In general, mould in your home can be an absolute nightmare. Not only does it look and smell bad, but it also adversely affects the air quality in your home, which can lead to health issues in the long term.
Sadly, mould is a fairly common issue, and most people will have to deal with it at some point in their lifetime. But luckily, if your mould problem is limited to just clothes and other fabrics, you should be able to deal with it quickly and effectively on your own.
Here you’ll find everything you need to know about mould and how to remove it from fabric.
What is mould?
Mould is a type of fungus that plays a vital role in the earth’s ecosystem by helping to break down organic materials. It grows best in damp or poorly ventilated areas and reproduces by making spores invisible to the naked eye.
Mould can be present virtually anywhere, and there are many different types. It can grow on various materials, including food, walls, carpets, furniture, timber and fabric!
If you have mould on your walls, furniture and carpets, it can become a real issue. Instead of trying to deal with it yourself, you should consult a professional. Book now for your free expert mould inspection.
What causes mould growth on fabric?
Mould growth happens when moisture is present in an environment with limited or no sunlight.
For example, if you’ve ever left clothes sitting in the washing machine for a while after they’ve been washed, you may have noticed mould spots starting to appear on your clothes. Mould spots are also likely to occur if you leave wet clothes or towels to fester at the bottom of your laundry basket or if you leave your clothes in a damp place for a prolonged period.
How to remove mould from fabric
Removing mould from fabric is pretty straightforward. Here are the five key steps to removing mould from fabric:
Step 1 – Check the cleaning labels on your clothes and fabrics
Make sure your item of clothing doesn’t have any specific instructions to follow when it comes to cleaning, such as, dry clean only. Always follow the temperature guidelines and washing instructions on your clothing label.
Step 2 – Remove any excess mould
Before soaking your clothes, you should remove any excess mould. You can try gently scraping it off with an old toothbrush, or you could rinse the item under flowing water such as a hose, a tap or a shower. However, be as gentle as you can; otherwise, you risk damaging the fabric.
Step 3 – Soak
Soak your clothes in a mould stain remover for up to an hour. You should easily be able to buy some mould stain remover from any supermarket. Or you could use an at-home solution such as white vinegar diluted with water and household soap.
Step 4 – Wash on the hottest wash possible
A hot wash will kill mould spores. However, always follow the temperature guidelines on your clothes label otherwise, you could damage your clothes. Put your garments in the washing machine on the hottest wash you can, along with some nice smelling laundry detergent. This should help remove the stains as well as any musty smell it may have.
Step 5 – Dry your clothes
Hang your clothes to dry outside on a washing line, in the sun if possible. If your house has a lot of moisture in the air, your clothes may not end up as dry as you would like them to be, and it could result in you having to deal with the same problem all over again.
If by the end of these steps your clothes still smell musty or still have some mould related stains on them, feel free to repeat any of the steps again as needed.
Talk to a professional about preventative measures
Once you have the problem under control, you can talk to a professional about preventive measures to stop the same situation from happening again in future.
For any further information on preventing mould, contact Mould Cleaning Australia. They will be happy to advise you and will book you in for a free expert mould inspection.
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