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    Iron Heart Fall/Winter 2025 Collection Preview - Now Live

    How to safely wash your Iron Hearts with a bar of Fels Naptha soap

    The Resource Centre
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    • SreeniS
      Sreeni
      Joined:

      Hello,

      I've been lurking in the forum for a few years now. It would be great if someone could answer these questions.

      1. How do you 'refresh' your denim?  Some have suggested spraying diluted vodka while others have given mixed reviews about Mr. Black denim refresh.

      2. Do I need to worry about my health while handling Fels Naphtha? Or is a pair of rubber gloves enough?

      3. What about washing it with vinegar?

      4. Could I have asked this question in a better way or in a more relevant part of the forum?

      Thanks a lot!

      last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
      • Filthy2123ozjunkieF
        Filthy2123ozjunkie
        見習いボスー
        Joined:

        You don't have to use Fels Naptha. You can use Dr. Bronners soap or woolite dark. You can soapy soak them with no agitation in cold water. Just do the soak and then the rinse steps.

        last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
        • Filthy2123ozjunkieF
          Filthy2123ozjunkie
          見習いボスー
          Joined:

          Do your soak with enough soap to make suds then do these steps:

          12)  Now spray the suds off the jeans with a hose on the inside and out. Stick the hose down in the pocket bags and spray them out too. Spray behind the leather tag to make sure there’s no soap in there either. If you don’t have a faucet just use your cup and rinse as best you can. We don’t need to get all the soap out at this point because we are going to do two rinses.

          13)  Now fill that tub up to 2/3 full again and agitate you jeans waistband, leather tag, and all giving a good rinse for a minute or two. And, drain this water out standing the jeans up again to get them above the rinse water but over the vessel. (So the floor won’t get wet).

          14)  Repeat step 13. This is important to do a good rinse and then rinse again, because we want to completely dilute the soap to a marginal residue. If you half-ass the rise you jeans will be stiff and itchy (and possibly give you a sweet bum/leg rash). Two rinses have always sufficed to remove all the soap. If you have hard water or something, you might have to rinse again, I guess.
          Don’t use fabric softener or starch or anything like that. Just don’t do it.

          last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
          • Filthy2123ozjunkieF
            Filthy2123ozjunkie
            見習いボスー
            Joined:

            As far as a refresh goes, you can do alcohol. But that only goes so far.

            I'd wear gloves handling any chemicals.

            last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
            • GilesG
              Giles
              IHUK Crew
              Joined:

              @Sreeni:

              1. How do you 'refresh' your denim?

              I'm a simple man, I put them in the washing machine at 30 or 40C depending upon how dirty they are….

              "OK face up to it - you're useless but generally pretty honest and straightforward . . . it's a rare combination of qualities that I have come to admire in you" - Geo 2011

              last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
              • FinksterF
                Finkster
                見習いボス
                Joined:

                ^ 
                Ditto … no fan of all this 'snake oil hocus pocus'.
                We talk about jeans!
                If the gear is (real) dirty -> washing machine / 40°C .. air drying .. done.

                last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                • SeulS
                  Seul
                  Joined:

                  Throw in washing machine
                  Drink wodka
                  Hangdry
                  Sleep
                  Hangover
                  Dry jeans

                  last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                  • yinzerY
                    yinzer
                    Joined:

                    I just used this soap for the first time today.

                    Had some white t shirts with stains. All I did was wet the stain, rub the bar of soap on the stain, then wash the shirts as normal.

                    Took the entire stain out, so I'm happy and impressed with this soap! I imagine it does a good number on denim.

                    last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                    • Jordonf9J
                      Jordonf9
                      Raw and Unwashed
                      Joined:

                      I grated most of my fels for the only pair of jeans I actually washed(not just soaked) in….pffff, 1.5-2 years ha. I really need to wash all most of my jeans.

                      Actually found this little article in hopes of making grating easier. All you need is a microwave and food grater. Not a fan of hand grating the bar.
                      http://www.themakeyourownzone.com/2015/06/can-you-microwave-fels-naphtha-soap.html
                      Going to pick up this cheap food grater from Wallyworld tomorrow sometime.
                      https://www.walmart.com/ip/Ninja-Express-Chopper-NJ100/16913480

                      last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                      • Jordonf9J
                        Jordonf9
                        Raw and Unwashed
                        Joined:

                        Worth the $18 for the food processor. Much easier and no reason not to wash some jeans tomorrow.

                        Thanks @Filthy25ozJunkie for the info and turning me into feels naptha. Smells great too!

                        last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                        • Jordonf9J
                          Jordonf9
                          Raw and Unwashed
                          Joined:

                          Last time I just chopped up the bar and used the food chopper. This time I microwaved maybe 1/3 or 1/2 a bar, microwaved it for 1.5 min, then broke it up by hand and used the food chopper. Much better!

                          last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                          • V
                            Vance14
                            Joined:

                            This thread is great, thanks for the post and suggestions.  Makes me want to get my jeans dirty just to wash them!  🙂

                            last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                            • ROmanR
                              ROman
                              Haraki san Prodigy
                              Joined:

                              @Seul:

                              Throw in washing machine
                              Drink wodka
                              Hangdry
                              Sleep
                              Hangover
                              Dry jeans

                              I do this plus add soap and fabric softener, which so far I have not noticed any softening in the fabric.

                              last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                              • Filthy2123ozjunkieF
                                Filthy2123ozjunkie
                                見習いボスー
                                Joined:

                                @Vance14 Hi Vance! Welcome to the forum! I made it home from Massachusetts. So tomorrow I will send you those UHR measurements. I'm so glad you're here now.

                                last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                • V
                                  Vance14
                                  Joined:

                                  @Filthy25ozJunkie:

                                  @Vance14 Hi Vance! Welcome to the forum! I made it home from Massachusetts. So tomorrow I will send you those UHR measurements. I'm so glad you're here now.

                                  That's great, thanks! I already talked to my son about going up to the Self Edge store to get him a pair of Iron Hearts.  Just to have another pair in the family!

                                  last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                  • BorasB
                                    Boras
                                    Haraki san Student
                                    Joined:

                                    So I used the @Filthy Wash Method for the first time the other day, awesome thank you very much Filthy. It was new and unusual behavior on my part, and my wife was side-eyeing me as I was washing my jeans, finally she said to me “What the f*** are you doing? Having bathtub sex with your jeans?”  😃
                                    So it’s the Filthy Wash Method aka Bathtub Sex with Your Jeans  😃

                                    last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                                    • BrockB
                                      Brock
                                      Raw and Unwashed
                                      Joined:

                                      That made me Audibly laugh! Thanks

                                      Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

                                      last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                      • Filthy2123ozjunkieF
                                        Filthy2123ozjunkie
                                        見習いボスー
                                        Joined:

                                        😃

                                        last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                        • BorasB
                                          Boras
                                          Haraki san Student
                                          Joined:

                                          Rest In Peace Filthy

                                          I discovered a great way to keep the jeans submerged while soaking, I’m sorry you’re not here to see it

                                          FB82755D-B8C1-46A8-B826-77255C5D7AB2.jpeg

                                          last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 4
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