How do I get mold out of a tan coat?
By Teresa J Page from Robbin, NC
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The best way to remove mold stains from fabric is to use an equal portion of Hydrogen Peroxide and Ammonia. With any stain you should always test in an inconspicuos spot to ensure that it will not fade the color of the item being treated. This will also work for many other "organic" stains, such as yellow mustard, tea, coffee, etc.
First launder or clean the item. Being sure to follow proper cleaning method for the item. Using an equal portion of hydrogen peroxide and ammonia (both the standard stuff you can buy at your local super market), apply sparingly to the stain. Blot any excess solution with a white towel, and allow to air dry.
It can take several hours for the stain to go away. Sounds too simple to be true....but it really works! At least most of the time. If the stain remains after treatment, your best bet will probably be to call in a professional.
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My son left his duvet cover wet and huddled in a bag for a couple of weeks. It went moldy and now I cannot get the mold spots off. I have washed it, but that's all. It's made of cotton.
By kate from Somerset, UK
I believe you will have to use some bleach in your wash water. Try a color-safe bleach. (09/08/2010)
By Sandy Gerber
Try Lysol spray. I got that tip from this website some time ago. They had really good results with it. (09/10/2010)
By Faye
Does anyone know how to remove black mold spots from a tweed cushion in an RV trailer? I have removed the cushion cover from the foam and washed it in vinegar and water in the washing machine. I did not put it in the dryer, but there are still some spots showing up. I didn't want to use bleach as it is a multi-color fabric.
Any suggestions would be helpful. Thank you.
By Barb G from Delta, B.C. Canada
Hi, I had mold with black spots on a baby entertainer seat fabric. I also tried to soak it in vinegar and ran it through the wash and the spots were still there. So I then took some Clorox bleach cleaner spray and sprayed the spots and let it soak in cold water and sorta kept spraying the spots that I could see. Over the last half hour they have been diminishing and it is soaking in the cold water.
By Renee
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Here's a picture of some mould which has grown and stained her clothes basket. I thank you in advance for any help.
Tina from Darwin, NT Australia
Soak the fabrics in water, smear on soap abundantly and lay them in the sun for some hours. Wash and repeat if necessary. In Brazil, also tropics, we have white coconut soap bars, which is the best for washing. Hope this helps. (03/14/2007)
By Sylvia
Chlorine bleach is best to kill mold. Spray it on or apply on whites. You could use with light colors, too. Also, put anything with mold in strong sunlight. (You will probably have to use a bleach or hydrogen peroxide to get rid of mold stains.) And use dehumidifying dryers to absorb moisture. Avoid putting things in plastic, so the moisture sweats and creates an environment good for mold. Make sure there is good ventilation in storage areas. (03/14/2007)
By pam munro
Can you get some Quaternary Germicidal Cleaner, this is what the professional water restoration companies use when dealing with mold. It is very concentrated and can be used to disinfect as well as kills mold/mildew. (03/14/2007)
By Laura
Forgot to mention, it can be used on fabrics, carpet, etc. and will not discolor like bleach. (03/14/2007)
By Laura
Do not use chlorine bleach for this. Bleach only removes the top layer of mold and leaves the roots, which allow more mold to grow. Bleach containers even say that they do not clean mold.
Use a straight solution of 5% acidity distilled white vinegar. This cleans the mold and prevents it from coming back, because it also kills the roots (07/14/2007)
By Heather
I had the same problem with colored linens. I washed them with Lysol, about a cup, and Oxyclean (tons) and some detergent. I also used a colored fabric bleach. The laundry will stink. Then you rewash with a deodorizing detergent, like Arm and Hammer. Then you dry with tone of fabric softener sheets.
It worked completely. Nothing got ruined, but don't be scared about the Lysol smell it goes away in the second wash and the dryer. There are no more mold spores in the stuff. I have asthma so I would know. I made up this solution for myself (nothing lives past Lysol) and Oxyclean is just that along with the colored fabric "bleach". On the white stuff use Clorox. Good luck. I was just lucky. I had to throw out the bag they were in however. I never could get it out. (09/27/2008)
By Elizabeth
How to remove mold from colored clothing (probably works with white, too). Worthy of the Good Housekeeping Nobel Prize.
First, let me tell you, I tried everything. I tried a bleach alternative stick, Wisk with bleach alternative, soaking in bleach alternative. It would lighten the black spots, but do nothing for the mold smears and discolorations, and it would always come back, worse than ever.
When it got so bad that I was going to throw my beloved Calvin Klein down coat away, I decided to try one last thing. The Mold Armor Instant Mold and Mildew Remover said not to use it on nylon, but I tried it on a moldy nylon bra that I was going to throw out, and I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the result.
This is for black mold. It has black spots, and stains like you smeared something on it. It doesn't smell.
I can not attest to mildew, which does smell, but I have some suggestions below.
NOTE: My coat and the bra were off white, sort of tannish. If your fabric is darker, you might want to try a test patch in an area that's not noticeable. Just spray it on that area, scrub brush it, let it stay on 5 minutes, and rinse it out. You'll see if there's any discoloration. If there isn't any, continue with the rest.
If you missed any spots, repeat.
I couldn't believe the results on my down coat. The ugly smears that no other product would even touch were gone. I had missed a few small places, so alas, I went through the whole obsessive compulsive procedure again, but it was well worth it. I was so proud of myself. I have not tried this for mildew, so I can't guarantee it for mildew. But I would try steps 1-8 (5 minutes only) and then soak the fabric in a mixture of warm water and Armor Mold and Mildew Remover for 5 minutes. Then steps 9-12. If you don't have any spots, just the mildew smell, skip steps 5-8 and just soak in the mixture of water and mold remover for 10 minutes, and then steps 9-12.
I have heard that a cup of white vinegar in your wash works for the mildew smell, too. You might want to try that first if you have no mildew spots. (08/22/2009)
