Sometimes you don’t even notice that you created perfect conditions for pink mold. As we all know mold loves wet, dark and warm places, so laundry basket can be ideal for mold forming. If you put wet clothes in the laundry basket, or there is a towel that was in the basket for too long don’t be surprised to find pink mold on clothes.
Mold can be easily noticed on clothes as it causes fabric discoloration and stains. Pink mold is a bacteria and should be dealt with as soon as you notice it, as it can lead to serious health problems if you let it spread. But don’t worry, there are a couple of ways to solve the mold problem on clothes. When dealing with mold you should always be outside your house to prevent the spreading of spores. If you already have or want to prevent allergies and health problems be sure to wear a protective mask.
The first way of dealing with mold is to expose it to the sun, take moldy clothes outside to prevent spreading spores in your house and start removing mold from the clothes with a stiff-bristle brush. After you removed as much mold as you can, leave your clothes on the direct sun for several hours as this will dry and remove the rest of bacteria. Be sure to check on clothes as the sun can damage its color as well when you finished this process change your clothes and wash it.
Second way of removing pink mold from clothes is by washing them in hot water. Hot water will remove all the bacteria but you need to be cautious as it can also damage your clothes. Before putting clothes in the hot water read the instructions on the clothes label. You can always add bleach, white distilled vinegar or borax but don’t ever mix any of those solutions together, again check the clothes label in order to avoid further damage.
Bleach is a strong chemical so don’t forget to use protection glows while using it. It is very effective against mold but it can also create discoloration on colored clothes, so use it only if you are dealing with white clothes. Borax is also very effective against mold and you can find it as a detergent so read the instructions, add your moldy clothes to the washing machine and start washing as you normally would. On the other hand, if you are planning to use vinegar, mix it with 1 bucket of water, put your clothes in the basket and let it sit for an hour. After that, your clothes are ready to be washed with regular detergent.
Now that you learned how to get rid of the mold on clothes it is time to learn how to prevent it from happening again. Since mold loves humid and warm places you always need to check humidity levels in your rooms. If humidity levels are too high you can always use bathroom fan or dehumidifier for other rooms in the house. You should always check any possible plumbing leaking and store clothes in a dry area of your house.
Avoid leaving washed clothes too long before drying. This is not a case only with clean clothes, if you have any sweaty clothes don’t just leave it in the laundry basket. You should always dry your clothes before deciding to put them in the basket, the same goes for swimming gear and sweaty shoes. Be careful when dealing with pink mold on clothes as it can cause allergies, rash and skin diseases. Being safe is very important so follow health instructions and solve mold problems as soon as you notice it.
References:
- https://www.hunker.com/13423281/pink-mold-stain-removal-from-cotton
- https://moldpedia.com/remove-mold-mildew-clothes-fabric
- https://www.cleanipedia.com/gb/laundry/how-to-remove-mould-and-mildew-from-clothes.html
