If you’ve ever battled washing machine mold and been left with stinky, unsightly stains on your clothes, you know that getting rid of them can be a challenge. Here are a couple of safe and effective tips for removing clothing mildew.
First Things First
Before attempting to remove clothing mildew, you must eliminate the washing machine mold that’s causing the problem. However, it’s important to note here that you may have clothing mildew caused by leaving damp clothes lying around, not from your washer. Regardless, read on for some helpful tips.
To eliminate washing machine mold, use a washer cleaner such as Smelly Washer. It uses all-natural ingredients to safely and effectively eliminate and prevent washer mildew, fungus, and odors. Use Smelly Washer in the hottest or preset clean cycle of your washer to eliminate mildew. For tougher cases, allow the solution to soak for several hours before completing the cleaning cycle.
Once you have removed the washing machine mold, you can focus on removing clothing mildew.
Pre-Treating The Stains
If you have really bad mildew stains, you’ll actually see fuzzy or dark colored patches growing on your clothes. Mildew feeds off of organic matter, including fabric. So, in the right conditions (damp washer or laundry basket), your clothes literally become a smorgasbord for mildew.
If you have visible clothing mildew, take the items outside and use a bristle brush to remove the mildew. If possible, leave the clothes in the sun to help kill the mildew (hot, dry conditions are mildew’s nemesis).
Next, soak the clothing in a sink with a solution of warm water and Dawn dishwashing detergent. Use a toothbrush or other soft bristle brush to gently work the stains out. After soaking, rinse well and again allow the clothing to dry in the sun. If possible, you can also use a non-chlorine bleach solution to dab at the stains.
Put Your Washing Machine To Work
Most washing machines come with a preset clean cycle. If not, you can always use the sanitary or whitest whites cycle, which use the hottest water temperature possible. If the clothing with the mildew stain can be washed in hot water, this is the next step. If possible, non-chlorine bleach can also be added to the wash. For a more natural solution, baking soda or vinegar can be added to the wash.
Smelly Washer is not only useful for getting the mildew out of your washing machine. It can also be used in a regular load to help eliminate clothing mildew and odors. Simply add 1 tablespoon (or 1 capful) of Smelly Washer to your load of laundry (preferably with hot water), and agitate the clothes. Then stop the cycle and allow the clothes to soak in the solution for two hours. Complete the cycle as normal.