Five Great Soaps to Prep!

By Stephanie Dayle
I originally wrote this article for the American Preppers Network website. I am reposting my articles here, of course with permission. 

If you could only prep one kind of soap, what would it be? 



There are always hundreds of answers to that question because there really isn’t a single ‘best’ soap to store; almost any soap is good to stock up on compared to none at all.  If they have to, people can make do cleaning most things with just about any common soap.  If you make your own soap, that is a very frugal and admirable skill.  Homemade soap is  a good option if you have time to make extra and stock up on it click here to see an article on how to make your own bar soap! 

The important thing I cannot stress enough is having a supply soap on hand for hygiene and sanitation if the store is sold out or closed.  In the midst of an emergency or disaster you may not have time to make soap, instead keep a years supply on hand at all times.

All soaps have strengths and weaknesses; here are five soaps that have multiple uses that make them ideal for storage and emergency use. Maybe one of these soaps will work for you!

1) Dawn:  (or an equivalent) dish washing detergent:   Dawn is well-known for getting dishes clean, but did you know that it is well-known for doing that even with cold water?  Their website encourages people to try washing dishes in cold water to conserve power.  This would also be handy in the event of a long-term power outage.  Dawn is also commonly used as shampoo to remove product build-up and strip excess oil.  Because Dawn is non-toxic and biodegradable you can make an insecticide with it (as well as from other biodegradable soaps) by diluting it with water.  Other insects such as ants tend to avoid treated areas also making it a repellant.  Dawn also makes an effective flea bath for cats and dogs.

The grease busting power of Dawn makes it an acceptable substitute for laundry detergent and/or a pre-treatment for tough stains. (Although care must be taken not to add too much Dawn or there will be an overflow of bubbles and trouble with rinsing.)  Mixed with boiling water Dawn can also help clear a grease clogged drain in the kitchen and it makes an effective glass cleaner when just a drop or two is added to vinegar and water.  Dawn detergent will store for years and remain effective; however, the soap may separate if exposed to extreme temperature swings.

2) Ivory:  Classic Ivory soap is biodegradable; it was originally marketed as a laundry soap bar and is still used in many different homemade laundry soap recipes.  If doing laundry by hand the old-fashioned way, classic Ivory is still capable of getting your clothes clean and residue free.  Because bars of Ivory floated in water it became a popular bathing soap.

Today Classic Ivory still has many uses.  Bars of Ivory soap can also be used as an insecticide by grating it first then melting it down with heated water to create a liquid soap.  The resulting liquid Ivory can also be used for dish washing, and shampooing.  Since Classic Ivory soap is only lightly scented, floats, and is free from many of the additives that make other soaps undesirable for environmental and health concerns, it’s a very popular choice for campers and preppers. Classic Ivory bar soap will store indefinitely without any additional treatment.  Be sure to look for the “It Floats!” slogan and “99 44/100% Pure” statement on the label.  There are several different types of Ivory now, and the Classic Ivory bars are the only ones that float, the formula on the rest of Ivory’s products are different.

3) Soap Flakes:  Soap Flakes is another product that was originally invented as laundry soap because it was much easier to dissolve them in warm water than it was to grate down a solid bar of soap.  Soap Flakes are pure soap in a flake form; they are made from a 100% vegetable base of palm and coconut oils.  They contain no bleaches, phosphates, enzymes, or perfumes and are completely biodegradable.  Soap Flakes can be used as laundry soap, dish soap, body soap, and as a general household cleaner.  They are notably mild and frequently recommended for the cleaning of children’s toys, laundry, and even as a children’s bath soap.

For years Soap Flakes were our grandmother’s choice for hand washing dedicates and wool.  They will store for years in their dry form, are light weight, and are easy to dissolve for any of the above uses. Soap Flakes’ friendliness to the environment and light weight have made them a popular choice for backpackers and campers for years, for this reason they are also a common item in bug out bags.

4) Fel’s Naptha:  Fel’s -Naptha was originally invented and marketed as a heavy-duty laundry soap bar and still is today.  The potent bars of Fel’s-Naptha are most commonly used as a pre-treatment for stains and they frequently out perform their higher priced spray bottle competitors in that area.  Fel’s-Naptha is the current best-selling choice for those who make their own laundry detergent. When combined with ingredients like borax and washing soda, a single bar of Fel’s-Naptha will last nearly a year.  How is that for cost efficient?

Fel’s-Naptha can also be used to treat poison ivy, poison oak, or sumac rash when used just after exposure occurs.  The soap will break up the oils from the plants, which contain the toxins.  It can also be used in bathrooms to remove soap scum and in the garden as an insecticide.  Fel’s-Naptha is not flawless however, as it still contains strong perfumes, additives for color, and shouldn’t be used on the skin as a replacement for regular body soap.  Fel’s-Naptha once contained Stoddard solvent, which is a known eye irritant, but according to their website the soap no longer contains the solvent.  Fel’s-Naptha soap, like Ivory, will store indefinitely with no additional treatment.

5) Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soap:  Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soap is a liquid Castile soap.  Castile soap is a name used for olive oil based soaps, which are frequently noted for their mildness.  For years Dr. Bronner’s has been one of the best-selling holistic soaps on the market with good reason.  Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soap also has many uses, it comes in several different scents including un-scented and it’s completely biodegradable. 

Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soap can be used for everyday washing, shampooing, dish washing, as a shaving cream, for tooth brushing (although I have heard the taste is awful), for laundry, for household cleaning and its high glycerin content allows it to be used as a leather soap in a pinch.  Parenting forums have claimed the tea tree variety of Dr. Bronner’s is effective in treating and repelling lice and fleas.  Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soap will store for long periods of time but, like other liquid soaps, may separate if exposed to dramatic shifts in temperature - this would not effect the cleaning power of the soap.

So if you could only prep one kind of soap, what would it be?  Please feel free to leave your comments and ideas for others!