If you have clothes that have been contaminated with mold, the first thing that comes to your mind is probably to just throw them away and be done with it. Unfortunately, not everyone can afford to just throw away clothes like this and buy new ones right on the spot, so what can you do when clothes get moldy? If you have some spare time and a bit of persistence, you can get rid of the mold on your clothes and avoid having to buy new ones.
Most fabrics can be completely rid of mold after being washed a few times, but unfortunately mold usually causes different color stains. If it is a bunch of white clothes or sheets that mold has gotten on, using bleach to get rid of the stains will probably work, but they need to be treated with some pre-wash stain remover before you wash them to make sure and get all of the stain out. The longer you let them set without treating them with anything, the further in the fabric the stain will set and the harder it will be to get rid of it.
You can use an old toothbrush to scrape the mold off of these clothes with, but it is best to not do this without some kind of gloves on. Mold can cause skin rashes if it gets on you, so wear some rubber gloves, especially if you have any hang nails or cuts on your skin. The spores can get in your skin through these and turn into a nasty infection.
After you are done scraping the mold off, soak the clothes in a pre-wash spray for between 30 and 45 minutes; wash it in the washing machine afterward. After the cycle is completed, take them outside and let them dry on a clothes line, if you have one. Do not use an artificial heat source to dry your clothes. Allowing them to dry naturally is the best way to make sure that the stain, if it is still there, is not set further into the fabric.
Unfortunately, if mold gets onto a jacket that is made of real leather, there is not much hope to remove the stain from this. Since leather is an organic material (the skin of an animal) and it obviously a porous surface, mold sinks into this material and thoroughly stains it. The color cannot be completely restored.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
water damage restoration companies and
mold remediation companies across the united states.
