Stripping

Let's talk about stripping! No, not that type of stripping.

There is a company called Go Clean Co that is taking the world by storm. They have AMAZING cleaning hacks, so I thought I'd try some of their tips & tricks and share the results with you.

The first trick I decided to try was stripping... my laundry.

To do this, you need: Borax - 1/4 cup, Arm & Hammer So Clean - 1/4 cup, and a generous scoop of POWERED Tide (with the included scoop). The liquid Tide is too concentrated, so she said that the powdered Tide works best (for everything).

As she demonstrates on her Instagram highlight, you add your cleaning mixture into HOT, HOT water. If you have a top loader washing machine, you can do this process in there; if not, you can do it in your tub. We have a top-loading washing machine, but I wanted to see the dirt that came out, so I put it in the bathtub. Then you put the freshly cleaned linens into the bath and watch the magic happen.

Before you look at any of the images, I want to tell you that we have had the bedsheets you'll see in the pictures for four years. We have three sets of sheets that we switch out/wash regularly. It may be possible that there was some dye that seeped out of the bedding, but extremely unlikely.

The following pictures are what the water looked like before and after we added the soap mixture.

She suggests that once you add your bedding/clothes/hockey equipment (or any other material you want to deep clean) to the tub, you stir the clothes every hour for 4-6 hours. I used a broom handle to do this, but I've seen people use ladles and hockey sticks. Whatever you've got should work, just make sure it won't leave any residue behind when in hot water. Also, be careful when you're stirring. Our tub has a terrible plug; it would move and start to drain the tub any time the water moved too quickly.

The idea of this whole process is to remove the dead skin, minerals from hard water, sweat (and so on) from the materials that don't get removed through your regular washing cycle.

But let me tell you, once you see how much dirt comes out of the linens that you're cleaning, it's incredibly satisfying but very nasty at the same time. Another vital thing to note during this entire process is that there is a strong possibility that your bathroom will start to stink as soon as you begin this process. That means the nastier your clothes are, the worse the smell will be. However, if your clothes or other types of linens aren't too dirty, the scent of the soaps combined actually smells pretty nice.

So, don't say I didn't warn you...

This picture shows what the water looked like right after we put in the bedding:

And this is the end result!!

***Remember, I told you that they were already washed and dried, "clean." They were still warm, fresh from the dryer when we put them in the tub.

See? I told you it was nasty! When I say that this is the cleanest any of our bedding has ever smelled, I wouldn't be lying. Totally worth it!

Once you've completed the 4-6 hours of soaking, you would ring out the clothing (if you can) and then put it in the wash for a full cycle.

I highly recommend going over to see their Instagram account, and trying out anything they suggest! They even have two different guides you can purchase. The first one is for your home, and the second is for your RV. Both are inexpensive and can make your life so much easier when it comes to cleaning your home. In addition to some awesome how-to guides, she also has an Amazon store for you to browse through for Canada and the US. The only downside is that because their "cleaning army" is rapidly growing, it can be challenging to get the items online (or in-store) before they sell out. I've been trying to buy the three cleaners for several months and had to get them one at a time as they became available.

These ladies truly are the Queens of Cleaning, and we are but humble servants who can only bow to their greatness.

The only thing I wouldn't suggest is telling your partner that you're "going to strip," because they might get the wrong idea; unless you're into that sort of thing. You do have an hour between each time you're supposed to stir. I'm just saying ;) ...

Happy stripping!