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Mold and mold stains on walls, structural materials, and furniture are common in our Water Mold Fire Restoration business, 800-905-0277, and we are experts at dealing with them. But sometimes mold stains fabrics and clothing. Our experts would like to offer some tips for you to use concerning getting these pesky stains out.
Mold stains can form whenever clothing is splashed with food or water and allowed to remain wet or damp for extended periods of time. This is especially true if the clothing is left somewhere warm and dark, like the bottom of a closet or in a laundry hamper. It is always best to address food spills immediately and wash the clothing before mold and mold stains can form. Clothes made of cotton, wool, or other natural fibers are the most susceptible to staining from mold.
If it is too late and mold or mold stains have already set in, there are a number of steps that you can follow. Ideally, The longer the mold or their stains are allowed to remain on or in your clothing, the harder it will be to remove any mold or staining.
Where to Start With Mold Stained Clothing
The first thing you should do is to remove the clothes from your house. Bring the clothing outside and once outside brush as much mold out of them as you can. An old toothbrush will work well to do this, just make sure to protect your hands with nitrile-type gloves. You should do this outside to keep the mold and mold spores from spreading throughout your home. Clothing that has been stored in close proximity to the mold stained clothing should also be taken out and aired. If your clothes were stored on a closet shelf or in a garment storage wardrobe, these areas should be wiped with an antimicrobial product. (Warning: according to the EPA, chlorine bleach is NOT an affective product to use to kill or clean mold on porous surfaces)
Any clothing affected or contaminated by mold should be left outside in the sun for an entire day. Sunlight may kill the majority of any mold remaining on the clothing. Molds are not like plants. They cannot photosynthesize sunshine, and the ultraviolet radiation will likely kill them.
Attacking Mold Stains on Clothing
Mold stains will likely remain after any mold is removed. One way to attempt to eliminate any staining is to presoak the clothes in cold water, then wash them with hot water and detergent. If any stains remain, rewash the item. If the staining is still present you might try to blot the stains with a mild bleach solution.
If color fading is an issue, try using a lemon juice and salt solution, then immediately rinse the garment in cold water. Wet the stained area with water. Squeeze the juice from a lemon directly on the stain. Pour a small amount of Kosher salt over the lemon juice and rub the material together, using the salt to work the lemon juice into the stain. Squeeze some more lemon juice over the stain and hang the clothing in the sun to dry. When the fabric is dry you will probably need to rewash it as the lemon juice will make the fabric a little stiff.
For unsightly darker mold stains that resist removal you can try clean your clothing with oxygen bleach in hot water. Oxygen bleach is usually found in powder form. It is a compound of sodium percarbonate, natural soda crystals and hydrogen peroxide. When added to water a chemical reaction occurs and oxygen is released. The oxygen bubbles help to break down dirt and odors as they move through the water.
Add the oxygen bleach to hot water, place the stained clothing in the water, and agitate the mixture as your washer would agitate. Allow the clothing to soak for 30 minutes. When you remove the clothing, gently squeeze out as much excess water as possible but don’t twist the fabric in an effort to wring it out. Fill your washing machine with hot water, add ¼ cup of laundry detergent and 1-2 cups of white vinegar. Submerge the clothing and run the machine a full cycle. When the cycle is complete, hang the clothes in the sun to dry.
Commercial Products to Remove Mold Stains
Unfortunately, there are no commercially available products designed to remove mold stains from clothes. While there are more and more products designed to remove mold stains from construction materials, there are none specifically designed for fabrics. Some people say that chlorine bleach will work, but as was stated earlier, the EPA doesn’t recommend using bleach on mold located on porous surfaces which includes fabrics.
If it comes down to removing the stains or trashing the article of clothing, you can try using a bathroom mildew remover on the stain. Make sure this process is a last resort because this is going to bleach your clothing and some lifting of color will occur, if the process doesn’t lift all of the color. Also it may eat a hole in the garment. Definitely test this type of product on an inside seam by applying a small amount with a Q-tip. If the color doesn’t fade within a few minutes, feel free to proceed. You can spray the product directly onto the item, or use the Q-tip or a cotton ball and dab it on the stain.
Professional Assistance Is Available
Many times mold and mold stains on clothing are a side effect of a water loss in your home. Particularly clothing located on a closet floor may become saturated from the loss. If this has happened to you, contact Water Mold Fire Restoration at 800-905-0277. Our certified mold remediation teams will safely and completely remove any mold from your home and offer advice or connect you to experts we trust concerning mold stains on clothes. Our specialists are available 24/7. If you are seeking additional information concerning mold remediation or mold staining you can also contact us via email at help@watermoldfire.net.
