Do you think your sheets and towels are clean when you take them out of the washing machine?

Stop machine washing clothes has become a very popular trend; i.e. leaving clothes soaking in hot water, with Borax, caustic soda (aka soda ash, sold at stores like Walmart, Target, Amazon, etc.), and laundry soap in the tub or machine washing. TikTok videos that have gone viral highlight the disgusting yet strangely satisfying results: the water turns brown or black as detergent residue, fabric softener, and dirt come out.

Linda Mueller knits while she sits in a chair
COURTESY OF LINDA MUELLER

Linda Mueller knits eco-friendly scouring pads for her dishes.

The idea of ​​washing clothes by hand in order to revitalize light colors in sheets, a popular practice among long-time cloth diaper users, is generating a lot of attention on social media. But make sure you have enough time to do it right: you’ll need to soak your dirty clothes for about 12 hours for best results.