Skip to Content

LAUNDRY STRIPPING 101

The definitive guide to answering
all your questions on laundry
stripping.

THE FACTS

icon of 70%

Of the dirt on your
clothing is invisible

icon of 200M

Dead skin cells are
shed every hour

icon of 4x

The amount of times
experts recommend
washing your sheets
per month

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU LAUNDRY STRIP

Fabric garments and materials can collect a lot of residue over time that isn’t quite noticeable to the naked eye. From keeping your bed sheets soft to help eliminating odors from dingy towels, laundry stripping is a boost-it-yourself technique that can help get your laundry cleaner than it has ever been.

MATERIALS YOU WILL NEED

icon of washing machine and cup

Borax

icon of washing soda in washing machine

Washing Soda

icon of shirt in washing machine

Laundry detergent

Icon of water in cup

Water

HOW TO LAUNDRY STRIP

  1. Fill ⅔ of a large tub with warm water.
  2. Add ½ cup of Borax for every gallon of water and allow to completely dissolve in the water.
  3. Add ½ cup of washing soda for every gallon of water.
  4. Add ¾ cup of laundry detergent for every gallon of water.
  5. Add your laundry to the tub.
  6. Allow laundry to soak for 5 - 6 hours, stirring every hour.
  7. Remove laundry from the tub and add to a washing machine. Wash as usual.

LAUNDRY STRIPPING TIPS

  • Wear gloves to stir the clothes around more thoroughly without making direct contact with the product.
  • Laundry strip your whites.
  • Use warm water to help in this cleaning process.
  • Track your progress by taking pictures of your laundry every hour!

LAUNDRY STRIPPING FAQS

Laundry stripping works best on items that can withstand high temperatures, such as whites, lights, bath towels and bedsheets. You should also consider laundry stripping if you have hard water, or if you use fabric softener or dryer sheets—they all contribute to a buildup of residue in textiles.

From keeping your bed sheets soft to help eliminating odors from dingy towels, laundry stripping is a do-it-yourself technique that can help get your laundry cleaner than it has ever been.

Over time, items such as towels retain a buildup and residue with standard usage—not to mention a little smelly—no matter how many times you throw them in your washer. While most stains may be visibly removed from the material, other grime can live on unnoticed within the fibers. Even with frequent washing using high quality products, it can be difficult to get clothes stripped of residue. Enter laundry stripping.

With just four ingredients and one effective technique, you can create a safe soaking method that essentially helps “resets” your laundry . If you’ve never heard of Borax before laundry stripping, you might be surprised to learn that Borax (one of the main ingredients in this project) is a natural multi-purpose ingredient that can be used in a variety of DIY cleaning solutions!

To maximize the result of laundry stripping, allow laundry to soak for 5 - 6 hours, stirring every hour.

While most stains may be visibly removed from the material, other grime can live on unnoticed within the fibers. Even with frequent washing using high quality products, it can be difficult to get clothes stripped of dirt, stains and residue. Laundry stripping with Borax can help get your laundry really clean!

Residue like laundry detergent, hard water, fabric softener, dirt, grime and grease can all build up over the lifetime of a garment. Laundry stripping helps remove buildup and residue that lives on clothes, towels and linens.