I have a keepsake outfit that has molded when baby's clothing was spit up on in daycare and placed in a plastic bag. The bag was forgotten about and the mold took over. I have washed it and used color safe bleach. It doesn't necessarily have to be worn again but I would like to save it. Help? TIA!
Try applying lemon juice to the stained area and setting the outfit out in the sun. I haven't had any problems with items getting bleached but it is a possibility. I have done this with many old stains, sometimes you may have to do it several times to get all of the stain out.
I recently had a similar problem. What I did was soak the fabric in OxyClean according to package for laundry stains.
Thanks so much. I don't mind it being bleached out. That's better than ugly mold! Thanks again!
White vinegar is the best. The acid kills the mold. My husband was in the military and we had things in storage in Louisana for twelve years while we were overseas. Talk about mold! We had to get rid of most of it, but I wanted to keep my kids baby things, my daughters doll collection, etc.
My neice sent me home with 2 of her baby's outfits because they had mold on them to see if I could get it out. One was a pink outfit and the other a yellow sleeper. The pink outfit had a lot of mold on it on both the top and the pants. I started by pre-treating all of them with shout and left it like that overnight. The next day I washed them all in warm water with some bleach and detergent, but I kept stopping the machine as it was ready to rinse and turning it back to the beginning to let it wash through again. I also pulled out the clothes one at a time throughout the wash cycle and took a q-tip and used straight bleach on the mold marks while the clothes were soaking wet.
does it have to be fresh lemon juice
i got mold on my soccer jersey, and its white. should i use bleach and vinegar aswell?? thanks.
I have some clothes that got mold on them there all dark how could i remove the mold.
The only thing i have had success with removing mould from clothes is the bathroom mould remover . i sprayed it on wet clothes and they will fade a bit but at least theres no mould.it disappears in front of your eyes.
We came back from Austria and I had forgotten about some clothes in a bag...when I got to them a week later, they were covered in yicky black cccmold. I used the help of this forum and used Oxiclean.. so far so good...most of it is out and will use the diliuted bleach method next on the remaining spots..
I have a yellow t-shirt that i can't bleach and i'm too scared to use any of those products mentioned because it's an expensive t-shirt. I was wondering how i should remove these mold stains formed from ice cream cake.
I have the same problem. The daycare put my baby's outfit that she spit up on in a plastic bag. I have tried several things and it won't come out.
if you are in the uk or eire the best thing i find is milton steralising fluid ( to steralise baby bottles ect) try it on asmall bit 1st to make sure the colours dont fade, i had aquilt that was covered as it was left in the caravan all winter yuck. poured it on and watched it disappear!! brilliant. put it on a nave buggy aswell and worked wonders.
Hi, my son has a thomas the tank engine shirt that is red, blue and white striped and it got mould on it from a wet bib being thrown in the wrong laundry sorter. I washed it once to clean the item and get rid of any excess then I got rid of the rest in a couple of mins by waiting til the washing machine was full and rotating then putting the shirt in to saturate it and pulling it out and spraying it with bathroom mould remover, rubbing gently with my finger for about 20sec then rinsing in the water and continuing the process until the mould was gone - this way the bleach didn't have a chance to attack the colours.
Good Luck! I hate mould it is my enemy!
Thank you thank you all for your info. My son puked on a brand new outfit that he has only worn once and I figured my sister rinsed it off and put it in a bag. I just put it in his hamper and did laundry a few days later. I didn't pay any attention to the outfit when i washed it. When i was folding his laundry I noticed all the mold all over it. I came across this site and tried my bathroom mold remover. I sprayed it on and have been letting it set for about 10 min at a time and it is coming out. I have the works mildew remover. It isn't even fading the outfit. Thank you all so much for your wisdom.
I got to tell you I didn't believe it but it worked great. I used two gallons of warm water and 1/4 cup dry one cup liquid all fabric bleach and 1/2 cup 3% peroxide.
Hi All,
Just wanted to say thanks for all the advice. For all those in the UK I found that the Dettox Mould and Mildew remover (in the green spray bottle) works an absolute treat on all types of clothing, well all the clothing I have tried it on so far ;-)
Be warned though it does have active bleach in it so don't let it stay on the clothes for too long!
I just used exit mold bathroom cleaner on mold stains caused by orange juice, and it works like magic. Keep the item wet at all times spray it leave it for a few seconds, then rinse and spray again. I did this 5 or 6 times and it looks brand new. Thanks
Thanks for all your ideas. I had a yellow shirt that got left in the laundry bin wet for few days. I tried Tilex Mildew and Mold remover. It worked and did very minimal fading.
Hello I am from the uk and tried the baby sterilising (milton) stuff on a buggy that had been left in the boot of my car for months with an unknown water leak! The buggy was covered with mould, after taking of the fabric parts I put them all into the washing machine, this got rid of all the horrible flakey mould but it was left really stained, and I was thinking about throwing it away. I have just poured some mothercare steriliser all over it and given it a scrub, after half an hour there is no stains left at all and the buggy looks like new! I am going to pop it in the washing machine just to get rid of the chlorine smell. I am over the moon
Hello, just wanted to thank the person with the idea for using baby steralising fluid on fabric to remove mould. I had left my buggy in the boot of my car for a few months and was unaware of water leaking into the boot. When i got it out this morning it was covered in mould. I removed all the fabric from the buggy and washed it in the washing machine, whilst this got rid of the clumps of mould there were still terrible stains all over it. I have just poured Mothercare steriliser all over it and after half an hour there are no stains left!! Hooray i don't need to throw a very expensive buggy away. Thankyou so much
I was so frustrating dealing with mold spots on some clothes, only not really expecting it to be there. I just typed in 'how to remove mildew & mold from clothes'. I couldn't believe it! So many sites popped up! But I absolutely love this site. Lots of great ideas from so many people. Thanks so much to everyone who helped me. Hope I can do the same.
I found 2 of my daughters onseies in the bottom of the laundry basket with a bunch of wet towels on top. I don't know how long they were there. My fiance thinks if hes in a hurry and has to wash his uniform the best thing to do is take whatever is in the washer and throw it in a basket so he can hurry up and wash his uniform. I usually find the wet nasty clothes later, but her clothes were covered in mildew bad and they were brand new so I didn't want to throw them away. So I tried the bathroom mildew remover and it got most of it out, but there is still some in there. Any suggestions? Thanks
I think with any of these methods, persistence is the key. I started with the oxygen type bleaches mixed with hydrogen peroxide in some water. That started the fading process but you could still see the small spots. I now have my baby clothes outside, hanging in the sun with some lemon juice on them. This is the second round of lemon juice and slowly the stains are beginning to lift.
Thanks for the tip on the milton sterilizing fluid. My baby walker was left in the shed for a number of years since my other little girl was finished using it. When I went to bring it back out for use on my second baby, the seat cover was all moldy. I tried to scrub it with bleach, but it did not shift. I then used the milton and about 10 mins later it had lifted I thought I was going to have to buy a new walker. Thanks again.
Thank you so much for the tip of steering fluid. My buggy was only a couple of weeks old and was fairly expensive. I also had a leak in the boot of my car and the fabric was covered in mold it has taken it out completely. Thanks again.
Amazing! Milton fluid is just magic! I was about to throw out my girls fabby white Salt Rock surfing T-Shirts cause there horrible black mold on them (forgotten about at the bottom of the wash bin). When I thought I would have one last try at saving them (they've been thru two 75 degree washes) and before my eyes, using a paintbrush and pure milton the mold disappeared :) Thanks for that x
THe best thing that I found for removing mould from baby clothes was weed killer! Make sure you wash it out well afterwards though!
Editor's Note: Although I've heard of this for removing mold from outside bricks, I would CAUTION against using this on clothing, especially baby clothes. Look at the warnings on the weed killer.
Here are warnings on Pesticides and Herbicides:
www.pesticideinfo.org/
Great advice on the Milton Sterilizing liquid! It does work wonders, as many of the other posters have found! However you do need to be a bit careful, becuase it will fade/bleach colors.
But when you are in need of getting rid of the gross mold and mildew - it works like a charm! Thank you for the idea!
I have a moldy cashmere sweater and I don't know how to treat it. My gave it to me for x-mas and had it stored, now it has nasty green mold and I don't know what to do. The sweater is a light pink and don't want it ruined.
Hi I just noticed there is green mould growing on the underside of the cushions and on the front part of the settee in our play room. The cushion covers can be removed but the rest of the sofa is covered in fixed material. Any ideas how to get rid of the mould ?. I hoovered most of it off but there's still stains. Would steam cleaning remove this ?. The room isn't damp so I don't know if maybe something was spilled..
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
I have a 3 month old who spits up a lot and as often as I change her clothes or put bibs on her etc, she is constantly wet by her neck and chest. I let her clothes air dry after removing them from her before putting them in the hamper. Recently, however, her clothing started to get moldy up by the neck. I now have one cotton, one terry and one velour stretchy of hers that is no longer wearable.
wonder if it would help to spray them with stain remover as you take them off her then as they airdry as you say before putting into hamper. maybe that would help wash cleaner when you wash them. if the items are whites maybe the stain remover sparys with bleach would deter the mildew set in while they are setting awaiting laundry wash later. not sure. just an idea.
Use the Oxiclean (or a cheaper generic version from a dollar store like I do) again. A pair of my toddler's pants was wet and was accidentally left at the bottom of a hamper. When I found them, I thought they were ruined. But I soaked them in a strong solution of hot water and Oxiclean about three or four times over a period of two days. It worked and my toddler is now wearing those pants and you would never know they had had mildew like that.
Just a few thoughts to start with....
1. I've heard you can freeze old books to stop mold/mildew growt (they can't survive freezing temperatures), so your little outfits may need to go into the freezer for a while!
2. Lysol & other disenfectant-type sprays or liquids KILLS mold/mildew. You might try that, leave it for a while, then wash to see if you have more luck once it's "dead."
3. Depending upon the color of the garments, you'll probably HAVE to use bleach to remove stains. I think it actually KILLS the growth too & in order to remove stubborn residue, it may take bleach--try the kind for colors or the more gentle oxi & you may have to soak & repeat like previous poster did. Oxi WILL bleach out colors if you let it sit too long! There's always my favorite old trick--lay it outdoors in the sunlight & appy lemon juice over & over until it's gone!
Sorry I don't have anything surefire, just a few ideas based on what I've heard.
Also, I got a mesh bag of LAVA ROCKS years ago at a linen store that's supposed to absorb moisture--can't say if it really works well as it's just hanging in my basement, but something like this or charcoal in a mesh bag at the bottom of your laundry hamper might help with hamper problems.
Bleach kills mildew. You will probably need to soak these items in a weak bleach-water solution, even the colors, and then launder them. That is the only thing I know that will kill mildew.
I'd be VERY careful with using the OxiClean with your baby. It has nearly killed me and a friend of mine. It's very risky to the skin. Also, keep in mind that mold and mildew don't survive well in lemon juice, but I'd be more likely to use a med. strong bleach/hot water solution and double rinsing in apple cider vinegar/water, until clean.
I'd concentrate also on just WHY your baby is so wet around the neck. Sounds like the room temp and clothing aren't matching? Try a little corn starch sprinkled around the neck and less clothing there? Or, I'd adjust the temp to suit her body needs, using a small fan, if necessary.
It takes practice to get things right, but you can do it if you stop and think it through. It is often just common sense. Keep in mind that your own body temp heats the baby up, so try allowing the baby to lie down more in one position and another, on white terrycloth towling that can also be lightly bleached.
The mold is likely coming from the foods that aren't washing out well, so double your washing detergent amount until you find the balance that works? Make certain all garments are really dry before placing them onto the baby. Try drying them in the sun a few times, using fabric softener for babies.
Perhaps the milk is too rich? Are you nursing the baby? Ask your doctor if your milk is too high in carbs/sugars, and if you can pump your breast milk and dilute it with a bit of purified water for the baby?
Pay attention to your own diet. Is it rich in veggies, fruits, and healthy proteins, low in carbs and sugars? If not, you need to quickly change to a healthy diet for both your sakes. If you are using formula, it may be a bit too rich for the baby's metabolism and need more water added. Try exercising the baby's arms and legs more to help the baby burn a few calories and to get stronger. : ) God bless you both.
To keep mold/mildew from forming when it's not practical to wash the clothes right then, try keeping a large tub containing a mixture of baking soda and water in the laundry room. (Sorry, I don't remember the amount of baking soda, just a little should do). When you take wet/dirty clothes off of the baby, put them in the tub until you're ready to do a load of laundry. IMPORTANT: BE SURE THE TUB HAS A LID THAT BABY CAN'T REMOVE, OR PUT IT OUT OF BABY'S REACH! Hope this helps! (I used cloth diapers on my son when he was a baby and did this with them).
A lot of my daughters and nieces clothing was in a storage building that had a hot water leak. We thought that they were ruined. But because I like to keep everything just in case, I wanted to give them some true effort. I first placed them in a tub with Shout, Spray in Wash and Zout followed by Dreft. I then took them and placed them in a hot water bath with dish washing liquid and bleach (I used 2 cups to a sink full of water of bleach) it worked! I am not sure what the trick was but I am going to wash the rest of the items this way. All that I can loose is what I have already lost.
i tried Lynda's advice (10/26/2007). I used Clorox bleach and hot water to remove the mildew stains on the removable seat of the baby's walker. It's a blue color fabric w/ Winnie the Pooh print. The walker was stored outside in the patio and not cleaned after the 1st baby used it. When I removed the seat there were mildew stains around the front of the seat (that's where food usually falls when the baby feeds herself).
I tried so many different products to remove the mildew stain, to no avail, until I searched on line and tried the good old Clorox bleach remedy and it worked great! Can't even tell there were mildew stains. The colors and the prints on the fabric looks new! Now I can use the walker for many more years and use it for my grandchildren.
I was putting clothing items in my washer and as I doing that I noticed that some of the clothes were wet, and a few of my son's items accidentally got into this pile and had mold on them. I am now wondering if there was any mold at all that got onto the clothes I had placed in dryer after washing, as I did not soak them.
I put regular laundry detergent into the wash and no other special chemicals. Now I'm worried that the laundry I washed may still have mold if it. It did in the first place. I washed the loads twice. How can I make sure there is no mold on these clothes now? Is it possible to have mold grow in the washer?By L
Is there any way to get mold out of clothes and the under garments around their legs? It's not on the porcelain itself just the clothes.
By Betty from Knoxville, TN
My son has a favorite skateboarding shirt that has mildew around the neck and back. After skating he balled up the shirt and never told me. I washed it not knowing it had mildew stains. Is there any way to get these stain out now? He's leaving soon for California and wants to take this shirt. Thanks.
By Doris from Roanoke, VA
My daughter packed away all of her summer clothes and placed them in our basement, unbeknown to us. Over the winter, the ceiling fell through, now all of her clothes are covered in mildew, I have used household bleach, but cannot remove any of this mildew.
By Tina Williams from England
My cousin wanted me to write in and ask how to get mildew off of pocket books. Her daughter's bathing suit has it on it as well, and she was wanting to know how to get it off.
I actually had the same problem with my son's swimming suit. I used oxyclean in the washer with hot water, and it came out great. I hope this helps.
Is there any way to remove mildew stains from clothng? We live in the 21st Century; someone must have come up with a solution by now?
By Sue
