What Is Laundry Stripping? How to Do It Safely

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Laundry stripping is a long hot-water soak that pulls built-up residue out of towels, sheets and other washable textiles. You dissolve borax, washing soda and laundry detergent in a tub of hot water, soak the items until the water cools (usually at least four hours), then run them through a wash or rinse cycle with no detergent. It works best on colorfast cotton towels and bedding. It is not for delicates, wool, silk or anything that has to be washed cool, and if you wash correctly you should rarely need it.

Last updated: November 14, 2026.

Below: what stripping removes, the recipe and steps, which fabrics suit it, safety with borax and washing soda, why the water turns brown, and how to avoid needing it. Related guides: what washer setting for towels, how to get mildew smell out of clothes and does homemade laundry detergent ruin washers.

What laundry stripping removes

The Good Housekeeping Institute describes stripping as a deep-cleaning method that removes residue built up in fabric over time. That build-up can come from:

hard-water minerals
natural body oils
fabric softener and dryer sheets
leftover detergent trapped in the fibers

Towels that feel stiff or less absorbent, or sheets that seem dingy even after washing, are the usual reasons people try it. The method took off on TikTok in 2020 and has stayed popular since.

The recipe and the steps

Good Housekeeping’s method uses borax, washing soda (sodium carbonate, not baking soda) and laundry detergent in a 1:1:2 ratio.

Ingredient	Amount for a bathtub	What it is
Borax	1/4 cup	A mineral sold as a laundry booster
Washing soda	1/4 cup	Sodium carbonate; not the same as baking soda
Laundry detergent	1/2 cup	Your regular detergent
Hot water	Enough to cover the items	As hot as the care labels allow

Fill a bathtub, sink or large bucket with hot water.
Add the borax, washing soda and detergent and stir until they dissolve completely.
Submerge clean towels or sheets and let them soak until the water has cooled, which usually takes at least four hours. Stir now and then.
Drain the water and wring the items out.
Run them through a full wash cycle with no detergent or softener. If you skip the full cycle, run at least a rinse and spin.
Tumble dry without dryer sheets.

Stripping is a soak, not a wash cycle. The heat of the water does much of the work, so a gentle or delicate cycle is not part of the method. Clean the tub afterward, since the water carries off whatever came out of the fabric.

What you can and can’t strip

Good Housekeeping lists these as the best candidates:

colorfast towels, sheets and pillowcases that can be cleaned in hot water without fading
cotton comforters and duvet covers
white and light-colored clothing

Leave out colored fabrics, delicate items and fabrics prone to shrinking. Always read the care tag. Any item labeled for a cold, cool or warm wash may fade or shrink at the high temperature stripping needs. Arm & Hammer also says not to use washing soda on wool, silk or leather, and to test colorfastness on a hidden area first.

If you do soak colored items, keep them away from whites so dye can’t transfer.

Why the water turns brown or gray

The dirty water is the part that goes viral, but it is not all residue. Good Housekeeping notes that dyes can run during the soak, which partly explains why the water often turns dark brown or gray. Murky water is not a measure of how dirty your towels were.

Borax and washing soda safety

Both ingredients are sold for household laundry, but both need care:

Borax. The maker of 20 Mule Team Borax says it is safe when used as directed, but it should not be used undiluted, should be kept out of the eyes, should not be swallowed and should be kept away from children and pets. If it gets in your eyes, rinse them thoroughly and call a doctor.
Washing soda. Arm & Hammer tells users to avoid eye contact and limit prolonged skin contact, and says wearing gloves is a good idea.

Wear gloves when stirring the soak, keep children and pets away from the tub, and rinse the tub when you are done.

Is borax a laundry detergent?

No. Borax is marketed as a laundry booster and stain fighter, used alongside detergent. In stripping, it works with washing soda and a regular detergent; it does not replace the detergent. Washing soda is also a booster; Arm & Hammer’s directions add it with your usual detergent at the start of a wash.

How to avoid needing to strip

Good Housekeeping’s view is that stripping is rarely worth it if you wash correctly, because it is slow and inconvenient. It suggests stripping mainly when residue builds up from homemade detergent, heavy use of dryer sheets or liquid softener, or hard water without a softener. To prevent build-up:

Don’t overload the washer; items need room to move.
Measure detergent and softener by the label for your load size and soil level.
Skip fabric softener or dryer sheets every few loads.
If suds are left in the tub, run a second rinse.
Wash very dirty items separately.
To fight residue as you go, add borax or washing soda to a regular wash following the product’s label directions.

Frequently asked questions

What ingredients do you need for laundry stripping?

Borax, washing soda and laundry detergent in a 1:1:2 ratio, plus hot water. For a bathtub, Good Housekeeping uses 1/4 cup borax, 1/4 cup washing soda and 1/2 cup detergent.

How long should you soak laundry when stripping?

Until the water has cooled completely, which usually takes at least four hours. Stir occasionally, then drain and run a wash or rinse cycle without detergent.

Can you strip colored towels or clothes?

It’s not recommended. Hot water can fade colors, and dyes can run in the soak. If you do it, use only items whose care label allows hot water, and keep them apart from whites.

Is laundry stripping worth it?

Only occasionally. It can revive towels and sheets with heavy build-up, but Good Housekeeping says you shouldn’t need it regularly if you avoid overdosing detergent and softener and don’t overload the washer.

What Is Laundry Stripping and How Does It Work?