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How do I get rid of mold stains on clothing?
How to remove mold from colored clothing (probably works with white, too). Worthy of the Good Housekeeping Nobel Prize!
First, let me tell you, I tried EVERYTHING. I tried a bleach alternative stick, Wisk with bleach alternative, soaking in bleach alternative. It would lighten the black spots, but do nothing for the mold smears and discolorations, and it would always come back, worse than ever.
When it got so bad that I was going to throw my beloved Calvin Klein down coat away, I decided to try one last thing. The Mold Armor Instant Mold and Mildew Remover said not to use it on nylon, but I tried it on a moldy nylon bra that I was going to throw out, and I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw the result!
This is for black mold. It has black spots, and stains like you smeared something on it. It doesn’t smell.
I can not attest to mildew, which does smell, but I have some suggestions below. . 1. As SOON as you see the start of mold, take care of it. It will get worse, the spores will spread other places,. your other clothes will become moldy, then your house, and then you will die (just kidding). But take it seriously.
Go outside, and brush the spores off. Do not spread the spores throughout your house.
Put on clothes you don’t mind accidentally getting bleach spots on. Or better yet, go naked!
Put on rubber gloves.
Completely soak fabric in WARM water (cold water will set stain), and wring out. Make sure everything is wet, or you will have bleach stains.
Spray on Mold Armor Instant Mold and Mildew Remover. I got it at the hardware store.
NOTE: My coat and the bra were off white, sort of tannish. If your fabric is darker, you might want to try a test patch in an area that’s not noticeable. Just spray it on that area, scrub brush it, let it stay on 5 minutes, and rinse it out. You’ll see if there’s any discoloration. If there isn‘t any, continue with the rest.
Scrub with a soft toothbrush. Scrub in all directions- back and forth, up and down, and in circles until stain is gone.
Let it stay in about 5-10 minutes, no longer, or it will stain.
Soak in warm water, and rub it around until fully rinsed.
Remove water and rinse again in cold water.
Wring out.
Dry in the hot sun if at all possible. Sunlight is the best disinfectant. If not possible, dry in dryer, then put in sun if possible.
If you missed any spots, repeat.
I couldn’t believe the results on my down coat! The ugly smears that no other product would even touch were gone. I had missed a few small places, so alas, I went through the whole obsessive compulsive procedure again, but it was well worth it. I was SO proud of myself. I have not tried this for mildew, so I can’t guarantee it for mildew. But I would try steps 1-8 (5 minutes only) and then soak the fabric in a mixture of warm water and Armor Mold and Mildew Remover for 5 minutes. Then steps 9-12. If you don’t have any spots, just the mildew smell, skip steps 5-8 and just soak in the mixture of water and mold remover for 10 minutes, and then steps 9-12.
I have heard that a cup of white vinegar in your wash works for the mildew smell, too. You might want to try that first if you have no mildew spots.
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Okay, found this on Google...hope it helps:
If mold stains have already set in, there are a number of steps to follow. Ideally, the mold stains should be caught as soon as possible, before the organism has had a chance to dig in. Bring the mold stained clothing outside and brush it out, to prevent spores from spreading around your home. Clothing that has been stored in proximity to the mold stained clothing should also be taken out and aired, and wiping down the shelf, drawer, or closet where the clothing was kept with a mild bleach solution will kill any spores floating in that environment.
The next step is to leave the clothing in the sun to dry out, because heat and sunlight kill many varieties of mold. Hang the clothing from a clothes line so that it remains well ventilated and the sunlight falls evenly across most of the garment. Mold stains will likely still remain, because fungus discolors fabric.
Presoak the mold stains in cold water, and then wash hot or warm with detergent. Check the garment before putting it in the dryer to make sure that the mold stains are gone, and wash it again if necessary. Drying the garment in the sun to kill any remaining spores is advised. If the mold stains persist, blot the area with a mild bleach solution, if possible, and launder it again. For colored fabrics, use a lemon juice and salt solution and rinse with cold water immediately.
In my experience, bleach kills all mould except in silicone. However, if you've got coloured clothes, that might not be the best idea...
bleach or pineoil. which the pineoil also helps with the smell.
