When clothing is left wet or damp for long periods of time, it can cause mold stains. This is especially true when clothing is stored somewhere warm and dark like in a hamper or closet. It is best to wash clothing immediately after food spillages. Staining from mold is most common in clothes made of wool, cotton, and other natural fibers.

There are several steps you can take if mold or stains have already established. It is best to avoid allowing mold or stains to stay on your clothes for too long.

Mold-Stained Clothing: Where do you start?

First, take the clothes out of your home. Take the clothes outside, and then brush away as much mold as possible. You can use an old toothbrush to do this. However, you should protect your hands using nitrile gloves. This will prevent mold spores and mildew from spreading throughout your house. Close to mold-stained clothing should be removed and air dried. These areas should be cleaned with antimicrobial products if clothes were kept on a wardrobe shelf or in a closet. Warning: EPA states that chlorine bleach does not make a good product to clean or kill mold on porous surfaces.

All clothing that has been contaminated or affected by mold should be exposed to the sun for at least one day. The majority of mold on clothing can be killed by sunlight. Molds aren’t like plants. They are unable to photosynthesise sunlight and will most likely die from ultraviolet radiation.

Mold Stains on Clothing

After mold removal, mold stains are likely to remain. To get rid of any staining, you can pre-soak your clothes in cold water and then wash them with hot soapy water. Rewash the item if any stains are still present. You can try to remove the stain with mild bleach.

Use a mixture of lemon juice and salt to prevent color fading. Rinse the garment immediately with cold water. The stained area should be rinsed with water. Apply the lemon juice directly to the stain. Use a little bit of Kosher salt to rub the lemon juice onto the fabric. Apply more lemon juice to the stain. Hang the clothes in the sun to dry. You will need to wash the fabric again once it is dry. The lemon juice can make the fabric stiffer.

You can clean your clothes with oxygen bleach in hotwater to remove unsightly, darker mold stains. Usually, oxygen bleach comes in powder form. It is composed of natural soda crystals, hydrogen peroxide and sodium percarbonate. The chemical reaction that occurs when oxygen is added to water causes it to release oxygen. As they travel through the water, oxygen bubbles break down dirt and odors.

Mix the oxygen bleach with hot water. Place the stained clothes in the water and stir. Let the clothes soak for 30 minutes. After removing the clothing, squeeze out as much water as you can. Don’t try to pull the fabric out by twisting it. Hot water is required to wash the clothes. Add 1/4 cup of laundry detergent, and 1-1/4 cups of white vinegar. Run the machine for a full cycle. After the cycle is completed, hang the clothes out in the sun to dry.

Commercial Products to Remove Stains

There are currently no products that can remove mold stains from clothing. Although there are many products that can remove mold stains from building materials, none are specifically made for fabrics. Although some people believe that chlorine bleach can be used to remove mold stains from construction materials, the EPA does not recommend bleaching fabrics or porous surfaces.

You can use a bathroom mildew cleaner to remove the stain or throw out the clothing. This is not a good option as it can bleach the clothing. If the process does not lift the entire color, some lightening may occur. It may also cause a hole in your garment. You should test this product by using a Q-tip to apply a small amount on the inside seam. You can continue if the color does not fade in a few minutes. Spray the product directly on the item or use a Q-tip or cotton ball to apply the stain.