I need help getting mildew out of clothes.
By sandra
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Brush off any loose mold. Immerse the garment in a diluted bleach solution (a tablespoon in a gallon of water) and rinse thoroughly. Set outside in the sun to dry on a drying rack or clothesline. Be extremely careful with the bleach so you don't spill and damage your fabrics. If that doesn't completely remove the mildew, try again with a stronger solution (like 2 tbsp. per gallon) and repeat the process.
An alternate solution to try, especially if you think bleach will damage the fabrics, is hydrogen peroxide.
See also www.ehow.com/
Mildew is a form of mold. So you will need to use mold removal methods to get it out. I suggest chlorine bleach and very hot water. Best of luck
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How do I get mildew out of clothes?
By celeste cole from Indianapolis, IN
Pour a cup of white vinegar in with your laundry detergent when you wash the clothes. Vinegar always gets rid of mildew odors. (09/11/2009)
By Marjorie
Bleach will do the job, good luck. (09/13/2009)
It's never a simple job, if it can be remedied. It really depends a lot upon the type of fabric, amount and type of mildew, (white, green, black, red?), what color cloth is it on, how long has it been there, did it sit wet a long time or did it happen while just damp from humidity? I've had very poor luck with every known substance trying to get various things clear of the mildews, being in a very humid environment/ climate.
I'd gather a number of old toothbrushes first.
Note: Mildew is a fungus, with spores you cannot see easily, so keep in mind that it can spread, that you need to destroy anything you cannot wash it out from, as well as toss the toothbrush(s), using paper towels for all cleanup, paper plates to work on between examining. some fungi cause inflammations and /or infections that are weird, hard to cure, such as Tinea Unguia, fingernail fungus that lifts the nail bed from the base of the nail, and even Athlete's foot is a fungus, so treat it carefully, outside, and if you can live without the thing it stained, bag it and then toss it, cleaning the place it sat well with paper towels.
Fungus is everywhere, but not in concentrated growth stages, because we try to keep our things dry, right? Remember to not let wet clothing stay wet more than a couple of hours. Never wad a moist face cloth up and let it sit. It will mildew, guaranteed. Fungus feeds off bacteria from many sources, even off dust mites that travel on the dust of the air, because the dust mites feed off human skin. Get in the habit of watching out for this stuff. It can ruin many things and if the wrong kind, can kill a human, remember?
God bless and help you.
(09/14/2009)
By lynda
I'm trying to find out how to get mildew stains out of some baby clothes. I've soaked them in simple green and I've also tried the oxi-clean stuff, too. Nothing seems to work. Does anyone have a way to get rid of this?
Caryn from LA
The only thing I've found that gets mildew stains out is chlorine bleach. You can only use it on white stuff, though. You can use Bleach Pen if there is colored trim. Colorsafe bleach doesn't seem to work.
Camilla (04/23/2005)
If the stains are small, use a tiny bit of bleach on a toothbrush. Brush lightly, and watch carefully. When the stain starts to lighten, put the item in rinse water quickly (you can use vinegar in the rinse water, it is acidic which counteracts a "basic" such as bleach or soap) and get the bleach out before the color in the item starts bleaching. Then hang the item in the sun. I've removed mildew stains from everything, colored clothing, quilts, and objects including guitar cases this way. Sometimes you may only fade the stains, but this is okay. Over repeated washings after the bleach treatment the stains will fade because you have killed off the mildew organisms. (06/04/2005)
I went on vacation and my baby spit up on her outfit by the time I got to a washer it was nasty with mildew. I went and bought some Shout and sprayed it heavily on the stains and let it set for a day and then washed it in warm water. The stains came out so now Shout is my new best friend. (09/20/2005)
By Aretta
MoldZyme, an all natural enzyme based product will remove mold and mildew from any clothing that can be washed in cold water. It contains no bleach and will also remove any type of organic stain as well as musty or organic odors. moldzyme.com (02/27/2006)
By Tom
Try hydrogen peroxide straight from the bottle, and let it sit for 30 minutes or longer. It works on clothes as well as in bathroom when you find that bleach isn't working so well anymore. Mold and mildew become immune to whatever you may be treating it with, just as virus and bacteria strains. So this is why alternate between bleach mixed with water and hydrogen peroxide it keeps it from building immunity. Peroxide can lighten clothing like bleach does, just not as quickly, so be sure to test a small area first. (11/13/2007)
By Little bit of everything
I put OxyClean and colorsafe bleach in water with my clothes, then I boil it until the mildew comes out. I normally let the clothes remain in the pan over night with a lid on it, to keep the heat in as long as possible. I found this works like a charm on everything I have tried it on. Make sure your clothing can withstand boiling water, Oxyclean and colorsafe bleach before trying this idea.
Good luck. I hope this helps.
Marlene
(04/30/2008)
By Marlene
Soak in white vinegar for a period of time, rinse, then wash and dry. (12/26/2008)
By Rich in Jersey
