Mold on clothes - throw out or clean?

Factual Questions
1

I took a pair of dress pants from my closet today and found white mold on them. This has happened a handful of times before and I’m uncertain if it’s the nature of the garment, the conditions in the closet or both. The mold is in a few patches a couple of inches long, but enough to be noticeable and gross.

I’ve put those pants in a bag for either disposal or dry cleaning. If I do take them to a dry cleaner can they be saved? Or will they be upset with me for bringing them in and potentially contaminating the place? I’d rather not try the white vinegar and other solutions I see online.

2

If you’re going to toss them, toss them.

If you want to save them, but don’t want to do a LOT of work, you could half ass it. Get a bucket of as hot-as-the-tap will allow water (say 1-2 gallons) and 2 cups of vinegar, and let the pants soak in the mix for an hour or so.

Then use a sink level scrub brush to scrape off the visible mold, and re-soak for an hour in FRESH hot water only. Air dry, in direct sunlight if at all possible.

THEN take it to the dry cleaners.

ETA - as this is a repeat problem, yeah, you need to check the closet, it might need major cleaning to get rid of the mold source, a desiccant to reduce the humidity, or something else entirely (a leak somewhere?).

3

IME they won’t care. It’s about 50/50 whether the mold leaves an indelible stain.

4

For drycleaners: ask them. They’ll probably appreciate a heads-up more than sneaking it in.

Vinegar isn’t particularly hard on clothes, I’ve used it for cat pee and stuff like that. I’d try it (and are you certain it’s actually mold?)

As for the “why”: do you live in a humid area? If you’re using a personal washing machine, have you run a clean cycle lately? There may be a special setting or specific instructions for it, usually add bleach and run it a certain way while empty. Especially important for front loaders, clean the seal too.

5

In general with anything moldy, I’d suggest “toss it out.” Only keep if you really must.

6

That it’s white makes me more optimistic. Black mold is a riskier business.

7

Living in the Pacific NW, my things get moldy occasionally, esp in the back of a closet without much airflow. The white mold always washes clean. If it’s the black mold, yes that stains and it’s too difficult to remove the stains, but white mold always washes off.

Most clothes can be successfully washed in a home washing machine. If they’re wool or silk, take them to the dry cleaners.

My daughter taught me to use just a few drops of tea tree oil in the wash load to get rid of musty smells, when even vinegar or bleach doesn’t work. Works great.

8

Yes, but you’ve been very clear here about being mold-a-phobic.

9

A what? I’ve never heard of a clean cycle for a washing machine - which of course, could be my problem right there. Does it heat up to 800 degrees like a self-cleaning oven? I also didn’t know the agitator detaches and has a filter inside until recently, and I’ve had this washer for over 20 years. Perhaps that’s a factor too.

I have several items to bring to the cleaners, so I think I’m going to bring the pants along but show them and ask in case they want to say no. Then I’m going to get some silica packs for the closet.

10

I think that means a wash cycle with no laundry, but with a dedicated w/m cleaner such as …

800 ? that’s … hot ! (even for an oven (even in F !))
The w/m cleaner usually just specifies the hottest your machine can do, probably
about 90 C

11

My machine has a machine clean cycle. You put something called affresh in. Push that button and “on”

It locks down and goes thru a series of events we can’t imagine. I assume tiny cleaning persons come out and scrub and scrub. Then it goes thru rinse and drain. Ba-da-bing. It’s a clean machine. On Penny Lane. :wink:

White mold should wash out. Add vinegar to the wash if you want. Most good detergents should suffice, tho’.

Work on that closet.

12

Dress pants:
Read the label & check the composition of the fabric. You want to kill the mold, remove the stain and potentially any musty smell. None of this is difficult or harmful to the fabric (or you!) but knowing what the fabric is helps. Vinegar is your best bet no matter the fabric composition, I’ve used it to safely remove mold from silk, even. If your fabric is wool, remember that the combination of heat and friction will felt/shrink the fabric, separately they’re ok. So you can also use a steamer.

Do not (ever!) use fabric conditioner. It leaves a layer on clothes and just gives mold something to eat. It only harms clothes — all clothes — and serves no purpose.

I would: hand wash once to remove surface mold, vinegar soak hot, NO AGITATION and 20 min is plenty, steam to kill the last little bit, then normal gentle cycle in the machine.

If there is no wool (or silk) you can use an enzymatic cleaner to soak. Enzymes are amazing!

Closet:
Everything out, hoover, clean with a mold killing product and dry thoroughly, then put a few of those dessicating thingies in.

Washing machine:
We have front loaders in Europe so this might be different (I had top loaders in Brazil but it’s long ago and I can’t remember how they work). Pull out the tray for the powders and fabric conditioner, wash in the sink. Stop using fabric conditioner. Check the filter & read the instructions because I just found out mine has an extra, secret filter (wtf Samsung?). Run a soapy cloth around the rubber crevices where it closes, gunk can hide there. Run the cleaning programme (mine tells me when to run it, frankly, being Samsung, mine is just bossy and talkative in general).

I learned from a consumers guide that with washing machines, you don’t want to buy the most expensive but the middle tier and then replace every 7 years because the new ones are more energy efficient and it makes it worth it. So consider replacing your old one or look into if the same is true for top loaders.

You’ll be fine, mold is easy to treat. Just think of it as science: you need to kill a living thing and then do chemistry to get rid of the stain/smell. It makes it more fun.

13

My LG front loader has a tub clean/TCL setting. I think it’s just a quick rinse cycle, maybe double rinse. You add bleach to the bleach section and then run it. If you have a simpler model it’s probably in the instructions, but just a rinse. Front loaders can get nastier than top loaders without maintenance.

I’ve never used a branded product for cleaning.

14

Once you’ve cleaned your clothes, get yourself a hanging bag of DampRid. And consider installing a vent in the closet door.

15

My washing machine has a clean cycle too. Like Beck I use Affresh. Affresh recommends cleaning once a month because of course they do, but I do it every couple of months or so. You can use Affresh if your machine doesn’t have a clean cycle.

16

If there is mold on your clothes, it is slowly digesting the fabric itself. If you don’t catch it early, your clothes will be degraded even if you do clean off the mold, so it probably wouldn’t be worth the effort.

17

Tide also makes one … if you have an older washer its still easy

you just pour it in set it on how and a regular load size your supposed to use it once a month but we have my disabled cousin who doesn’t always make it to the potty so its more like a week for us

hope it helps

18

Thank you for the suggestions - I will be putting some of them to use. Will definitely be taking steps to dehumidify the closet.

My dry cleaner accepted the pants today and said they had a process for them.

19

that sounds like a scam. Like cleaning your mouse balls. Or vacuuming the inside of your vacuum cleaner.
I don’t know anyone that has ever done a cleaning.

Now if they had a procedure to back flush all those lost socks out of the machine, now THAT might be useful!

20

A front loader that’s not clean will smell up your house.
You might go nose blind but the smell is there.

If you’re ok with that. Fine. That’s you.

But, it makes the machine less effective, your clothes will take on that musty smell.
Still, if you’re ok with that, it’s ok by me.

I’m not sure, but I think you may be spending more on detergents and bleach and subsequently clothing and linens.
Yeah, clean that machine. IMO