Laundry stripping is a long, hot soak for towels and sheets that are already clean. You stir borax, washing soda, and powdered laundry detergent into hot water, and the soak pulls out residue a normal wash leaves behind. Cotton towels that no longer soak up water are the classic candidate. The engineer who runs Consumer Reports’ laundry lab says the bathtub method works, but it’s slow and messy.
Key Takeaways:
- Stripping lifts leftover detergent, fabric softener, and hard water minerals that a regular wash leaves behind.
- The usual recipe is one part borax, one part washing soda, and two parts powdered detergent.
- Stick to white or light cotton and cotton-blend towels and sheets.
- Using less detergent and skipping softener keeps the buildup from coming back.
What is laundry stripping, and why does the water turn gray?
Every wash can leave a little behind. Consumer Reports lists the usual causes: too much concentrated detergent or softener, incomplete rinsing, an overstuffed washer, and hard water.
Hard water is a big one. This Old House says the calcium and magnesium in it cling to fabric fibers and leave a dingy buildup.
The murky tub is the part people post on social media. Some of that color is grime. Some may be dye. Consumer Reports warns that the hot, high-pH soak can pull color out of fabric. It says the water can end up gray, black, or the color of whatever you soaked.
How to strip towels and sheets, step by step
These steps follow the recipe This Old House gives for an average load. Check each care label first, and don’t mix different fabric types in one soak.
- Start with clean laundry that’s still damp from the wash.
- Fill a bathtub, sink, or top-loading washing machine with very hot water.
- Put on rubber gloves and a mask before you measure. Consumer Reports suggests both because washing soda can be caustic.
- Stir in 1/4 cup borax, 1/4 cup washing soda, and 1/2 cup powdered detergent until they dissolve.
- Push every piece under the water.
- Let it soak for four to six hours, and give it a stir now and then.
- Drain the tub, squeeze the water out of each piece, and move the load to your washer.
- Run a rinse cycle with no detergent, then dry as usual.
Leave out silk, wool, spandex, dark colors that might fade, and anything the label says to wash cold. Consumer Reports says heat and a high pH can damage fabrics that can’t handle them.
How to make towels soft again without a soak
Start with the detergent cap. Consumer Reports suggests the lowest recommended dose for a medium load, and only a little more if the laundry doesn’t come out clean. Go easy on fabric softener too, or skip it. Some of it stays in the fabric after the rinse, and that’s part of what a strip pulls out. We explain more in why you should ditch your fabric softener.
Don’t pack the washer. Clothes need room to move against each other to get clean and rinse out, Consumer Reports says. If towels already feel coated, run them through an extra cycle with no detergent. Use rinse-and-spin on a front loader, or a deep soak-and-spin on a top loader.
This Old House also suggests white vinegar in the rinse cycle to help remove odors and soften fabrics. If you use dryer sheets, wool dryer balls are one swap. We compare the two in dryer balls vs dryer sheets.
Handing the towels to someone else
If you’d rather skip the bathtub, OrangeBag’s wash and fold service takes everyday laundry by the bag at $2.65 per pound. We wash each order on its own with toxin-free detergent at our Los Angeles plant. It comes back sorted and folded within 24 to 48 hours.
See every fee on our wash and fold pricing page. Monthly plans save up to 33% and drop the service and delivery fees. Our page on OrangeBag laundry pickup in Los Angeles shows how plans and pickups work.
Laundry stripping FAQ
Does laundry stripping work?
Yes, on residue. Consumer Reports’ test engineer found bathtub stripping effective, but slow and messy. He suggests an easier route too: an extra rinse-and-spin or soak-and-spin cycle with no detergent. You just don’t get to watch the residue drain away.
How often should you strip your laundry?
Once or twice a year is usually enough for heavily used towels and sheets, This Old House says. Stripping more often can harm the fabric. If your towels seem to need it every month, cut back on detergent and softener in the weekly wash.
Does laundry stripping remove stains or odors?
It’s made for buildup. The borax in the mix helps brighten fabrics, according to This Old House. Set-in marks like yellow underarm stains still need their own pretreatment, and our guide on how to remove sweat stains walks through it. For odors, This Old House suggests white vinegar in the rinse.
Ready to stop soaking towels in the tub?
Leave a bag of towels and sheets at your door, and we’ll bring them back clean and folded. You get the afternoon back.
