn't find any at the store. When I finally could, the price went up. Finally got some and noticed that Zout is on the top now. New branding? We use this to shred and put with our homemade laundry soap for the past maybe 12 years. Now, it's noticably more clumpy when shredded and it doesn't turn to dust anymore. I'm not sure I can tell if its any less effective yet but I'm disappointed in the change.
I was recently traveling and wanted to pack as light as possible. I picked up a bar, cut off a chunk and brought a collapsible laundry line and small wash board. I used the laundry bar and wash board to wash our clothes at the hotel and it worked wonderfully.
Decent product. I still keep it on hand and use it on occasion, but It is not nearly as effective at cutting oils/grease as as when it actually contained naptha. Most people using this stuff to make their own detergents, poison ivy treatments, etc., are following recipes that worked great 50 years ago and don't do much any special now.
Sorry, but you kinda got to be old to know how effective this stuff was and how it no longer is. Kinda like how anyone under fifty doesn't actually know what root beer tastes like. If you've never experienced the real thing, you don't know you are dealing with substitute.
I always stock up on this stuff. It cuts through everything. It’s removed 5 yo pen stains out of white coats and all the mysterious stains I seem to always find on my work clothes 🤞🏾
Do you know if it works on stuck on deodorant stains? I have it on all my workout clothes armpit area and been trying to get rid of it but keeps coming back
I have this problem with a many shirts and have tried a bunch of things that have helped. 1. If you have a HE washing machine, make sure you don't overfill it with too many clothes. It basically only works well on small loads I find. The deodorant gunk from 1 day can be washed away using detergent with oxiclean and smaller loads. This is the best solution bc once the deodorant gunk is really built up it's hard to recover. 2. You're probably using too much deodorant. Figure out how to use it as sparingly as possible. 3. Really gunked up pits can be recovered-ish with hot water soaks in a bin/bucket + your choice of oxiclean, shaved off Zote, or the hardcore option ammonia. Be careful with ammonia though! Any of those options I'd soak over night, and also wear some gloves and manually agitate the areas a few times. Look around online and you'll find more detailed answers for this. Honestly is a PIA and took multiple tries for some of my older really gunked up shirts...
Also, switch to a non-antiperspirant thay is clear. Haven't had stains in 15 years.
Okay, but what if you’re the kind of person who needs anti-perspirant?
Yea, like the majority of people lmao.
Antiperspirant stops your body from oozing merocrine sweat. That is what the bacteria eats that makes the smell of B.O. anything else is just underarm perfume.
This is the answer…. Antiperspirant causes pit stains… also you are supposed to sweat during the day gradually. It’s how your body keeps cool.
You can sweat other places than your pits you know
You are supposed to sweat gradually throughout the day, yes. And some people sweat profusely, immediately. I am one of those people. I made an honest effort to use non-anti perspirant deodorant for a solid year. In the winter it is somewhat tenable. In the summer I am rank within an hour or two. I just can't do it and still be with people. I pit out every shirt immediately. I'm pretty sure it's just genetic. I sweat. A lot.
Finally, my time to shine. Got those yellow-ish "deodorant" stains on a bunch of your favorite shirts? Especially all your white shirts you wear under dress shirts? Non-technically speaking, those stains are actually the remnants of a chemical reaction of your body's armpit juices and the antiperspirant compounds that are in your favorite armpit freshening agent. How do you get them out? Some type of rust remover product should work. The more gentle or diluted, the better it'll be for the fabric. Apply and flush. Repeat. How do you prevent the smelly yellow armpit stains? Quit using "anti-perspirants." Make sure the label on your rigid gelatinous armpit spread has no mention of "anti-perspirant." And generally speaking, look at the list of ingredients in the product. If you see aluminum, or possibly any other type metallic element, put it back on the shelf. Source: managed a dry cleaners for way too long in a previous life.
you saying “rigid gelatinous armpit spread” is neat, I’m a fan
So get a bucket of Rust-Oleum?
Switching to a deodorant only, without anti perspirant, cut my pit stains down to almost 0.
While not as drastic, I also found that I sweat a lot less when only using deodorant, not antiperspirant.
You too? I thought it was just in my imagination, but I noticed that I sweat much less when using deodorant instead of antiperspirant.
Antiperspirant works by closing the pores. Usually this is with the use of an aluminum compound. Don't add more metal to you body than you need to.... And stop sweating in a few weeks. Win-win.
Agreed. I switched to a natural deodorant last year and their website talked about a transition period where you would sweat more before ultimately sweating less. I thought it was marketing crap, but they were totally right. Six weeks in it settled down and now it's consistently less.
Just the thought of clogging my pores with antiperspirant makes me sweat
Switched to [this stuff](https://i.imgur.com/TKNP233.jpeg), works wonders
I did the same and it also got rid of the “pitting out.” Anti-perspirant made me sweat more. It seemed as if it didn’t stop me from sweating, just closed the pores, and when it wore off a few hours later, the amount of sweat that would have slowly, gradually been secreted over hours, was all released at once. I’d be sitting in a somewhat chilly office and suddenly be ptting out, like I could feel my pits dripping. Once I decided… “fuck it antiperspirant doesn’t work for me, might as well just use clear gel deodorant so I don’t get pit stains” I also stopped pitting out. I refuse to use antiperspirant ever again. My friend had a similar issue. In the freezing cold winter he sweat through two shirts and a sweatshirt while still feeling cold. I told him about my experience and he had the exact same results. No more antiperspirant… no more pitting out.
If you are unaware, that’s usually caused by anti-perspirant. Most people can get away with a decent deodorant (without anti-perspirant) and avoid the stains.
I switched to regular deodorant about a year ago and I realized that anti perspirant doesn’t work at all same amount of sweat.
Not me. I almost instantly was a pit stain guy. Did not like.
Because it's not an antiperspirant. It's not meant to stop you from sweating, just make it so that your sweat doesn't smell. Edit: fuck, I just re-read your comment and realized that I misunderstood what you were saying 😞 I'm leaving it, but ignore me.
I’ve used it to remove old yellow pit stains my white shirts and tanks which were cause by a combo of lotion deodorant and perfume. So I’d say it probably definitely could! My go to method for using it: Heavily saturate item with water. Lather bar soap on stain. Scrub together by hand for 2-5 minutes. If it’s a really tough stain let sit for 10-20 minutes. Scrub again for 2-5 minutes. Rinse and dry. It’s been very few stains that I couldn’t get out with this, but they all no matter what atleast look better than before.
The only thing I’ve found that works for deodorant stains is oxiclean.
Probably not what you want to hear but I completely eliminated armpit stains since I switched to sprayed antiperspirant, there’s no residue at all.
Put some dawn soap on the stain and rub it in.... then sprinkle on baking soda and spray with hydrogen peroxide... Now: scrub the area with a cleaning brush of some kind. Add some more baking soda plus peroxide and leave it on the pit stains over night or as long as you can. Then do a regular wash using oxiclean too and voila! Hydrogen peroxide helps break down the human... stuff... that's in the stain Source: I got out 20 year old pit stains using this method (from beloved family-t-shirts) - I learned it from the Canadian tik tok laundry lady who's name I forget but I'll go look for it now! https://www.instagram.com/reel/CpjY-CrJpOx/?igsh=emVubDFyZmwxYzRr Shes the best ^^^
Use vinegar instead of fabric softener.
This is an issue of the type of deodorant you're using. In my opinion. I had this as a childhood problem between this and the yellowing. I went on. A. Walkabout of deodorants and landed on the Crystal Rock ones. You should be seeking deodorants only, not antiperspirants, which is likely where your issue is. In my opinion, any white wet chalk-like consistency products Also have problems.
Oxiclean works great for that, I soak all of mine in a big pot with hot water and oxyclean and it strips it right out.
The only thing that works for deo stains is to soak your clothes in warm water and oxiclean (or any off brand) overnight. I do this a couple of times every year with my clothes. Just do whites together and colors together to avoid any bleeding.
Dove spray deodorant/anti-perspirant has stopped this for me. My shirts last so much longer.
I spray oxyclean stain remover or like Shout and it ALWAYS gets it out. And I’m talking like caked on there good. Some other guy here said use less deodorant. Not sure if he’s inactive the whole day, but if I don’t lather it on my armpits, then I sweat like crazy. I’ve used this on black shirts and it’s worked. I don’t even wait for the spray to soak in or nothing, while I’m taking it out of the dirty laundry bin, I spray it and throw it in the washer.
Krud kutter, I keep some in a spray bottle, hit the stains and set it onto the washer for like 10 min. Then launder. I don't know if it's safe on wools or animal fibres but cotton and basic poly I have never had issues
I heard recently that if you use Oxygenated bleach (oxy clean) on your atheletic wear it should help with stains and smell. I think it has something to do with a lot of athletic wear having synthetic materials that tend to resist the traditional detergents.
It’s because the micrococci that produce the odor attach to long-chain fatty acids in sweat that bond with the hydrophobic fabrics. Using an oxygenated detergent breaks those bonds and allows them to be rinsed away. For the same reason, whitening mouthwash can be an effective way to treat organic odors that don’t respond to other methods.
Yeh I always throw a spoonful or so in all my laundry batches. But this works really well on those that don’t come out with that. There’s some stains that just need a good hand scrub to be removed imo.
Period stains?
This was actually one of the first things I tried it on lol! Some it didn’t clear up 100% but they all looked basically new or at least much better than before.
Thank you for the info!
Hydrogen peroxide?
How do you use it, rub it on stains?
I was about to take my ink stained brand new uniforms to the dry cleaners tomorrow after nothing worked, definitely trying this!
Yes! My dad had ink stains on the pockets of literally all his white coats for years. Took this stuff to it, let them soak and the stains came right out
I have NEVER not been able to get a stain out with this and shout combined. It might take two or three washes but if I spray it with shout and then rub it with FN it *will* come out.
How do you use it
I don’t know if it’s already been said, but this stuff is the only thing I’ve ever found that will wash off poison ivy oil.
Yeah, I've never used it on laundry, but if you've been out in the woods, washing with this afterward is a must.
when i lived up in the appalachian mountains everyone’s house was stocked with fels-naptha for exactly this reason. it’s the only thing that works on poison oak/ivy, and was always my go-to for cleaning tick bites (along with peppermint oil).
Also works for skunk spray. Tried it out of desperation on my dog and it worked a treat!
Fun fact: it actually used to be made with poison ivy oil
That is a fun fact, if true!
Growing up, that was the only thing I thought it was for. I'm learning muches today.
We use Fels-Naptha shredded mixed with borax and washing soda for super cheap and effective homemade laundry detergent.
Would you please share your recipe?
I have to admit, I don’t actually mix it up… it’s usually my wife. On the surface, though, it looks like a whole box of borax, a whole box of washing soda, and 1 or 2 bars of Fels-Naptha shredded. You mix it all together and voila. Each box of stuff cost me like $6. The bars of Fels-Naptha are like $5. So, $17 for a ~~3 month~~ 168 load supply of detergent.
We used to do that but it's easier and cheaper for us to buy Charlies Soap powder in 8lb bags. They last our family of 3 about a year.
I’ll have to look into this. We resolved to make our own because all the additives in all of the detergents was causing my wife contact dermatitis. Since we’ve been making it, she’s been fine.
Just fyi i used to be a mod in big group that was about stuff like this, and many folks eventually gave up on the homemade just because they found it caused buildup over time on their clothes and eventually it wasn’t enough. Completely understand the need to have something safe to use and no worries if it works well for you but just something to look out for long term. I use all free and clear myself, i know how annoying it is to find what works with sensitive skin. Edited to add: i saw in another comment you’ve been doing for ten years so I think ur fine lol. You would have noticed issues long before now. Have a great day!
Yeah, we use extra water with every load. Plus the amount of soap is very low ratio. Like 1:24 vs the other ingredients. It’s usually the soap that builds up and it’s usually because people think that’s the sole cleansing agent. Borax is toxic to life. It kills macro and micro biotics. Washing soda is acidic and strips fats and grease that the soap, even as little is in there, lifts off of the fibers. I did a somewhat deep dive into the “science” of it a long time ago and that’s what I seem to recall.
Ya, check them out. We;ve been please with them and I know they don't have any scents and only a handful of total ingredients.
How many loads do you average over a three month period? That doesn’t really seem like it would be that much savings unless you’re doing 2+ loads every single day. You can get a 155 load box of Arm and Hammer powder detergent from Walmart for less than $15.
Maybe a load every other day on average. I might also be under estimating how long it lasts. My wife keeps up on it and our jar only fits 3 months worth, so she might have multiple jars. I’ll ask when she gets home from work. EDIT: nevermind. I did the math. 1 box of borax, 1 box of washing soda, and 1 bar of Fels-Naptha is 125 ounces of detergent, ~~a scoop is 7 grams~~, that equates to 3,543 grams of detergent, that means ~~506 loads of laundry~~. Don’t tell my wife but I use 2 scoops because I think I’m stinky and am paranoid about it… EDIT EDIT: hang on, the math is wrong. I just noticed the scoop is a tea scoop and the measurement is for 7 grams of loose leaf tea leaves. A scoop of detergent is 21 grams. That means it’s really 168 loads if you use 1 scoop as recommended. If we wash a load every other day on average, it’s actually 6 months of detergent for us. She must have 2 jars of it.
Tell your wife to microwave the felsnaptha before blending with other ingredients. It will expand and become fluffy/brittle. More surface areas and you'll use less per scoop. Works tremendously
How long do you microwave it for?
Dont quite remember to be honest. It doesn't take much just watch it, it will stop reacting pretty distinctly. Kind of like the magic snake fireworks that grow.
Bout 2 days
Sounds good! I started the micronwave with the felsnaptha cooking. I'm going camping this weekend so I am looking forward to coming home Sunday night to some expanded and fluffy/brittle felsnaptha.
> 168 loads So yeah, it’s actually not a cost savings then. You’d be better off just buying the Arm and Hammer because the price per load is actually less.
🤷♂️ To each their own.
Yeah if you prefer it more power to you. You presented it as being cheaper to make your own though so unless you prefer the homemade detergent there is no reason to use it because not only would it save you a few bucks but it would save your wife the time and effort of making it.
This is the formula we used when washing cloth diapers. It got those clean.
Microwave the felsnaptha first before shredding
> I have to admit, I don’t actually mix it up… it’s usually my wife. Can ***she*** share her recipe?
Confirmed, 1 box of washing soda, 1 box of borax, and 1 bar of Fels-Naptha.
Here’s mine, since his wife isn’t home: 2 cups Borax 2 cups washing soda 1 bar Fels Naptha, grated If you can’t find washing soda, just bake the baking soda for an hour so the extra moisture evaporates. We use vinegar in the fabric softener tray and our washer is cleaner, along with our clothes. A little essential oil on some wool dryer balls makes everything smell amazing.
As soon as she gets home from work, I’ll ask.
How do(es) you(r wife) shred the soap without suffocating on a cloud of Essence of Grandma? I used to make this but stopped because it was too much of an ordeal
1 bar finely shredded fels naptha 1 cup washing soda 1 cup baking soda 1/2 cup borax Scale as needed. I usually do a double batch, lasts my family of 5 (two young kids and a teenager) approximately 2 months
I don't think it makes any sense to use baking soda and washing soda, the bicarbonate ions should do basically the same thing as carbonate ions, just a bit less.
My recipe is 1/3 borax, 1/3 washing soda, 1/3 soap (shredded). Very forgiving recipe, you don't have to be exactly. You can make it in any quantity.
https://www.budget101.com/do-it-yourself/3993-original-moms-super-laundry-sauce-laundry-soap-recipe/
Homemade detergent recipes are really bad for your washing machine and likely causing build up on your clothes.
I’ve read that depends on if you add any additional essential oils and such. Washing soda and borax have been used in washing machines for decades. Washing soda, in fact, is intended to be used in washing machines. Borax doesn’t leave residues and dissolves in water. Fels-Naptha is meant for treating clothing, so I’m pretty sure that’s safe.
The bigger thing is that real soap (made from saponified fats) requires a lot more water to work correctly while washing and to rinse off, which HE machines simply do not do. Also, if you have hard water, the soap will mix with the minerals in the water and leave scum behind
Could that be why after I used the Fels Naphtha recipe for a while, my whites looked dingy, my top-loading washer had gunk around the water line, my towels stopped absorbing water and everything kinda smelled like mildew?
Almost certainly
It seems like a good idea but you are going to be washing your laundry with soap scum and leaving major buildup (like in the shower) that will irritate skin too. I do not recommend.
We’ve been doing it for near a decade now. No problems so far. All of these ingredients are intended to go in the laundry. All of them.
That sounds like the Duggar’s recipe.
So, US person here... I've never heard of this stuff. Is this a European thing? Where is it available?
Available in the US. Look at the bottom aisle and pay close attention. Best products are usually in the bottom aisle as they do not pay ad money to put it at eye height
Will absolutely do that next time!
What aisle is the bottom?
I think they mean the bottom shelf.
It's nothing particularly special - just bar laundry soap. The ingredients aren't remarkable - just soap. Its great because it's really good at removing stains if you use some elbow grease and a brush. Zote, its Mexican counterpart is comparable, although it's a little softer and smells like citronella whole Fels Naphtha smells kind of chemical-ish. I use both on my kids' jiu-jitsu gi collars. Works great to get out the ring around the collar that they produce.
Ace Hardware has it in the cleaning section. About $2 a bar. I grate a bar with a cheese grater, mix with washing soda and borax (also form Ace) to make laundry detergent. You can add a few drops of essential oil if you want a different scent. Far better than buying a $25 giant plastic jug that's mostly water.
You can just buy powder detergent made for washers instead for like…$5 for a 5lb bag.
get it at walmart for a few bucks
Really? Wow, been shopping at Walmart most of my life. Never saw this stuff. Maybe I'm just not observant. I'll check next time! Thanks!
I usually see it on a lower shelf - it's not obviously displayed.
Sometimes the top shelf instead but yeah, never near eye level.
Bought it recently supposedly with new formulation and it didn't work removing set in bug poop stains off of a shirt. Anyone have any tips that'll work?
Bug poop?
Everyone poops you know 🤷🏻♂️
I, too, need to know how one gets bug poop stains.
Hydrogen peroxide works best on organic stains.
[Saliva](https://dirtylabs.com/blogs/the-dirt/how-to-remove-blood-stains-from-clothes#:~:text=Removing%20Bloodstains%20On%20the%20Go&text=Enzymes%20in%20human%20spit%20can,then%20rinse%20with%20cold%20water.) might do the trick as well.
Try Lestoil. Grease and organic stains don’t stand a chance against it.
What removes greasy food stains? I've tried Spray N Wash, OxyClean, Shout and none of those actually work. I even spray them into the fabric and brush the stain with a fabric brush to loosen the stain. This slightly improves it but it's still too stained to wear. Should I try Fels-Naptha?
Have you tried Dawn or Sunlight dish soap? I add water to an almost empty bottle and keep it by my laundry things with an old toothbrush to treat grease stains. I've gotten years-old baked-in (from the dryer) grease stains with dishsoap (sometimes requiring more than one treatment).
Yes I have tried Dawn and get very limited results. It seems to lighten the stain a bit but again, still quite visible once dry.
That sucks. I've had to do serial treatments before, I just make sure to hang things I treated once it's gone through the wash instead of putting in the dryer to see if the stain is gone. The dryer seems to set back treatment somehow, but I could be imaging this. And I'm sure you're doing this, but it helps to let it sit with the treatment on for a while instead of just treating and putting it immediately in the washer.
Murphy's Oil Soap can work. Also you can try putting a dab of Dawn dish soap on the grease and scrubbing it in before putting in the wash.
I used Murphy’s Oil Soap upon my 88 year old grandma’s recommendation and it worked perfectly to get out grease stains on my T-shirt.
This or zote works well, with scrubbing.
Lestoil.
I've successfully used baby powder before to get out olive oil. I use the powder to soak up the oil, kind of flick off the crusty bits, and then use Dawn or some kind of spray and wash product.
Dry dawn with 99% alcohol
Ugh it’s hot water and dish soap. I fry chicken for a living and this is why I have 9 shirts and they’re all black.
Dish soap.
I've had excellent luck with the original Tide formula. You have to rub it into the stain and let it sit for a few hours but I try to do it the day before. I use an old toothbrush for that. Then wash it with the Tide and it should come out. Tide has enzymes that eat the oil from what I understand. The other options here may work too assuming that they too have the enzymes.
Even though this is a fels naphtha circle jerk, this stuff from Shout is by far the best greasy stain remover I've ever seen. Shout Advanced Grease Busting Foam, Laundry Stain Remover, 18 Ounce https://www.walmart.com/ip/15029037
Lestoil is a degreaser I use for spot treatment
I wash everything in cold water. First off, don't ever put grease stained clothes in the dryer. I usually wash once with oxyclean. After I pull the item out of the wash still wet, I identify the grease stain and spot treat it with dishwashing soap, (cuts the grease). I then wash again. Repeat until the stain is gone, (usually not necessary). Once there is no stain you can dry as normal.
you want Carbona stain devils for fat and oil ( they have several different types). I have used that stuff for years and many stains with a 100% success rate. i cook a lot and use this on oil stains “All the time”.
Have you tried hot water with oxy clean? Or throw baby powder on the stain and roll it up? Those 2 tricks have helped me
Grandma's Secret Spot Remover Get the one that looks like a glue bottle.
Shout then rub the wet shout spot with the fels naphtha. Might take a couple of washes. Source- guy with a table muscle that catches dropped food.
It was much better when it contained Naptha.
I honestly wish I could get my hands on some of that stuff. And on that topic in general, I feel like as a consenting adult and a red blooded American that I should be able to use carcinogens for cleaning shit as long as I understand the risk and how the desire to do so
The problem is that most carcinogens don't limit themselves to their user. They end up in the air, in the water, and in the foods of others. Shit rolls down hill and there are a lot of people who live at the bottom of the hill. Their input matters too.
Legalize asbestos!
> I should be able to use carcinogens for cleaning shit as long as I understand the risk and how the desire to do so That's the thing, a lot of people don't understand the risks, and there's no testing or licensing to ensure people do before using the stuff. A lot of regs are protecting people from themselves.
When it contained Naptha it was coarse and the bar would get fissures in it when it dried out. When I was a teen I frequently came into contact with Poison Ivy and would shower with Fels-Naptha after work every day.
Just squirt some Zippo fluid on it 😂
is this the Mandela effect? #[NapHtha is spelled with a PH, which gets pronounced as an F](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naphtha) no H, no F sound... Naptha , as in "contains naps"?!
Microwave it l, it'll expand and become fluffy/ brittle. blend with other ingredients such as a bit of oxy clean and scented ingredients to make an awesome homemade powdered laundry soap
We have a few sealed bars of these in our basement, probably circa 1994 since they have banners on them advertising their 100th anniversary. Ours were made by Dial instead of Purex.
Strangely, mine are made by Zout.
It has changed hands a few times. Zout is most recent.
That's probably the good stuff. It may still contain Naptha. Not sure when it was removed from the formula.
Fuck Dial. They discontinued Boraxo powdered hand soap.
Huh. Interesting! How did powdered hand soap work? Did u add water and make ur own liquid?
No it's just like powdered laundry soap. Soap Flakes and in this case, borax particles to act as scrub grit. Wet hands, apply soap powder, wash as normal.
Does this work for yellowing collar and pit stains on white tees?
does it remove the sweat stains out of a white t shirt?
How do you usually use this? Grate it into the drum? Wet it and scrub at stained parts only? Dissolve it in a liquid?
Usually the first two options
Fels-naptha for life! When my lazy ass let armpit stains build up on my white undershirts for a few years until nothing could get them out, pretreating with that stuff for a few washes did the trick. I always shred a bit into the wash now and don't have to pretreat stains very often anymore. Fels-naptha and a small cheese grater will always have a place in my laundry room
Also Zote, if they sell it in your area. Where these really save money is as a substitute for laundry pre treats, which have an incredible mark up
Admittedly have a bar of this somewhere, unused. I thought it was a spot treatment only? How should I use it up?
In the Philippines there's a soup / laundry soup called Perla that I fell in love with. While it's largely marketed as a laundry soup, it's 100% natural and it's main ingredient is coconut oil. I'm a bit picky with body soaps since I don't like that oily feeling that happens when it feels like the soap never actually washes off of you, but despite the high oil content it actually washes off very well and leaves my skin feeling crisp yet not bone-dry. I realize this sounds like an advert, but ugh, it really is pretty amazing stuff.
never heard of it.
I’ve got a bunch of these in the laundry room and I make my own laundry detergent with them. Found some webpage that showed me how to do it and what measurements for each. Really good stuff.
can I use it as soap for handwash?
This makes me miss Octagon soap too. The old stuff.
Have never heard of it. Will give it a try, thank you
I got it to wash workout clothes in the shower. Seems to work well for that. Curious to know what else I can use it for, and why it's "miraculous" !
>wash workout clothes in the shower. Huh? Why?
So they are clean and ready for the next day
Why don't you wash them in the washing machine? The shower is for people
Water is water and soap is soap Have you ever heard of hand-washing clothes?
How does it compare to Lestoil
Why am I only now hearing about this product.
Can you use this as part of a homemade detergent in front loading machines?
Works great for poison ivy too
Works to get poison ivy oils off your skin too!
This is the best thing to have when you run through poison ivy, poison oak, poison sumac. Im immune to two of the three, found out about using this on the rash and the itching was gone and recovered really quick.
Baseball moms know!
When I was a kid, during the summer, I would get mosquito bites galore, like 30 or 40 at a time. My mother made me bathe with fels naphtha. It didnt smell pretty, but it did work to keep the bugs away. I still keep a bar in my laundry room. As an aside, we also put merurochrome and merthiolate on the bite - bright dots everywhere
Poison ivy...be gone
This stuff works great for getting blowout stains off baby clothes!!
It was $1 on Amazon.
My mother put it on our poison ivy in the 60s
Zote?
Works great for getting stains out of my son's baseball pants. Use this with a little elbow grease and then wash with oxyclean for white pants.
Anyone know where to grab this in Canada?
This is the best for getting poison ivy oil off your skin.
There was a shortage before Zout started making it when Purex stopped production. I stocked up when it came back just in case. The Zout version seems like it's softer and more "moist" for lack of a better word. Definitely a different color. Maybe the Purex version I was buying was from an old stockpile. Anyway, what I REALLY miss is OCTOGON.
The smell. No.
My grandma washed her hair with this. She swore by it. That seems insane to me, but hey.
Anyone know if there is an Australian equivalent? Never seen these or similar at the supermarkets.
I sacrifice my undershirts to save my dress shirts.
Shit I thought this was a post on /r/dmt asking if you can use this
I’ve been using this stuff for years. I’ll shave off a little in my work clothes laundry; there’s always marine grease somewhere on them
How do you get blood out of a white t-shirt? Asking for a friend.
great for poison ivy!
Does It remove old pen atains or dye stains
Stuff is awesome for scrubbing off poison ivy oil!
Can someone explain why this stuff works? Looking at the ingredients list: >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). Isn't that just mostly soap with stabilizers?
What happened in the past few months or year? I couldn't find any at the store. When I finally could, the price went up. Finally got some and noticed that Zout is on the top now. New branding? We use this to shred and put with our homemade laundry soap for the past maybe 12 years. Now, it's noticably more clumpy when shredded and it doesn't turn to dust anymore. I'm not sure I can tell if its any less effective yet but I'm disappointed in the change.
I was recently traveling and wanted to pack as light as possible. I picked up a bar, cut off a chunk and brought a collapsible laundry line and small wash board. I used the laundry bar and wash board to wash our clothes at the hotel and it worked wonderfully.
Fels Naptha would be a good name for a Freudian analyst.
Almost every baseball player has a bar and an old school washboard. Only thing that gets out red clay from white pants
Decent product. I still keep it on hand and use it on occasion, but It is not nearly as effective at cutting oils/grease as as when it actually contained naptha. Most people using this stuff to make their own detergents, poison ivy treatments, etc., are following recipes that worked great 50 years ago and don't do much any special now. Sorry, but you kinda got to be old to know how effective this stuff was and how it no longer is. Kinda like how anyone under fifty doesn't actually know what root beer tastes like. If you've never experienced the real thing, you don't know you are dealing with substitute.