May 13, 2020
How to Naturally Strip Laundry
Stripping laundry has been floating around the internet forever and I’m sure in mom circles long before the internet. It’s a question I get asked about regularly so I thought I’d share a safe and effective method you can use if you want to strip your laundry too.
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. You’ll see this method talked about regularly in cloth diapering groups and laundry forums.
Does Clean Mama regularly strip laundry?
This isn’t something that I regularly do because I don’t find that I have build up from laundry products or minerals, but I thought it would be fun to try it out and show you my results and method. After seeing the results this is a process that I will use if I feel like our laundry needs a deep clean.
Why would you want to strip laundry?
If you have sheets, towels, cloth diapers, 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.
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 gathered up our white sheets and yellowed pillow cases because I thought that that would be a good way to show if it worked or not – spoiler: it worked.
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 Clean Mama Laundry Super Powder or 5 sprays of Clean Mama Laundry Detergent Spray – both have enzymes which makes it especially effective for removing stains and minerals
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. I used Laundry Super Powder, Oxygen Whitener, and 1/4 cup white vinegar – this is my laundry routine for most loads.
You can find the Clean Mama Laundry Products here.
Let me know if you try this technique to strip your laundry!
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Sherrie Says
Is this something you do on WHITES only? What if you have sheets or towels with colors? Will it strip the color from the item? I have some white T shits of my husbands that have got yellow all over them (we have hard water, we have a softener but I don’t think that works very well). I will try this with my husband’s T shirts, thank you
Clean Mama Says
Post authorYou can do this on ANY laundry that can be washed 🙂
Mary Fieber Says
I just did this with some old pillowcases that I’m re-purposing as masks and WOW does it ever work! The colored pillowcases had some benzoyl peroxide stains and the solution seemed to lighten them more but didn’t make them disappear (I’ll use those for the filters in the masks). Odors and oily feel are gone!
T Says
Dead easy in a top loading washer. I just let it fill, agitate to dissolve the powders and then stop the cycle to let the load soak. No hauling needed.
Clean Mama Says
Post authorLove it!
Nirvana Says
Thanks but I thought you couldn’t or shouldn’t use enzyme containing detergents in hot water because the high temperatures would degrade the enzymes rendering them ineffective?
Clean Mama Says
Post authorThat’s if it’s in boiling water – this method uses hot not boiling water.
Alica Says
This is amazing! I have pillow covers that are yellow, and will have to try this method.
Mary Says
I use your laundry detergent recipe to make my own laundry detergent. I don’t think that has enzymes. Could I just use that along with adding some citric acid as an enzyme?
Clean Mama Says
Post authorI haven’t tried that but you could experiment with about 1/2 tsp.
Wendy Schulta Says
If you don’t have Clean Mama Laundry Detergent, what can you use in it’s place??
Clean Mama Says
Post authorLook for a natural powdered detergent with enzymes.
Kimberly Says
Thank you. Where do you add the 1/4 cup of white vinegar to? I have a front loader (FYI) but to what compartment?
Clean Mama Says
Post authorSoftener compartment 🙂
Katia Says
Hi! Could this work for deodorant stains? I have some clothes that have build up residue, even after waging them, it’s like white wax. I use the dove deodorant. Thanks!
Clean Mama Says
Post authorFor sure!
Sylvia Says
When I did cloth diapers I washed with washing soda and borax and hung out to dry. The sun does an amazing job at stripping. Anytime we get a stain on something i wash it and I put it out in the sun and the sun eats the stain.
Cecilia from Georgia Says
I have never heard of stripping laundry! We have a nice water softener system and I never thought about mineral building up. I find this very interesting and have learned something new!
Maggie Says
so, I do not like to have borax in the house because I have an epileptic son and it is known to trigger seizures…do you think this would work without?
Parrish in Alabama Says
Neat!! Thank you for sharing this Becky!. I use natural as possible detergent and I don’t use fabric softener. I prefer not to smell like a dryer…lol… I think i will see what I can get out of my sheets. My washing machine has an Allergy setting.. it basiocally steams the clothes. I use that often for my sheets and it gets them soooooo white. Then into the dryer will wool dryer balls and several drops of lavender essential oil!!! Heaven!!!!!!!
Ari Says
Hiya! A quick question…do you run a risk of your sheets shrinking in the hot water? Or is it not really a problem as the water is cooling off? Thanks!
Clean Mama Says
Post authorI wash sheets on hot all the time and have never had an issue – they are typically pre-shrunk.
Lisa Says
Just did this last week to my laundry. We have very hard water so I added Calgon liquid water softener to the borax/washing soda/detergent mix. This helps bind the mineral deposits in the fabric so they can precipitate out into the water. Calgon is usually found in the laundry aisle of mist stores and also on Amazon. Stripping our laundry made a huge difference in the softness and smell of our clothes and linens that I thought were “clean”!
beadgirl Says
I’ve been waffling on stripping some of our laundry (pillowcases and my husband’s shirts, mostly), but I’ve heard it weakens the fibers, and the cloth wears out faster. Is that your experience?
Clean Mama Says
Post authorNot when it’s done with these ingredients!
Jennifer Jackson Says
I have to do this on a regular basis because our home has very hard well water and therefore, the majority of our laundry gets buildup. It’s so annoying. Even with a water softener added to our extensive filtration system.Who knew water could be so bad? Insert eye roll. It does work, though. A necessary evil, lol.
Julie Says
I just did this and wow, what a difference!! I used our top loading machine and it was a breeze. I was shocked at how gross the water was ????
Alina Says
Hi,
Will it get rid of dinginess and yellowness in old whites? Thank you
Clean Mama Says
Post authorYes!
Elizabeth Houston Says
Where did you get your laundry basket?
Clean Mama Says
Post authorIKEA
Amanda Says
Do you know if a natural liquid detergent would work in place of the powder detergent?
Clean Mama Says
Post authorYou need the enzymes in the powder 🙂
Angela LaCroix Says
Laundry stripping calls for hot water but my sons sheet is polyester, that calls for cold to warm water will that work in watm water temp?
Clean Mama Says
Post authorWarm will work!
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Maria L Johnson Says
I have a front loader machine that does not have a Soak cycle. I have to use the tub method. Just letting others know to check their machines. If your machine has the Soak cycle, by all means use it.
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Linda K Says
Why can’t you just do the soak in the washing machine?
Clean Mama Says
Post authorYou can if you want 🙂
Jenny Says
Thank you. My wash cold shirts have become dingy and would love to try this, but I’m afraid it will shrink my wash cold clothes. Should I be concerned?
Clean Mama Says
Post authorUse warm instead of hot water 🙂
Diane Says
Does this work for removing buildup in washcloths?
Clean Mama Says
Post authorYes!
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Tonya Warren Says
What do u use if u don’t have mama clean laundry super? What can u use
Clean Mama Says
Post authorLook for a powder with enzymes in it!