What Removes Mold From Clothing?

Mold is a fungus that thrives on organic matter. Mildew is mold that loves warm, humid climates. Mold can attack clothing, and without quick action, the mold can weaken and rot your clothing.

Mold can do extensive damage to clothing if left untreated.

Prevention/Solution

Mold forms on clothes that have become wet or splashed with food and left somewhere warm and dark. To prevent food stains from molding, wash the item immediately. To avoid wet clothing from mildewing, also wash immediately. One week for damp clothing at the bottom of the laundry basket could result in a mold-stained garment along with many other garments. Always dry your clothing completely before putting it away, and keep clothing in a well-ventilated space.

Removing Spores From the Garment

Take the garment outside and gently brush it with a soft bristle brush to prevent spores from multiplying around your home. For clothing that has been stored next to the mildewed garment, take the clothing out and air. Clean the area the garment was stored in with a mild bleach solution to kill loose spores that may have invaded the environment.

Drying the Clothing

Once the clothing has been brushed, allow it to dry in the sun by hanging the article on a clothing line. The garment must receive ventilation and sunshine. Fungus does discolor clothing, and the stain will likely remain until laundering.

Washing the Clothing

Finish up by presoaking the mold-stained garment in a basin of cold water or presoak in your washing machine. Next wash the garment, according to the label, in warm or hot water with detergent. Before putting the garment into the dryer, check to see if the stains have disappeared. If the stain remains, repeat laundering steps. If the stain persists, blot white fabric with solution of mild bleach and launder again. For colored fabrics use a solution consisting of lemon juice and salt diluted with water and immediately rinse with cold water and wash again.

Removing Moldy Smell

Use vinegar as an alternative to removing mildew stains and their smells from clothing. Just add 3/4 cup to the load of wash once you have followed the above steps with the garments. If the mold is not removed with the first wash, repeat until it has disappeared.

References

• MoldBlogger.com
• WiseGeek.com