Mold Detection and Treatment of Clothes

Mold is the common term used to describe a downy or furry growth on the surface or organic matter, caused by fungi, especially in the presence of dampness and decay. These microorganisms feed on living organisms or dead organic matter.

In order to prevent the growth or spread of mold growth you have to deny the spores the moisture content they need to germinate.

The mold microorganisms need organic materials for the nutrients to grow and so, any material that was once living, including wood, paper, clothes such as cotton, linen and leather are susceptible. It doesn’t really stop there, either. Inorganic materials such as some plastics can also come under attack from fungal growth.

You need to get rid of mold because it will permanently damage the materials upon which it is growing. It will stain textiles as well as structurally weaken them, paper will be stained with spots known in the industry as “foxing” and leather will be permanently marked. Inorganic materials can be etched by organic acids produced by the fungus as a by-product of their presence.

Removing Mold From Your Clothes

The ideal scenario is that you catch the onset of mold growth early on in its life. As soon as that moldy smell becomes noticeable from the cupboard it is essential to pull all the clothes out and closely examine them for signs of mold. Remember, mold will cause deterioration in the material that it is growing on so the longer you leave it, the more chance your clothes will not be salvageable.

When the mold has been identified there are some steps you can take to remove both the mold and the mold smell.

Firstly, when you deal with mold you should use gloves and a protective mask or goggles. Take the clothes outside and then brush the loose mold growth off each item. When transporting the affected clothes you should be careful not to disturb the mold because you don’t want to spread mold spores through the house.

After the clothes have been brushed off, leave them in the sun to dry so that the heat from the sun will kill any remaining mold that is still in the clothes.

It may be necessary to wash the affected areas in a weak bleach solution although if you’re dealing with colored clothing you may want to substitute the bleach for a lemon juice and salt combination. After the clothes have been given a thorough clean with these disinfectants, they should be laundered as you would normally do and then put out to dry in the sun. Ensure that the drying process is completed to avoid a regrowth of mold.

A fungicide spray can be used on the clothes to remove any trace mold odor that may persist. Care must be taken with respect to the different materials that you are trying to remove the mold from. Materials such as silk, nylon and wool can be damaged when applied with chlorine bleach.

A product such as Moldergent, which is a 100% organic mold cleaning detergent, can be used in the laundering process. This type of product has been specially formulated to remove mold and mildew from clothes.

As mentioned earlier in the article, at the first sign that the clothes in your wardrobe have been affected start the mold restoration process immediately. The process is not too burdensome and the longer you delay cleaning and drying your clothes the more chance that they will be ruined beyond repair.