How can I best remove mild/severe mold smell/stains from clothes forgotten in a damp basement?
Question:Some of the clothes will probably be dyed another color anyway, but for the ones I can salvage...please help! :)
Answers:
Vinegar
Use a gallon jug of vinegar per washload.
Kills the mold and the smell.
I would fill the washer, add the vinegar and let it soak for
a little while before washing with your regular detergent.
This will work!
Also in a seperate load after this one use a packet of Rit
Dye remover for those clothes that bled onto other clothes.
Works great and will take most dye stains out.
Do not put any of these clothes in the dryer until you have
tried all this as it will set the stains forever.
tara,
are you single? i love moldy chicks.
I use a product called BORAX on clothes that have smell or stain problems..its been around forever and works really well and also has quite a few other uses as well. It is a laundry booster used along with your normal detergent.
This is very, very hard. I used many detergents and cleaners. Mild mildew can be lightened with lemon juice and sun shine. I found the only thing to take out the smell was adding a Borax or Clorox 2 heavy with the regular detergent. On some things I never got the smell completely out. On things that can be bleached use straight up Bleach directly on the spots. Good luck you will need it.
I would try shout to remove those stains...as a reminder, if you get another idea because the stain is still there..AVOID at all cost NOT to dry it in the dryer .. it will only allow the stain to become permanent. Gain laundry detergent is the best for a fresh clean smell. I wish you the Best
Try a laundry soap with color safe bleach, Cheer is my choice . Then if you have to a couple of days hanging in the sun should do.
I tried Borax, Clorox, different detergents and nothing was able to completely remove the smell and these were clothes that didn't even have the mold directly on them -- so all I can say is good luck!
Throw them away, its not even worth trying if they are so far gone and nasty. that smell will never ever come out.
I would have washed with extremely hot water taking advantage of the soak option on my washer.
Soak the mold in milk. Weird I know but this works.
Rewash and lie flat and dry in the sun. The sun works as a natural bleach.
More Related Questions & Answers...