How To Remove Mold Smells and Stains From Clothes

Everyone at some point has left clothes in the washer for too long, or left smelly, sweaty stuff in a gym bag for a few days.  When this happens you may find yourself with mold stained clothes. Mold can and does occur often, no matter how careful you are. A wet and warm environment as well as stagnant air is a breeding ground for mold and bacteria. If you find yourself dealing with a moldy situation, all is not lost. It's time to gather up some common household supplies and get to work restoring your clothes to their former, mold-free, fabulous selves.

Things you'll need:

1. Lemon

2. Salt

3. Water

4. Sponge

5. Perborate bleach

6. Chlorine bleach

7. Laundry Soap

 

	Take the moldy clothing outside and shake it lightly to remove any surface mold. Avoid doing this indoors so that your living space is not infected with the airborne mold spores which can cause allergies and illness.  Make every effort to avoid breathing in the spores and if it's a breezy day, be sure the mold doesn't fly back in your face.  If the clothing has molded in the washer, run a cleaning cycle with bleach and no clothes to kill any mold that may still be in the washer.
	Hand wash each item, one at a time, using lukewarm water and a laundry detergent. You may also choose to wash it in a washing machine, but do not add other clothing so that the mold doesn't spread to other clothing. Follow the garment care instructions on the clothing label by using the correct water temperature and detergent for the specific garment.
	Lay the garment outside in a sunny spot to dry, rather than drying in a dryer. The sun will lighten any mold stains and can entirely remove minor staining.  Keep in mind that the sun has a bleaching effect on clothing, so this may not be the best method if it's dark clothing that is affected.
	Apply lemon juice over the stain and cover with a layer of salt, if the sun alone did not remove the stain. Place the clothing back into the sun once you have treated it with lemon and salt so that it can dry, while the lemon, salt and sun remove the stain.  Again, do this only if the clothing is lighter in color.  The acidity of the lemon may also cause a slight bleaching of colors.  If you're unsure, test in an inconspicuous area first.
	Mix together perborate bleach and water, using a tablespoon of bleach to a pint of lukewarm water, according to the University of Georgia. Check the garment label to determine whether you should use lukewarm water or if the garment can handle hot water. Use a sponge to dab the bleach solution onto the mold stain and then rinse out. If the garment is delicate, test on an inconspicuous area before treating the stain.
	Soak the stain with a mixture of chlorine bleach and water as a last resort, if the stain persists. Mix together 1 or 2 tbsp. chlorine bleach in a quart of water and apply it to the stain with a sponge. Let the chlorine bleach work on the fabric for five to ten minutes before rinsing.  The combo of the lemon juice and bleach should remove any moldy or sour smells from the clothing.

Tips:

• If your garment is very delicate, dark, or especially meaningful to you, take it to a Professional Dry Cleaner and allow them to remove the mold and stain.

• Some people are sensitive to mold, so you may wish to cover your eyes and hands with protective eye wear and gloves while removing mold.

On Site Cleaning = Access To Professional Dry Cleaning Management At Comet Cleaners we do our dry cleaning and laundry on site. We have trained specialist in stain, mold and spot removal.