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Get your running gear squeaky clean with this trendy cleaning hack.

While laundry stripping has been around for a while, it has recently risen in popularity through Tik Tok and now has everyone obsessed with deep cleaning their dirtiest laundry. As satisfying as the videos are, it is also a great way to get clothes, towels, sheets, and more as clean as possible and goes even farther than alternative methods like laundry sanitizers.

If you aren't hip to the trends, laundry stripping is a soaking method that uses a combination of cleaning products to rid your laundry of any leftover detergent, dirt, oils, and minerals that couldn't be tackled by your typical laundry detergent alone—hello sweaty, dirty, workout clothes. But before you start stripping your whole closet, you should know that this is a relatively harsh clean that can sometimes leech dye from clothing, so be cautious with anything that is not whites and light colors or that has natural dyes.

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If the visual proof isn't enough...yes it really does work. Unlike washing in a washing machine, you can really see everything that is coming off of your laundry. It is easy for dirt, oils and even left over detergent to get stuck in your clothing over time. As it builds up, it can be difficult to get out with a regular wash cycle. Laundry stripping allows all parts of the item to soak over a long period of time with stronger products which gets it cleaner than it possibly could in your weekly wash.

There are four main ingredients that you will need—Borax, washing soda (also known as sodium carbonate), laundry detergent, and hot water. You start by filling a bathtub with hot water and then adding a 1/4 cup of Borax, 1/4 cup of washing soda, and 1/2 cup of laundry detergent—if you are using a smaller container, use a 1:1:2 ratio according to size. Next you will submerge your clothing into the tub and let it soak until it cools fully. You will also want to stir it occasionally to really break up the buildup. Once cooled, put the laundry through a water only rinse cycle and then tumble dry. This process takes about 5 hours total, but once you get everything in the bathtub, it is pretty hands off.

While you can certainly strip your clothing, it is best suited for towels and sheets which tend to hold on to the most dirt and oils and also have a harder time getting fully clean in the washing machine due to size.

Yes and no. Some people may never need to strip their laundry, particularly their clothes. Stripping is mostly necessary for those that have hard water, or if you use a homemade detergent/ frequently use dryer sheets and start to notice a buildup.

To avoid having to strip your laundry, follow these tips: