Say goodbye to costly dry cleanings to eliminate mold from fabrics. Learn How to Remove Mold From Clothes with Baking Soda below.
Mold infestation is widespread in humid climates, especially cotton and other organic fiber clothes. A common way to remove mold is to get your clothes dry-cleaned. But its cost may cut a big hole in your monthly budget. But what if we suggested a much cheaper, effective, and readily available alternative? By the end of this article, you will know How to Remove Mold From Clothes with Baking Soda.
Learn some easy ways to remove mold from car seats here
Mold: Causes and Effects
Molds are microorganisms that are neither classified as plants or animals. They belong to the fungi kingdom. Molds feed on dead and decaying organic matter such as wood, dead plants and animals, clothes, and even food.
Molds are only visible to the naked eye when they reproduce in large numbers. They increase by feeding on the organic matter they are growing upon. But to reproduce, mold requires favorable conditions, which are organic materials, oxygen, and moisture. The primary cause of mold inside your house is accumulated moisture and humidity. Molds can affect clothes, leather goods, papers, drywall, carpets, and insulation.
Wearing clothes infected with molds can cause allergic reactions, asthma, respiratory complications, and allergic fungal sinusitis. And even though extreme responses are uncommon, they can occur based on the type of mold, length of exposure, and past medical history.
How To Remove Mold From Clothes With Baking Soda
Baking soda is a less expensive and more viable method to remove mold from your clothes. As it is a natural disinfectant, sodium bicarbonate also helps to eliminate the bad smell that mold leaves on clothes. Without any further ado, let’s find out how to get rid of mold on clothes below.
What You Need
- Baking Soda
- Spray Bottle
- Old Toothbrush
- A Microfiber Cloth (optional)
How To Remove Mold From Fabric
Pre-treatment:
- Wear gloves to protect your skin from any infection.
- Use an old toothbrush to scrub off the mold from your clothes.
- Try to remove as much dry mold this way as possible.
- Immediately discard the toothbrush after scrubbing.
Washing Off the Mold
- Fill the spray bottle with water and 1/4th cup of baking soda.
- Shake well until the baking soda dissolves in the water completely.
- Then heavily spray the mixture on all the infected outfits.
- Let them sit and soak for a minimum of 25-30 minutes.
- Load the washing machine with clothing and set the water temperature to hot.
Drying the Clothes
- After you have washed the infected outfits, avoid tumble-drying.
- If possible, hang the clothes in direct sunlight. The UV rays of the sun will effectively kill any mold that might still be left.
- In case the day is not sunny, air dry the garments in a well-ventilated room.
- You can also switch on the fan to ease the airflow in the room and decrease the humidity.
How To Prevent Mold?
Once you remove the mold from clothes using baking soda, follow the below tips to prevent their re-infestation in the future.
- Ensure your clothes are thoroughly dried before folding and storing them in your dresser.
- Whenever possible, dry your garments in the sunlight. UV rays kill various kinds of bacteria.
- Do not leave your clothes in the washer or dryer for too long, as it can build up mold.
- Leave the washer door open after every cycle to prevent mold buildup.
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