How to Strip Laundry Without Damaging the Fabric

You’ve been washing your towels the same way for years. They look clean but feel slightly waxy and aren’t as absorbent as they used to be. You saw a video of someone soaking their towels in a bathtub and the water turning brown from all the trapped residue. That’s laundry stripping, and it works, but it’s not for every fabric.

Laundry stripping is a deep-cleaning method that involves soaking clothes in a mixture of hot water, borax, washing soda, and laundry detergent for several hours. The hot water and chemical combination pulls trapped detergent, fabric softener, body oils, and mineral buildup from fabric fibers.

To strip laundry, fill a tub or sink with hot water, add a quarter cup of borax, a quarter cup of washing soda, and half a cup of laundry detergent, soak the clothes for 4 to 6 hours stirring occasionally, then wash normally. Strip only durable fabrics like towels and bedding. Skip it on delicates, colored fabrics that might bleed, and anything with elastic.

What Laundry Stripping Removes

Over time, even with regular washing, fabric accumulates residue:

• Detergent that didn’t fully rinse out
• Fabric softener coating
• Body oils and sweat
• Hard water minerals
• Bacteria and odor compounds

This buildup makes towels less absorbent, whites look gray, and clothes feel stiff or waxy. Regular washing doesn’t remove it because the buildup is trapped deep in the fibers.

How to Strip Laundry

Step 1: Fill a bathtub, large sink, or bucket with hot water. The water should be as hot as the fabric can handle. For towels and bedding, use the hottest tap water available.

Step 2: Add the stripping mixture:

• Quarter cup of borax (sodium tetraborate)
• Quarter cup of washing soda (sodium carbonate)
• Half a cup of laundry detergent

Tide Free & Gentle is a good choice for the detergent component because it’s enzyme-based and free of dyes and perfumes that could add to the buildup you’re trying to remove.

Step 3: Stir the mixture until the powders dissolve. Add the clothes. Make sure they’re fully submerged.

Step 4: Let them soak for 4 to 6 hours. Stir every hour to agitate the fabric and release trapped residue. You’ll see the water change color as buildup releases from the fabric.

Step 5: Drain the water and wring out the clothes. Wash them in your washing machine on a normal cycle with your regular detergent. Dry as usual.

What to Strip and What to Skip

Strip these:

• White towels and washcloths
• White bedding (sheets, pillowcases)
• Cotton kitchen towels and rags
• Workout clothes with trapped odor

Skip these:

• Colored fabrics (the hot water and chemicals can fade colors)
• Delicate fabrics (silk, wool, lace)
• Anything with elastic (the hot water breaks down elastic fibers)
• Items with care labels that say cold water only
• Flame-retardant children’s sleepwear (stripping removes the treatment)

How Often Should You Strip Laundry?

Laundry stripping is a periodic deep clean, not a regular routine. Stripping too often can damage fabric fibers and fade colors.

For towels and bedding: strip once every 3 to 6 months. For workout clothes: strip once every 2 to 3 months if odors persist. For everyday clothes: don’t strip. Regular washing with the right amount of detergent should be sufficient.

Preventing the Need to Strip

The best way to avoid needing to strip your laundry is to prevent buildup in the first place:

• Use only 2 tablespoons of detergent per load
• Skip fabric softener or use vinegar instead
• Use HE detergent in HE washers
• Clean your washing machine monthly with affresh tablets
• Don’t overload the washer

Comparison: Stripping vs. Regular Washing

Feature	Regular Washing	Laundry Stripping
Frequency	Every wash	Every 3 to 6 months
Water temp	Varies by load	Hot only
Time	30 to 60 minutes	4 to 6 hours
Removes	Surface dirt and oil	Deep buildup and residue
Safe for	All washable fabrics	Durable fabrics only
Risk	Minimal	Can fade colors, damage elastic

FAQ

What is laundry stripping? Laundry stripping is a deep-cleaning method that soaks clothes in hot water with borax, washing soda, and detergent for 4 to 6 hours. It removes trapped detergent, fabric softener, body oils, and mineral buildup that regular washing doesn’t remove.

How do you strip laundry? Fill a tub with hot water, add a quarter cup of borax, a quarter cup of washing soda, and half a cup of detergent. Submerge the clothes and soak for 4 to 6 hours, stirring hourly. Drain, wring, and wash normally.

Is laundry stripping safe for all clothes? No. Stripping is safe for durable fabrics like white towels and bedding. It can fade colored fabrics, damage elastic, and harm delicate fabrics like silk and wool. Only strip durable, colorfast items.

How often should you strip laundry? Strip towels and bedding every 3 to 6 months. Strip workout clothes every 2 to 3 months if odors persist. Don’t strip everyday clothes. Regular washing with the right detergent amount should prevent buildup.

What do you need to strip laundry? Borax, washing soda (sodium carbonate), and laundry detergent. You also need a large container (bathtub, sink, or bucket) and hot water. The ingredients are available at most grocery stores.

Why does the water turn brown when stripping laundry? The brown color is trapped residue releasing from the fabric. It’s a combination of detergent, fabric softener, body oils, minerals, and dirt that regular washing didn’t remove. The color varies depending on what’s in the buildup.

Can you strip laundry without borax? You can substitute borax with Arm & Hammer Baking Soda or OxiClean, but borax is the most effective option for stripping because it’s a stronger alkaline compound that breaks down buildup more effectively.

References

1. The Spruce. “How to Strip Laundry.” thespruce.com.
2. Apartment Therapy. “What Is Laundry Stripping?” apartmenttherapy.com.
3. Good Housekeeping. “Does Laundry Stripping Actually Work?” goodhousekeeping.com.
4. Tide. “How to Do Laundry.” tide.com.