

Since laundry stripping is done in hot water, it can cause the dye from darker clothes to bleed and, before you know it, your whites are varying shades of other colors. The process is a great way to get whites looking their best if you don't want to use bleach, but be sure to keep processes for white clothes and dark clothes separate. "It can help to get some of those odors that can linger, but the spandex might not last as long if you do that," she warned.Īnother thing to be conscious of? White garments. She's also noticed people doing the process on their workout clothes.

"But a better way is taking care of it and regularly cleaning it so it doesn't get to that point." "If you have a hat that you haven't cleaned in a few years you want to get it back to looking new, this is a great way to do it," she told us. Shop Spring came early! Refresh your space with Target's new home collections - starting at $4 Frequently asked questions Which materials work best for laundry stripping?īuild-up mostly occurs on towels and bedding, but Ek says hats are another good candidate for the process because they aren't cleaned as often. These ingredients are used in a 1:1:2 ratio, so 1/4 cup of Borax, 1/4 cup of washing soda and 1/2 cup of laundry detergent. The recipe for laundry stripping only has three ingredients: borax, washing soda and powdered laundry detergent. If you're doing your laundry on a regular basis, you shouldn't have that build-up to begin with if you're doing it properly," Ek said. "It can be really helpful, it's not always necessary. If you have hard water, she says doing it once or twice a year might be beneficial.

She calls it a "harsh way to do laundry," so her advice is to do it as rarely as you can. If you choose to strip your laundry, it would replace a regular wash cycle on that day, but Ek advises against doing it on a regular basis. Built-up residue can occur from having hard water, using too much laundry detergent or fabric softener or years of grime build-up, she told us. "Laundry stripping is the process of removing built-up residue," Ek explained. While you can certainly strip your clothing, it is best suited for towels and sheets which tend to hold on to the most dirt and oils and also have a harder time getting fully clean in the washing machine due to size.Shop How often do you really need to replace your pillows? It may be sooner than you think What is laundry stripping? This process takes about 5 hours total, but once you get everything in the bathtub, it is pretty hands off. Once cooled, put the laundry through a water only rinse cycle and then tumble dry. You will also want to stir it occasionally to really break up the buildup. Next you will submerge your clothing into the tub and let it soak until it cools fully. You start by filling a bathtub with hot water and then adding a 1/4 cup of Borax, 1/4 cup of washing soda, and 1/2 cup of laundry detergent-if you are using a smaller container, use a 1:1:2 ratio according to size. There are four main ingredients that you will need- Borax, washing soda (also known as sodium carbonate), laundry detergent, and hot water. What Do You Need To Start Laundry Stripping? Play icon The triangle icon that indicates to play
