How to remove damp and mildew odors from clothes

You can get rid of the smell of mold on clothes by many methods; things do not have to be thrown away. The fungus and the associated unpleasant odor eliminate both chemical and natural household products.

Causes of the smell of mold and dampness on clothes

Dampness and mold on clothes are not the most common problem, but sometimes people face such a nuisance. There are 3 main reasons for the appearance of the fungus.

• Mold often appears on things in autumn and winter, when the level of humidity outside is increased, and coats and jackets are often sent to the closet or hanger undried after snow and rain.
• Dampness can start if, after washing, put in the closet not completely dry and not ironed clothes and bedding.
• The appearance of mold provokes a high level of humidity in the apartment, if the air in the room is musty all the time, sooner or later a fungus from dampness may appear on things.

How to remove the smell of dampness from clothes using folk methods

You can use simple yet effective home remedies to remove damp odors from your clothes. If the mold has not had time to spread too widely, then it will be possible to do without the use of specialized substances and remove the nuisance with improvised methods.

How to get rid of damp odors on clothes with salt

Dampness and mold is a great help to remove table salt, which is in every kitchen. They use it like this:

• 2 large spoons of the product are stirred in a liter of warm water;
• add 1 spoonful of ammonia solution, or ammonia;
• for half an hour, the mixture is boiled over a fire;
• apply the solution to problem areas and leave for an hour.

After that, the clothes must be washed in the usual cycle in the washing machine and dried thoroughly.

How to remove mold smell from clothes with baking soda

Another good way to remove dampness is to treat the problem areas with baking soda. The process looks very simple - you just need to add a large spoonful of baking soda to the usual powder in a special tray of the washing machine. After that, the wash is started in a standard mode, but the water temperature is set to no more than 40 ° C, so as not to harm the fabrics.

In the same way, washing things with soda can be done manually.A spoonful of soda powder should be added to a bowl of warm water to ordinary washing powder and first soak for a short while, and then wash things.

How to remove mold odor from clothes with citric acid

Citric acid does an excellent job with mold and dampness, especially when combined with vinegar and salt. Soiled things are washed as follows - first, citric acid and vinegar are mixed in equal proportions and applied to problem areas for 5-7 minutes, and then sprinkled with salt.

Then things need to be washed in a typewriter and then dried thoroughly in the sun or in a dry ventilated area. To improve the effect, dry cloth can be ironed with a hot iron.

How to remove the smell of dampness from things with ammonia

The ammonia reliably removes fungus and helps to remove dampness and mold. Prepare the solution like this:

• 10 ml of ammonia is diluted in 1 liter of cool water;
• things on which the smell of mold has appeared are dipped in the resulting solution;
• kept for about 10 minutes, and then sent to the washing machine for a regular wash cycle.

You can use ammonia, including for delicate fabrics, but machine wash after ammonia treatment should be carried out exclusively in a delicate mode.

How to remove mold odor from clothes with hydrogen peroxide

You can remove the aroma of dampness with hydrogen peroxide - a disinfectant solution copes well with fungus on clothes. Peroxide 3% is diluted in a small amount of water, then a cotton pad or a clean cloth is moistened in the solution and all moldy places are carefully handled by hand.

After that, the fabric should be traditionally washed in a typewriter and dried properly, preferably in the sun. It is recommended to use peroxide in order to remove the moldy smell on white fabric - the solution can leave ugly light spots on dark items.

How to remove mold odor from clothes with turpentine

Caustic turpentine helps to get rid of the smell of dampness in clothes, reliably killing mold. It is not necessary to wash whole things in it - it is enough to moisten a cotton pad in the product and thoroughly treat the moldy areas. After that, things must be thoroughly washed by hand or in a machine in order to remove the remains of turpentine and its aroma from the fabric fibers.

How to remove the smell of dampness from clothes with clay

An unusual way to remove the smell of dampness is processing with white clay. It is carried out as follows - damp areas of the fabric, emitting an unpleasant moldy aroma, are properly sprinkled with dry clay powder. After that, parchment paper is placed on top, not afraid of high temperatures, and the fabric is ironed with a hot iron.

White clay possesses disinfectant properties and copes well with dampness. After using it, things need to be washed by hand or in a typewriter using laundry soap or powder. It is very important to dry the washed fabric properly - things cannot be put into the closet while wet, otherwise fungus will reappear on them.

How to remove the smell of dampness from things with fermented milk products

Sour milk removes the moldy aroma from things well. It is used this way - in several liters of a fermented milk product slightly diluted with water, the affected things are soaked for 10 hours. After the expiration of time, they are washed in a machine or in a basin, yogurt not only helps to remove the smell of dampness, but also slightly whitens the fabric.

How to get rid of mold smell on things using household chemicals

If folk methods did not help to cope with mold, or you want to get the desired result quickly and with a minimum of effort, you can use household chemicals.Specialized products have a special composition that completely eliminates any fungus and allows you to remove a bad musty smell.

• Bleach... The easiest way to remove fungus from light-colored items is to wash in bleach. There are a lot of specific tools, and the instructions for them look about the same. A small portion of bleach, about 100 ml, should be added to 4-5 liters of water, then soak the clothes for half an hour, and then send them to the washing machine.
• Cleaner for clothes Vanish... If the classic bleach is intended for white and light fabrics, then with the help of Vanish, you can remove mold on colored and dark clothes. Apply the product according to the instructions on the package - usually, the cleaning agent must either be added to the powder in the machine, or diluted in water and soaked before washing.
• PureWasher... An effective cleaning agent with disinfectant and fragrance properties. The main advantage of PureWasher is that it is suitable for all fabrics - dark or light, rough or fine. If you add the detergent to the washing powder according to the instructions for an automatic wash, then the mold smell can be removed in just one procedure.

How to remove damp odors from clothes by dry cleaning

The greatest effect in the fight against mold is brought by "wet" methods of processing - soaking in a disinfectant and cleaning agent, followed by washing. But sometimes it is necessary to return clothes to a decent look urgently, within a few hours and there is simply no time for a full wash.

In such cases, you can resort to "dry" methods of cleaning the fabric.

• Soda dry cleaning... Baking soda powder helps remove mold for more than just washing or soaking. To remove an unpleasant odor, you can simply sprinkle damp clothing with an even thin layer of baking soda and rub gently into the fabric. Then the treated item is gently shaken off, the remaining soda is brushed off with a clothes brush and you can enjoy clean and odor-free clothing.
• Dry cleaning with a stain remover pencil... Such specialized products are usually used in dry cleaners, but you can buy them at a store with household chemicals. According to the instructions, you need to work with a pencil on noticeable small spots of mold, wait a little and use a brush to remove the rest of the pencil from the fabric.

"Dry" also refers to methods in which a thing is subjected to wet processing, but not as a whole, but locally. For example, if spots of mildew appear on clothes, you can treat specific areas with vodka, ammonia or hydrogen peroxide, wash the fabric with spots and dry it thoroughly. You need to use such methods carefully so as not to leave ugly light spots on your clothes.

Prevention of damp and mold odor on clothes

The unpleasant stench of dampness on things is easier to prevent than trying to remove musty amber from the fabric. The following measures help to keep things from becoming moldy.

• After washing, clothes should be folded into the closet only after they are completely dry. If things are even a little damp, then very quickly the question will appear, how to get rid of the mold smell on clothes.
• A wardrobe with clothes must be regularly disassembled, ventilated and moved from place to place - this helps to avoid dampness.Cabinet shelves should be wiped with disinfectants - hydrogen peroxide or vinegar solution.
• If the humidity in the apartment is high, and the sunlight is constantly not enough, you need to ventilate the room more often, otherwise the appearance of the smell of mold will not be avoided.
• Twice a month, when washing, a little baking soda should be added to the washing powder for prevention purposes. Baking soda will not only prevent the appearance of a damp odor on the fabric, but also protect the internal parts of the washing machine from mold.

If possible, things after washing should be ironed with an iron, after which they will definitely become completely dry.

Conclusion

There are several ways to get rid of the mold smell on your clothes. But it is better, in principle, to prevent the development of dampness and mold on things, since not only an unpleasant smell becomes a problem, but also a deterioration in the quality and strength of the fabric.