Is your laundry technique really cleaning your clothes? Laundry expert reveals the truth
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Due to the fact that many young people are just learning how effective it is at removing surprising amounts of dirt and grime from clothes, pillows, and toys, an old-school laundry "hack" has been making the rounds on social media.
Laundry stripping, also called strip washing, isn't something new, and you members probably already know how it works.
The laundry method involves soaking the items for several hours and is intended to get rid of soap, washing liquids and powders, and fabric softener residue that has built up over time. It also pulls out minerals that get into your clothes when you wash them in hard water, as well as dirt, oils, and gunk that a washing machine might not get out.
A lot of homeowners and washing enthusiasts on social media are raving about strip washing because the water looks so dirty after it is done. It changes colour to a murky, brown hue and appears to be filled with dirt and gunk that would typically go unnoticed after machine washing.
A well-known dry cleaner, however, would like to disagree. Yes, strip washing has its uses, but it's also possible that it's not necessary because the filthy water you see after a strip wash isn't what you might think it is.
Strip washing went viral on social media because it removed so much dirt and grime from garments. Credit: TikTok/@jeeves_ny.
Zachary Pozniak runs a laundry cleaning channel on TikTok and in one of his most recent videos, he tackled the subject of strip washing.
He said that even though he isn't opposed to the laundry method and believes it can be helpful at times, we can easily avoid doing it if we use good and high-quality laundry products.
To test his claims, Zachary filmed himself washing two sets of laundry – the first tub was washed ten times with fabric softener and cheap detergent, while the other tub was washed with high-quality detergent and no fabric softener.
He did a strip wash on both loads of laundry and then collected the water from each tub into a glass beaker to compare the results.
It is easy to see that the water left behind by clothes washed with high-quality detergent is clearer, in contrast to the water left behind by items washed with cheap detergent and fabric softener, which is dirty.
"A lot of the gross stuff left behind after laundry stripping is years of soap and softener build-up that holds onto dirt and soil. Try switching to a high-quality detergent to make your clothes and skin happy, all while saving time," he said.
Zachary did suggest some excellent laundry detergents, but they are American brands, so if you want to switch brands, it is best to look at CHOICE's analysis of products that are available here in Australia.
Some of the best options are:
To avoid soap and softener build-up in your laundry, you don't always have to switch brands! Instead, here are two simple things you can do:
The first thing you need to do is check how much detergent you are actually putting into the machine. To effectively clean your clothes, you really only need one to two tablespoons.
The second step is to completely stop using fabric softener. This product is notorious for causing poor clothing quality and can also damage your washing machine.
An alternative that will soften your clothes without creating issues is to place a quarter cup of vinegar in the fabric softener compartment of your washing machine.
Best of luck with your laundry, everyone!
Now that you are aware that you might be using too much detergent, here are some more money-saving tips when it comes to your laundry. Check out the video below!
Credit: Consumer Reports.
Laundry stripping, also called strip washing, isn't something new, and you members probably already know how it works.
The laundry method involves soaking the items for several hours and is intended to get rid of soap, washing liquids and powders, and fabric softener residue that has built up over time. It also pulls out minerals that get into your clothes when you wash them in hard water, as well as dirt, oils, and gunk that a washing machine might not get out.
A lot of homeowners and washing enthusiasts on social media are raving about strip washing because the water looks so dirty after it is done. It changes colour to a murky, brown hue and appears to be filled with dirt and gunk that would typically go unnoticed after machine washing.
A well-known dry cleaner, however, would like to disagree. Yes, strip washing has its uses, but it's also possible that it's not necessary because the filthy water you see after a strip wash isn't what you might think it is.
Strip washing went viral on social media because it removed so much dirt and grime from garments. Credit: TikTok/@jeeves_ny.
Zachary Pozniak runs a laundry cleaning channel on TikTok and in one of his most recent videos, he tackled the subject of strip washing.
He said that even though he isn't opposed to the laundry method and believes it can be helpful at times, we can easily avoid doing it if we use good and high-quality laundry products.
To test his claims, Zachary filmed himself washing two sets of laundry – the first tub was washed ten times with fabric softener and cheap detergent, while the other tub was washed with high-quality detergent and no fabric softener.
He did a strip wash on both loads of laundry and then collected the water from each tub into a glass beaker to compare the results.
It is easy to see that the water left behind by clothes washed with high-quality detergent is clearer, in contrast to the water left behind by items washed with cheap detergent and fabric softener, which is dirty.
"A lot of the gross stuff left behind after laundry stripping is years of soap and softener build-up that holds onto dirt and soil. Try switching to a high-quality detergent to make your clothes and skin happy, all while saving time," he said.
Zachary did suggest some excellent laundry detergents, but they are American brands, so if you want to switch brands, it is best to look at CHOICE's analysis of products that are available here in Australia.
Some of the best options are:
- ALDI Almat Laundry Powder Concentrate (Front loader) – $4.99
- Woolworths Clean Sunny Glow Laundry Powder (Front loader) – $5.50
- Coles Lemon Fresh Laundry Powder (Front loader) – $4.00
- ALDI Almat Laundry Powder Concentrate Sunshine Fresh (Top loader) – $4.99
- Coles Lemon Fresh Laundry Powder (Top loader) – $4.00
To avoid soap and softener build-up in your laundry, you don't always have to switch brands! Instead, here are two simple things you can do:
The first thing you need to do is check how much detergent you are actually putting into the machine. To effectively clean your clothes, you really only need one to two tablespoons.
The second step is to completely stop using fabric softener. This product is notorious for causing poor clothing quality and can also damage your washing machine.
An alternative that will soften your clothes without creating issues is to place a quarter cup of vinegar in the fabric softener compartment of your washing machine.
Best of luck with your laundry, everyone!
Now that you are aware that you might be using too much detergent, here are some more money-saving tips when it comes to your laundry. Check out the video below!
Credit: Consumer Reports.
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