TikTok Trend: What is laundry stripping and does it work?

Have you tried this?

I'm sure I'm not the only one who has seen an increase in laundry during lockdown. It's a little confusing because surely we would be using less items of clothing as at the moment we've no where really to go, but that doesn't seem to be the case. Maybe it's because my phone knows my laundry basket is starring at me but lately I've been seeing more tips and tricks for stain removals and washing hacks in general pop up when I'm using social media. A big one that has taken off on TikTok is Laundry Stripping, but what is it and does it really work? Laundry Stripping involves soaking your dirty clothes in water, detergent and fabric softener for a long period of time to give them a good deep clean. While not a new method of cleaning, due to videos from TikTokkers like @cleaningoverload many more people are giving it a go, but is it really worth all the fuss? During her TikTok video @cleaningoverload says that she put her clothes in a bath of very hot water along with several cleaning products (which she lists in the video but some are not available in Ireland). She goes on to say that she left her clothes in this solution for around two hours and shows how dirty the water is afterwards. While Laundry Stripping does seem to remove a lot of dirt for the clothing I just don't know if I could see myself spending a couple of hours soaking my clothes like this. I think I would much rather just stick some Vanish or a similar product in with my washing machine load and just be done with it. I might consider Laundry Stripping on whites that had gone grey or on an item with a stubborn stain but definitely not on my whole load of washing.