How to Get Rid of Mold and Mildew on Clothes

Clothes are often the source of mold due to them being exposed to moisture and then not allowed to properly ventilate, leading to the formation of mold and mildew. As long as the mold or mildew has not been allowed to sit on the clothes too long, you can easily remove it from clothes.

1. Take any clothes that have mold or mildew on them outside so that you do not spread the mold spores throughout your home.


2. Shake the clothes out in an area outside that will allow the mold to disperse. You want to remove any loose mold from the surface of the clothing.


3. Hang the clothes in an area that receives direct sunlight and allow them to hang in the sun for somewhere between 4 to 6 hours. The UV rays are able to naturally kill the mold spores that remain on the surface of the clothes.


4. Bring the clothes inside and place them into your washing machine. Do not wash too many at a time; you want to wash small loads of clothes so that the vinegar can effectively get into the fibers of the clothing.


5. Run the washing machine on the longest setting using a cup of vinegar in place of the laundry soap. Vinegar will be able to effectively kill the mold spores that are inside of the fibers of the clothing.


6. Run the washing machine again using the normal amount of laundry soap that you usually would and a fabric softener to help eliminate the smell of the vinegar from your clothing.


7. Hang dry the clothes outside after they have been washed, this is just an added protection to ensure that all of the mold spores have been effectively killed and removed.