Laundry Stripping
Deep clean towels and linens with a hot-water soak of washing soda, Borax, and powdered detergent to remove detergent buildup, body oils, and hard-water minerals.
Equipment
- Bathtub
- Large pot
- Large spoon or stick for stirring
- Washing machine
Ingredients
- ¼ cup Super Washing Soda
- ¼ cup Borax
- ½ cup powdered laundry detergent homemade or store-bought
- hot water
- freshly-washed linens
Instructions
- Fill the tub. Fill the tub about halfway with hot water. While it fills, heat a large pot of water on the stove until hot but not boiling, then pour it in to boost the temperature and help dissolve the powders.
- Add the powders. Add the washing soda, the Borax, and the powdered laundry detergent to the hot water.
- Stir to dissolve. Use a large spoon to mix and dissolve the powders into the water.
- Add the linens. Add freshly washed and dried linens to the hot water solution; washing and drying first removes as much lint as possible before stripping.
- Soak the linens. Let the linens soak for up to six hours, stirring occasionally. The water will cool to room temperature, and that's fine.
- Drain and squeeze. Drain the tub and squeeze out as much water from the soaked linens as possible — do not rinse.
- Wash without detergent. Add the linens to the washing machine and run a regular load without adding detergent.
- Dry as usual. Machine dry or line dry the linens as you normally would.
Notes
Laundry stripping is best for durable fabrics like cotton towels, sheets, and sturdy cotton clothing. Skip delicate fabrics such as wool, silk, lace, and rayon. No tub? If your washing machine has a deep soak mode, fill it with hot water, add and mix the powders, soak the laundry for about six hours, drain, then run a regular cycle without extra detergent. For most households, stripping every 3–6 months is plenty.