WHAT IS STRIPPING LAUNDRY?
Stripping laundry is just removing any residue from some detergents and fabric softeners, or a build up of minerals from hard water that you aren’t able to remove from your laundry with traditional laundry washing methods. We have hard water that is full of minerals, so this method is extremely helpful to keep our linens feeling fresh!
WHY WOULD YOU WANT TO STRIP LAUNDRY?
If you have sheets, towels, or any other laundry that you feel isn’t getting clean or might have some build-up trapped in the fibers, laundry stripping might be a good option. In other words, if your towels "just aren't drying" like they used to, you probably need to strip them!
HOW TO NATURALLY STRIP LAUNDRY
Gather the laundry that needs to be stripped. Just like a washing machine, you don’t want to overfill or crowd the fabric – in other words, don’t throw all your laundry in. I suggest grouping whites or lighter colors together and separating from darker colors.
Fill a bathtub or large sink about 1/2 full with HOT water. If your water doesn’t get super hot, you can fill it with hot water and boil some water and pour that in to bring the temperature up.
Add the ingredients:
1/4 cup SUPER WASHING SODA – laundry booster ( I usually purchase Arm & Hammer – you can find it in the laundry aisle)
1/4 cup BORAX – cleaning and laundry booster (find in the laundry aisle)
1-2 scoops powder detergent (TIDE is what I use)
Stir to dissolve the powder and add the clean laundry – make sure that what you are washing is clean first. This method can be used on whites and colors.
Stir every 30 minutes to an hour until the water is cool – this process will take 3-4 hours. You’ll most likely see darker water in your tub – this is the minerals and build-up leaving the fabric.
Drain the water and press out the excess liquid using the spoon from the stripped items. I used a solid laundry basket to transfer the wet sheets into the washing machine.
Place in your washing machine and launder and dry as usual. Add a 1/4 cup of white vinegar and some oxygen whitener to give the cleaning at extra boost and to rid it of any lingering stench such as mildew. Though, after a thorough stripping, there should be none left!
Laundry stripping is a lengthy process, but it's so worth it!
If you tried it, what did you think?