How To Get Mold Out Of Your Clothes Safely

Before you get into the mold removal process, there are a few things you need to understand for an effective result against the mold on your fabrics. The instructions associated with washing techniques are different for the different fabrics.

You need to consider checking the labels of your clothes before you begin to wash them. Make sure to apply the right method to wash your clothes either by hand, machine, or dry cleaner.

Materials Required

I have listed some essentials that might come in handy while washing your clothes. Early preparation is the foundation of your task. It would be best if you gather the below-mentioned materials all by your side to minimize the risk of damaging your clothes further:

• Soft Brush
• Mask
• Plastic Bag
• Laundry detergent
• Disinfectant, Bleach
• Distilled White Vinegar

Once you manage everything you need, you can proceed with the mold removal process. I've pointed out the basic steps you will find in this article:

Step 1: Gather All the Molded Items

Step 2: Pretreat the Clothes

Step 3: Brush the Clothes

Step 4: Wash the Clothes

Step 5: Check for the Stains

Step 6: Sun Drying

Scroll down for the step-by-step instructions.

Once you detect the molds on your clothing, begin by gathering all the affected items and heading outside for the sunshine exposure. If it is quite odd to deal with the molds outside, you can use any of your well-ventilated rooms that are isolated from other rooms.

Pretreating clothes simply means addressing any problems or issues early before washing the clothes. This way you can enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of getting mold out of the clothes.

Some of the common pretreating approaches are mentioned below:

White vinegar can rescue you from mold infestations on your clothes as it has been found to play a crucial role in breaking down mold spores, eliminating the musty odors from your clothes. Go for a vinegar solution to get rid of black mold!

How to Apply: Once you dilute the vinegar solution with water, you can use this solution to soak the mold-infested clothes. Once soaked, it has been suggested to allow them to dry for an hour before washing them normally.

If you are wondering how to get mold off of clothes, baking soda has the potential to assist you. Yes, baking soda is considered to be an effective stain remover of your molded clothes.

How to Apply: You need to make a thick mixture by adding water to an even amount of baking soda. Smear the fabric's moldy areas directly with this paste and let it sit for 10-15 minutes.

After that, you can simply scrub the area with a soft brush to release the mold and wash your clothes as usual.

Lemon juice along with salt can ease your mold-removing process. The abrasive properties of salt with the natural acidity of the lemon, go well in making a scrub to kill the mold of your clothes.

How to Apply: You need to apply the mixture of lemon and salt into the fabric, making sure that the areas with mold are completely covered. Allow the clothes to sit in the sun to dry and once it gets dried, you can simply launder the clothing normally.

Yet another usefulness of this amazing essential oil, tea tree oil is a potential candidate that might be good for removing the mold from your clothes. The antibacterial properties of tea tree oil can ease your task.

How to Apply: You can simply put the essential oil in a spray bottle and spray it until the affected area is soaked. After that, you need to let the cloth dry for half an hour and wash it as usual.

Borax is a naturally occurring mineral compound with properties that kill molds. This is a strong remedy that works for heavily infested fabric items.

How to Apply: Grab a packet of borax powder and mix half a cup of powder and hot water in a suitable container. In this solution, you are to soak up the molded clothes properly for at least an hour.

Only after that, you are suggested to wash the clothes either by hand or machine using a regular detergent.

Enzyme-based detergents are another proven approach to eliminating mold from the clothes. Such detergents are naturally capable of breaking down the mold. However, it should be used following the instructions on the package for safety and productive results.

The detergents are fabric-friendly but very hard on mold and thus perfect for everyday cleaning. They work by finally breaking down the cellular structure of the mold, hence removing it from the fabric.

If the natural remedies do not work, one may use commercial mold remover products to remove mold on fabric. Most of these products contain strong chemicals that specifically fight mold marks.

To use a commercial mold remover, follow the instructions given in the packet, apply it to the appropriate areas, let it rest for the recommended time, and then wash the clothes as usual.

Oxygen bleach is a safer alternative to chlorine bleach which works well, helping to get mold out of clothes properly. You can simply dissolve the powder in the water according to package directions; soak your molded clothes for a good hour and load them in the washer.

Oxygen bleach is color-safe and is, in addition, soft on fabric, meaning this would be quite a versatile option to use in eradicating mold without the harsh effects of chlorine bleach.

Steam cleaning is an excellent way to eradicate mold from your clothes and kill germs. The steam's temperature scalds the mold spores at first glance, while at the same time, it loosens stains from the fiber.

How to Apply: You need to run the device over the places where infested fabrics are placed. After steaming, launder the clothes to clean them further. This method is particularly effective for those kinds of fabric that cannot be soaked in water.

If the molds on your clothes are easy to detect after the pretreatment or sunshine exposure, you can simply try to brush off the spores with a soft brush. You might find black, gray, or white colored mold on your clothes.

Remember to brush both sides of your clothes and avoid indoors while dealing with the molds. You should know that these molds are airborne and you wouldn’t want any of your other house elements to harbor them.

Once you finish pretreating your infested clothes, you can then proceed to wash your clothes. It has been informed that the ideal water temperature to shut down the mold spores is above 140 degrees Fahrenheit.

Considering this, you need to wash your clothes after carefully checking for their care label. People prefer using detergents, vinegar, or borax while washing molded clothes.

After pretreatment and washing have been done, you need to give a quick watch out, if the stains are eliminated from your clothes. You may have to repeat the process to get the best results.

Keep in mind not to allow your washed clothes to dry out in the sun which still have stains on them!

The UV rays of direct sunlight are a natural mold killer. Once you have done the necessary things to eliminate mold from your clothes, your final task should be to hang your clothes in the sunlight area.

Exposure to UV rays is not only found to kill the spores but also refreshes your infested clothes, eliminating the musty smell.

Black mold can be stubborn. In such cases, aggressive methods might be needed to get rid of mold around the house. If the mold persists, you might need to repeat the process or visit professional cleaning services.

In cases of severe infestation, how to get rid of molds in clothes may become less about cleaning and more about determining if the garment is salvageable.

For extensive mold infestations, it would be best if you discard the affected items to prevent further health risks.