What Is Laundry Stripping and Is It Worth Trying?

Indisputable visual proof is just the best thing ever, which is why most people are so bowled over by great before-and-after comparison pics. One of the more recent things to fall into this category islaundry stripping, which has been all the rage on TikTok in recent years. However, although it's become something of a social media sensation, thisdeep-cleaninglaundry practice has actually been way longer than TikTok.

Dubbed an "aggressive cleaning method" by the experts atMaytag, the laundry stripping process isdesigned to removeany "extras" that otherwise clean laundry is holding on to, such as hard water minerals, body oils, excess detergent or fabric softener. When all of these things build up, they can make white or light-colored laundry look dull and dingy.

After a good laundry-stripping soak, the water is often visibly dirty, which is a shocking, yet satisfying visual to people who thought their textiles were already clean!

Sure Signs It's Time to Strip Laundry

Laundry stripping shouldn't bedone very often, maybe a few times per year. That's because over-stripping can cause fabrics to break down. Key signs to look for that signal you should do some laundry stripping are if your towels are no longer absorbent or soft, or if any fabrics feel sticky to the touch. Also, stale odors or yellowing/brownish colors are dead giveaways that buildup is getting out of control.

How to Strip Laundry

Alwayswear gloveswhen stripping laundry, as some of the ingredients can be harsh and irritating on your skin. Some experts even recommend wearing a mask to avoid inhaling any caustic chemicals.

Fill up a bathtub or large sink withhotwater.
Add borax, washing soda (sodium carbonate) and laundry detergent at aratio of 1:1:2, in that order. For example, a good amount is 1/4 cup ofborax, 1/4 cup ofwashing soda, then 1/2 cup of laundry detergent. Once all the ingredients are in the water, stir until they dissolve.
Next, placeclean laundryin the tub, then stir it occasionally. Allow everything to soak until the water has cooled completely, which can take four or five hours.
Drain the water (after you've marveled over the dirty color) and wring out excess from the laundry items that were soaking.
Finally, place the stripped laundry in the washing machine without any detergent or fabric softener and run a full cycle. Then dry them without any dryer sheets.

Anyone who doesn't want to go to all of this effort can also justdo strip laundry in the washing machine。唯一的缺点是你不能ee the dirty water at the end, but it's a lot less messy and time-consuming than the bathtub method.

To strip laundry in your machine, select the "deep soak-and-spin" option (if it's a top-loading machine), or the "rinse-and-spin cycle" (if it's a front loader) and follow the same steps as above. It'll produce the same quality clean, but without all the dirty water and cleanup.

洗衣生态最好和最差的项目是什么pping?

As we've already pointed out, laundry stripping is a much harsher cleaning method than most fabrics are accustomed to. That means it's not ideal for any delicates or high-end clothing items. So, skip the laundry stripping process on lingerie or any other piece of clothing that lists "gentle" or "hand-wash only" instructions on the tag.

And it goes without saying that any "dry-clean only" pieces should never be subjected to the laundry stripping process. Additionally, wool, workout clothes and anything that should only be washed in cold water shouldnever be stripped。

For other clothing items, make sure to separate lights and darks when laundry stripping just like you would during regular machine washing. Dark colors stripped with lighter ones will almost definitely wind up color-contaminating the batch. However, laundry stripping is really intended for textiles like light-colored sheets and towels that are showing their age a bit prematurely.

How to Avoid Laundry-stripping Altogether

Most experts say that laundry strippingisn't really necessaryas long as you're doing your laundry correctly in the first place, meaning to avoid buildup. Here are some tips:

Resist the urge to cram everything you can in the washer. If it's more than 3/4 full the water and detergent won't be able to circulate appropriately. If the final rinse can't do its job, detergent and other gunk will stay stuck to the laundry.
For good measure, add one more rinse to the washing cycle on tough-to-clean items.
Don't overdo it on the detergent. Read the instructions on how much detergent is necessary for cycles of all sizes, then follow those guidelines. This goes for fabric softener, too, which should only be added in a separate compartment if the machine is advanced enough, or during the last rinse. If possible, don't add fabric softener at all!
Wash items judiciously. Don't launder really dirty clothes with those that are barely in need of a wash.

These simple steps are usually all that's necessary to prevent dingy build up. However, if laundry stripping still appeals to you, it's easy enough to do.