You definitely need to fight mold on clothes, and not throw away the item because you don’t know how to deal with this phenomenon. We will tell you how to combat mold using household chemicals and folk remedies in this article.
Mold on things is not a very pleasant phenomenon. Any housewife who stores things in remote places for a long time can encounter this problem. And if these places are not yet ventilated and moisture can penetrate there, then this is how you will find an unpleasant white-gray coating on clothes or other objects.
When things are stored in such places for a long time, mold becomes so active that they become covered with a kind of white-green moss . How to cope with such an unpleasant fungus can be found in this article.
How to remove mold from white clothes, fabric, towels?
First, let's understand a little what mold is and how to protect things and household items from it. Mold is a specific type of fungus that grows in damp, warm rooms.
You can remove mold from white clothes and towels using bleach.
First of all, to prevent the appearance of moisture, you must follow these rules :
- Do not put wet things in the closet, let them dry thoroughly
- In the warm season, when you are not using it, you should air outerwear once every 2 months.
- The cabinet should not be too close to the wall, so that mold does not form on the walls, which will spread to the inside of the cabinet and thereby onto things. Place cabinets so that there is a distance of at least 3-5 cm
- There must be hoods in the bathroom and kitchen to prevent moisture from accumulating in the room.
If you did not follow the above rules and find mold on white clothes or other light-colored items, you should take certain measures. If you find traces of fungus on white cotton, linen or wool fabrics , use these recommendations:
- Pour water into a basin and add a tablespoon of washing powder there.
- Rub the areas affected by mold with laundry soap and place the items in a basin of water for 20 minutes.
- After the specified time, wash the items in the washing machine by adding a mixture of 500 ml of water and 1 tbsp to the container for liquid detergents . l hydrogen peroxide - this will serve as a kind of bleach
Both folk remedies and household chemicals will help in removing mold from clothes.
Mold stains on towels are a very common occurrence. Especially if these towels are in use. And neat piles folded in a closet can be affected by this fungus if a damp towel accidentally gets there.
Mold stains from a towel can be removed by mixing 2 tablespoons of salt and 5-7 ml of ammonia in 1 liter of water. This solution should be boiled for half an hour and then applied to the stains. After 5-10 minutes, wash the towel and dry it in the fresh air.
You should not throw away things on which you find mold. Even light-colored clothes can be saved if you use the above recommendations.
What is mold and why is it dangerous?
In any room there are mold spores, which are highly viable and multiply quickly in favorable conditions - a warm, humid environment without access to fresh air. The fungus is dangerous because it releases toxins that poison the human body. They pose a particular threat to the health of children, whose bodies and immunity are weaker than those of adults.
It has already been proven that some types of fungal mold can cause serious illnesses:
- allergies;
- bronchitis;
- asthma;
- diathesis;
- rhinitis;
- migraine;
- otitis;
- cardiovascular diseases;
- mycotoxicosis.
Therefore, you should not neglect timely security measures. The fabric of the stroller can be cleaned using various means.
Advice If possible (if the fabric does not fade), it is advisable to boil the removable parts of the stroller cover.
How to remove mold from colored, denim clothes, fabric, towels?
Mold on colored clothing is a little more difficult to remove, as the color on certain fabrics may change upon contact with cleaning agents. In order not to completely ruin the item, make sure that the means you intend to use to clean the clothes from mold will not affect the brightness of the color.
The simplest and most effective method for removing fungus from colored clothing is a mixture of ammonia and water. To do this, you will need to mix the two components in a 1:1 ratio and moisten the problem areas with the resulting solution.
Removing mold from colored clothes and towels without losing color is quite difficult.
After this, set the temperature in the washing machine to 30-40 C and wash the item for 15-20 minutes.
A good option for removing mold stains from colored wool or silk items is turpentine . Rub the affected areas with this product and sprinkle talcum powder or baby powder on top, cover with gauze and iron. After this procedure, wash the treated items in a washing machine and dry in fresh air.
Removing mold from denim is very difficult. This is due to the structure of the material. What you can console yourself with in this case is that such things are practically not overcome by . Mainly due to the fact that denim is such a common material that denim items can definitely be worn several times a week.
Mold on jeans is easier to prevent than to eliminate.
If you only occasionally wear denim, then try to check them for signs of mold, because it is almost impossible to remove it at home.
To remove mold from colored towels, use a 9% vinegar solution. To do this, just soak the towel in the solution for 10 minutes . After this, it must be washed with washing powder and detergents, which will give the towels a pleasant softness and eliminate the vinegar smell. After washing, be sure to dry the towel in fresh air.
We stock up on everything we need
It’s worth mentioning right away that getting rid of mold stains is quite difficult. In addition, it is a very dangerous fungus that can cause respiratory diseases. Therefore, if such a nuisance appears in the mattress, then it should be thrown out. It is almost impossible to remove mold from porous materials - the spores can spread further and will not be visible to the naked eye.
It’s definitely not worth leaving such a dangerous thing near a child. But you can remove the fungus from the fabric with which the stroller is upholstered. Often artificial materials are used here, and the mold is located in one place.
Simply rinsing the vehicle with hot water and a washcloth is not enough; it is necessary to completely remove all spores that may be inside the fabric. To do this, you need to arm yourself with caustic agents, which this unpleasant phenomenon does not like so much. The following can help in the fight against mold stains:
- laundry soap;
- chlorine bleach;
- soda;
- table vinegar;
- ammonia;
- turpentine;
- potassium permanganate;
- chalk.
Mold removal work must be carried out wearing protective gloves and a mask. If a child is prone to allergic reactions, then only hypoallergenic products should be used.
Surely, much of this (if not all) is in your home. And, if there is a need to remove mold, you can prepare the necessary tools and start working. You can also arm yourself with an iron or steam generator - they can also help achieve your goal.
We invite you to read: Why iron a newborn’s things?
Chemicals for removing mold from clothes
You can wash off mold that appears on clothes not only with the help of home remedies that you always have on hand, but also with the use of household chemicals. The main substances for removing mold are:
- Domestos - it can be used as a mold remover and bleach. In order to remove the insidious fungus, dilute 10 ml of the substance in 500 ml of water and rub the mixture onto the stains. After this, wash things in warm soapy water and send them to dry.
- Whitening is another means of removing mold. Dilute a tablespoon of the product in 500 ml of water and put on fire. When the mixture boils, place things in it. Within 10 minutes, traces of mold will disappear and the water will become cloudy. This method can be used when mold has been on clothing for a long time.
Domestos is a good remedy for mold.
When using household chemicals, be careful and do not leave things in the solution for a long time. Since colored things can lose a fair amount of color. It is also advisable not to try the product on the entire item at once.
Find a less visible part and try to remove the mold from it. If the color of the fabric and the appearance of the clothing have not changed, you can safely use household chemicals on all problem areas.
Wash or buy a new one?
There is an opinion that a stroller covered with mold stains should not be washed, but should be thrown away immediately. It is based on the fact that inhaling mold spores is dangerous. This statement is true: spores that enter the baby’s respiratory system will undoubtedly cause harm to his health. This means that the parts need to not only be washed to remove moldy stains, but also kill the fungal infection.
That is, in this case, what is needed is not a decorative effect, but the removal of the cause of yellow or black spots. Therefore, only washing powder will not cope with the task; here you need to choose a product that can fight the fungus.
Is it possible to remove mold from clothes by dry cleaning?
Housewives who have lost hope and see mold on their favorite things may decide to turn to dry cleaning . But will this give any result? Yes and no.
Dry cleaning can get rid of the musty smell of mold, but it doesn’t always help with stain removal. Therefore, such organizations often refuse to take on the task of removing mold stains.
Dry cleaners, as a rule, do not undertake to clean mold from items.
Conflict situations that occurred after items were deformed due to intensive washing in dry cleaning played a decisive role in this matter - most dry cleaners refuse to accept such orders.
eliminate the peculiar odor from mold by dry cleaning. But for this it is better to use surface cleaning, in which the clothes are not immersed in water and, accordingly, the possibility of deformation is eliminated.
Dry cleaning will help eliminate the unpleasant smell of mold from clothes.
To save money, you can buy household chemicals for dry cleaning in the store, dilute the solution in water in a ratio of 1:20 and spray the items vigorously using a spray bottle. After this, hang the clothes outside and leave them to dry. If the smell does not go away, repeat the procedure.
Precautionary measures
To choose an effective and safe cleaning product, you must follow these recommendations:
- The hazard class of the product must be at least 4. It is better not to use special compounds without indicating the class on the label for cleaning a baby stroller.
- Alcohol, acetone and other solvents are flammable. Therefore, they can only be used if it is possible to thoroughly rinse the fabric after cleansing.
- Mold prevention products are not suitable for mold removal. In order not to make a mistake in your choice, it is recommended to carefully read the instructions.
Under no circumstances should you use chlorine-based bleach and ammonia at the same time. This mixture is toxic. As a result, toxic fumes are released that can seriously harm the child's body. After this treatment, the stroller will have to be thrown away.
How to get rid of the smell of mold on things?
You can clean mold from clothes, but it often happens that the corrosive smell remains on already clean items. In such cases, you can use one of the proposed methods:
Processing items in the washing machine:
- You will need certain household chemicals - to prevent the smell of mold from being felt on things, you can use vinegar or baking soda
- Select the normal wash cycle and place items in the washing machine - to eliminate mold odors, it is best to wash in hot water
- For liquid powder, use your chosen household chemical product or mix baking soda or vinegar with water and pour into the liquid powder compartment. If the smell is very strong, you can mix these two products
- Drying in the fresh air - it is advisable for things to dry under the sun and in the wind. In this case, the smell of mold will go away forever.
Washing in a washing machine with a special product will eliminate the smell of mold.
Processing items without washing - for coats or other warm items that can become deformed when washed at home, dry cleaning is used:
- Dry cleaning product - in the supermarket, in the household chemicals department, you need to purchase a product that is used in dry cleaning
- Fill the sprayer with liquid at the rate of 1 measuring cap per 2 liters of water and spray well onto the clothes, the item should be damp but not wet and hang to dry in the sun
- Dry cleaning soda – Sprinkle the substance onto the item with the smell and leave until the next morning. The next day, shake the powder off your clothes and carefully remove the residue with a brush. Leave to dry in the sun
- Vodka to the rescue - regular vodka is an excellent substitute for an expensive product. Spray the item with vodka and leave it to dry in the sun.
- Dry Cleaning – If all the above dry cleaning tips don’t help, go to a dry cleaner. They are unlikely to agree to help with mold, but they will help eliminate the smell. But naturally, the cost of such a service will be much higher than using products at home.
Dry cleaning methods can remove mold from clothing.
Enhanced measures to remove strong odors:
- Boiling – this option is most suitable for towels. Boil water in one basin, place an unpleasant-smelling item in another, pour boiling water over it and leave for 5 minutes. After this, wash it in the washing machine.
- Bleaching – This method is effective for sheets, towels and other items that do not have a “Do not use bleach” label on them. Mix 100 ml of bleach with 5 liters of water and pour into a basin. Place the item with the smell of mold there and wait 7-10 minutes. After this, wash as usual and hang in fresh air.
- Using ammonia - Pour one capful of ammonia into the washing machine and start the wash cycle. After this, wash again, but with powder. Ammonia is very harmful to the lungs due to its toxic odor. Therefore, do not stay indoors while washing. The room where the washing machine is located should be well ventilated
Items affected by mold do not have to be thrown away - they can be saved.
The smell of mold on things is very unpleasant and can be felt by people around you. Therefore, if you find such a problem with your clothes, do not put off resolving this issue for too long. You shouldn’t immediately throw away a foul-smelling item , just use the indicated methods and all unnecessary odors will definitely disappear from your items.
Causes of fungus and unpleasant odor
You can forget forever about bad-smelling clothes and other things stored in the closet where mold lives only after it is completely eliminated. Unfortunately, there are a lot of factors that favorably influence the decline in air quality in the home. Let's give an example of those that can be really dangerous:
- High level of humidity in the room, and therefore in the closet.
- Storing wet clothes and bad-smelling items on shelves.
- Storing clothes that have been poorly washed to remove perfumes and antiperspirants.
- The special chemical composition of things.
- The cabinet is made of low-quality elements.
It is also worth noting that the correct location of the cabinet itself is of great importance:
- It is better if it is located as far as possible from the bathroom and kitchen.
- It is not recommended to install it in a corner; it is preferable to choose a more ventilated place.
How to remove mold from a bathroom curtain?
Almost all bathrooms use curtains and curtains. A negative aspect of this decor is mold, which appears due to remaining moisture in the room. Initially, this is unsightly from a visual point of view and is also dangerous to health.
Once mold has settled on the curtains, it is very difficult to wash it off with just a brush or shower . Therefore, washing would be the best option. A preventative measure for the appearance of fungus on curtains is ventilation. After taking a bath, turn on the hood or simply open the door so that excess moisture does not remain in the room.
Regular washing of curtains and ventilation of the room will prevent the occurrence of mold.
In order to get rid of annoying fungus, use three recommendations:
- Remove the curtains from the hook and brush away easily accessible mildew spots
- Pour warm water into a basin and add 100 g of powder, vinegar and soda each, place the removed curtain in this mixture for 5 minutes
- Remove the curtain from the basin and rinse in cold water
- You can dry the curtain in the dryer for about 15 minutes or with a hairdryer. Point the hair dryer no closer than 5 cm to the curtain
The curtain in the bathroom will definitely become a victim of mold if there is excess moisture in the room
Domestos is also a salvation from mold . If you dilute in 5 liters of water and rub the stains well with a brush, then not a trace of mold will remain.
To prevent mold from growing in the bathroom, try not to leave moisture near the bathroom and on the walls of the room. Wash your curtains at least once a month, even if you do not see mold on the curtains. , other fungi can form on damp curtains Systematic cleaning of the bathroom will not only keep the room tidy and beautiful, but will also protect your health.
Recommendations and videos
To prevent cabinets and things from molding, it is enough to control the air humidity in the apartment and ensure that the walls, ceilings and ceilings remain dry. Adequate measures here would be the following:
- Eliminate waterproofing defects and repair leaks in a timely manner.
- Buy a hygrometer to measure the humidity in the house and outside.
- Ventilate the living space only when the humidity levels outside are lower than the humidity in the house. Do not open the windows in wet weather if the rooms are dry.
- If you live in a humid climate, use a dehumidifier.
- When moths appear, take measures to dry textiles and clothing, as they lay eggs in damp fabric.
How to remove mold from a stroller?
Many mothers, having put the stroller in the garage or mezzanine for the winter, discover mold on its walls . Now we will tell you how to cope with such a scourge. First of all, under no circumstances leave everything as it is. Mold on a stroller is not only unsightly, but also dangerous to the child’s health.
Be sure to wash your baby stroller, because mold on it is dangerous for your baby’s health.
There are several ways to remove mold from a baby stroller :
- Laundry soap or Antipyatin - mix any of these products with soap and soda and scrub the stroller. After this, treat with vinegar and rinse with water. Place the stroller in the sun and let it dry thoroughly
Antipyatin will help eliminate mold
- Powder with soda - pour the powder into one container and you can add a little fabric softener. Pour a little baking soda onto a sponge and scrub the stroller vigorously. After this, wash the stroller with powder and conditioner and finally clean everything with water. Leave the stroller in the sun until completely dry
- Domestos - many mothers, having discovered mold on a baby stroller, use Domestos. Place a couple of drops of the product on the surface of the stroller that is affected by the fungus and leave for 20 minutes. After this, rinse everything off with warm water and leave to dry.
You can also wash the stroller with Domestos solution
- Dry cleaning – if you cannot cope with the corrosive fungus yourself, an alternative option would be to use dry cleaning services. This will cost you more than using soda or laundry soap, but the result will most likely please you.
Don't despair if mold appears on your clothes, towels or in the bathroom. It will be unpleasant to see traces of fungus on a baby stroller, but thanks to the recommendations that you read in this article, it is highly likely that you will be able to cope with the unpleasant manifestations of fungus on things.
Prevention
To save yourself from such worries in the future, it is better to arrange everything in advance so that you can properly store the baby stroller:
- it in a dry, ventilated area;
- Before storing, clean the stroller from dirt and dry it;
- if you have to keep the children's transport on the balcony or in other unsuitable conditions, then you need to treat it with vinegar or soda solution and then dry it well.
Compliance with all care measures for this product will keep it in excellent condition.
Borax
You can use this safe method:
- mix 100 g of borax and 1 liter of warm water;
- wet the contaminated areas with the resulting solution;
- wait a couple of hours;
- rub the areas with a brush;
- wipe the fabric with a dry cloth.
The advantage of this method is that borax does not emit toxic gases.
Laundry soap
You can safely remove black mold stains using laundry soap. For this you will need:
- dissolve shavings of laundry soap in warm water;
- add 1 teaspoon of baking soda to the soap solution;
- apply the resulting mixture to the dirt;
- leave for an hour.
After this, you need to rinse the cleaned areas with clean water.
Milk serum
Another safe method of getting rid of mold is using whey.
Algorithm:
- the affected areas should be moistened with whey;
- wait for the fabric to dry;
- treat the surface with hot steam using a steamer or an iron with a steam function;
- Rinse the area with clean water and wipe the product dry.
This method is one of the most gentle.
