Woohooo! Let’s get strippin’ !
Okay not quite like that… but still satisfying!
First, I have to be totally honest… Showing this nasty picture of my first laundry stripping experience is kind of embarrassing! And what you don’t get from this picture is the smell! …oh the smell… I was shocked that these freshly washed clothes that smelled like “Fresh Scent” actually still had stink and yuck in them…
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So what is laundry stripping anyway? This is the ultimate method to deep clean your laundry. You thought your washing machine was doing all the hard work for you, but a 40 minute wash cycle can only do so much.
Have you ever opened up your top load washer to add in your favorite shirt after you’ve already began the wash cycle, only to catch a glimpse of the murky laundry water? Yeah… it’s nasty! Instead of just washing your clothes in gunky water, laundry stripping is designed to get ALL of that gunk out.
Stripping your laundry is a way to rid your clothes, towels, jeans, and anything else you launder (yes even your Lululemon leggings! I was brave and tried that for you… you’re welcome, but be gentle) of built up hard water, fabric softener residue, oil, sweat, grease, and stink.
This method uses high powered yet gentle cleaning agents to chemically break down and remove imbedded grime from your most-worn clothes and towels. Laundry stripping has even removed deodorant stains from some of my favorite shirts! Laundry stripping towels is the best way to get rid of that weird stink that happens even after they are freshly washed. And laundry stripping comforters is perfect if you really want to enhance your sleep hygiene!
Here’s the best laundry strip recipe:
- Bathtub filled with hot water
- 1 generous scoop of Powdered Tide (do not use liquid detergent)
- 1/2 cup of Borax
- 1/2 cup of Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda
- A paint stick for mixing (or even a broom handle)
- A bucket to transport wet clothes
The products for laundry stripping
Here’s how:
1. Wash your clothes like normal
First, wash your laundry like normal, but do not dry them. If the items you intend to strip are already clean, then you can skip this step.
Stripping clean clothes is the most effective way to do this. Washing them first will act as a first pass to get out easy to wash out dirt and grime. This step is important because when you strip your laundry, you want to make sure you’re using the products to the fullest extent possible to get the best results.
If you don’t wash out that easy to remove gunk first, then part of the power this method offers will be wasted on lifting easy to get grime first instead of diving into that set-in stuff. Clear the path of all the easy gunk to make it easier for laundry stripping to get to the hard, set-in stuff.
2. Prepare your bath tub
Next, fill your bathtub with hot water. The hotter the better! But be cautious of what you’re putting in. Be sure not to mix colors and do not put in anything that will not fare well in hot water. Be sure to read the labels first!
You can still use this method on more delicate items by using lukewarm or cool water. But keep in mind that laundry stripping works the best when you use HOT water.
Oh, and make sure your bathtub is CLEAN first. Scrub the tub before you do this. You want to strip your clothes, not your grimy tub.
3. Prepare your stripping solution
Once the tub is full, add in the powdered Tide, Borax, and Detergent Booster. Mix the water until all of the powders have dissolved.
Using powdered Tide is the best detergent to use for laundry stripping because this product contains more surfactants than other powdered detergents. AKA powdered Tide will work harder for you than other brands will, getting out more dirt and oil. Even if you don’t prefer Tide, buy it anyway. It works great for cleaning lots of other stuff too.
4. Get to strippin! Place your clean clothes in the solution
Add your clean clothes to the tub, and mix them around until they are fully saturated.
Let the laundry soak for 4 hours or until the water has become cold. The longer you soak your laundry, the more gunk will come out. Periodically mix the laundry throughout the soak.
After your soaking is complete, wring out all of the excess water. Rewash your laundry as normal to relieve the laundry of any excess soaking water.
And that’s all you have to do! But, let me clear up some misconceptions for you…
Your laundry stripping water might not turn gross colors. That’s OKAY!
One of the biggest misconceptions of stripping your laundry is that if the water doesn’t turn a nasty brown color then this method is a total bust. This simply isn’t true. Laundry stripping is not a hoax.
Laundry stripping is still highly effective, even if the water doesn’t turn brown. Many different types of residue (especially from excess laundry detergent, fabric softeners, and scent booster) will come out during stripping but come out mostly clear.
In this before and after, the load I did was mostly bath towels. They don’t get very dirty, but were full of residue. Although the water wasn’t as revolting, the towels now have much better absorbency and smell much better!
So don’t get discouraged if your water isn’t absolutely revolting like my picture or the many videos you see on Tic Tok. It’s still completely worth your while.
The water does NOT turn brown due to a chemical reaction.
Anyone who says this doesn’t understand basic chemistry. And if you don’t believe me, then mix up these products in a clear glass and let it sit for as long as you’d like.
Spoiler alert: you’re going to end up with clear or slightly cloudy water from the powders just chillin’ in there. It will not turn brown, but go ahead and try it yourself.
The water isn’t dark just because the dye in the clothes came out.
Excess dye definitely has the chance to seep out during this process, especially since hot water is used during the process. If you’re doing colored clothes you have a better chance that some color will come out in the water.
But, the majority of the color in the water does not come from dye. If you are continuously washing your clothes in large and extra large loads, your clothes aren’t getting as clean as you think they are.
Most of the US has varying degrees of hard water. So the more you wash your clothes, the more hard water build up will accumulate in your clothes. An accumulation of hard water, sweat, oil, grease, lotions, laundry products, and dirt account for most of the color in the water.
Share your photos and experience down below! All of us clean freaks want to marvel over your deep clean!
This post is has been about how to strip your laundry and why you should try laundry stripping. This post explains how to do laundry stripping and the best laundry stripping recipe. This post includes laundry stripping towels and laundry stripping workout clothes. This is how to laundry stripping.
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