Posted by: Chris Laney on March 26, 2019

Mold on Your Clothes? Get Rid of Mold from Clothing and Fabric!

Mold. Just the world alone can inspire images of black stains on your walls, and the fear of harmful spores floating through the air. While serious mold problems can be cause for immediate concern and require the expertise of a professional mold remediation team like Water Out, minor mold problems may also creep up, and it is important to be prepared!

Mold and mildew thrive in damp, dark environments. Have you ever left a wet towel at the bottom of a hamper? Or forgotten about that load of laundry in the washer for a day or two? If so, you know what it's like to come back and find mold and mildew on your clothing.

How Does Mold Get Into Clothing?

Mold can form on clothing if the clothing is not properly dried. This is the most common way that mold forms, but mold can also gather on your clothing from hanging in a closet if mold is present in other areas of your home.

Clothing is absorbent. As we wear clothing, it collects oils, sweat, and skin cells – all prime materials where mold can grow and multiply. To keep mold off of your clothing, start by keeping clothes off of floors, out of baskets, and out of piles. If kept in these conditions for too long, it is prime areas for mold to grow.

How to Remove Mold from Clothing

There aren't any cleaning products specific to mold removal. This doesn't mean that it is impossible to remove mold from your clothing! Start with these steps.

1. If mold is visible on the item, start by removing the mold from the fabric. A toothbrush works perfectly for this task – gently scrape the bristles over the mold, loosening the stain, but not pushing the mold further into the fabric.
2. Once you've removed as much of the mold stain as possible, wash the item by itself. Using warm water and the normal wash setting, run the item through the washing machine, and let it air dry. Do not use a dryer – this can set the stain!
3. If the mold is still visible, or you can still smell mildew on your clothing, try soaking the item. A few household items work wonders! Baking soda, vinegar, borax, or even bleach (if the clothing is white) are great cleansers to use to remove mold from your clothing.

Keep Mold Off Of Clothing

The best way to get mold off of clothing is to keep it away from your clothing in the first place! As we discussed earlier, keeping clothing off of your floor is a great beginning.

In addition to putting clothing away once you've washed and folded it, you can take extra precautions. Pull your dresser a few inches away from your wall. If a mold problem should ever occur, your clothing will be safe from mold transfer.

Only do laundry when you are sure you can move the clothing from the washer to the dryer immediately. This prevents mold from growing on the wet clothing in the washer!

Don't put wet or sweaty clothing in a hamper. Instead, lay them out to dry until they are ready for the washer!

The fact is – mold is a problem that happens in many different households. Removing mold from clothing can be an easy task if you catch the problem early enough. If you suspect your mold problem stems from a larger issue, it is imperative to call in the professional mold remediation team at Water Out right away. Our crew is standing by to find the source of the mold and remove it for good.

Call us for more information and schedule your consultation today.