How to Get Mold Out of Clothes
Mold loves damp, humid conditions, so any time wet clothes sit too long or are stored in a damp basement or attic, you can quickly grow mold or mildew. If you’ve tried washing your clothes a few times and they still smell funky, there are a few household options to kill the mold and get your clothes smelling fresh again. Learn how to get mold out of clothes.
To get mold out of clothes, you can use one of the following solutions:
- Vinegar
- Bleach
- Borax
How to Get Mold Out of Clothes With Vinegar
Vinegar’s acidic nature is great for killing mold and removing the musty smell. However, vinegar does have a pungent odor, so you may need to run your clothes through an additional regular wash cycle once you’ve treated the mold to remove the vinegar smell.
- Pre-soak your clothes in a bucket with water and 1 cup of white vinegar for 1-2 hours.
- You may also add 1 cup of white vinegar to your wash. Just make sure you do not mix with bleach as it can create toxic fumes.
- Add detergent as normal and allow the machine to cycle through its wash normally.
How to Get Mold Out of Clothes With Bleach
Bleach is highly effective at killing mold on clothes, but first, make sure it is compatible with the fabrics you are cleaning. Check the fabric label or test a small area on the inside (where it is not visible) to see if any discoloration occurs. You may also consider buying a premixed detergent with bleach so you can be certain as to the concentration.
You can presoak your clothes in a bleach and water solution or add bleach to your wash cycle following the instructions on the bleach bottle.
If you are using concentrated bleach be careful to read the directions and dilute with water, as high concentrations of bleach can damage even white clothes.
How to Get Mold Out of Clothes With Borax
Borax is the Mold Badger’s favorite solution to kill and remove surface mold, so it should be no surprise that is great on getting mold out of clothes as well. Borax is a natural, chemical-free deodorizer and disinfectant, so it will kill mold, germs, and bacteria and inhibit their future growth.
Borax can also be mixed with vinegar to make an even more potent mold removal solution. However, do not mix borax with bleach because it can produce dangerous gases.
A borax laundry detergent can be purchased from the grocery story; follow the instructions on the box. Or you can add a ½ cup of regular borax to hot water, mix until it completely dissolves, and add to your washing machine once it has filled with water. Run your wash through a normal cycle.
