The smell of mold on clothes

Differences in the humidity level in the room are a common occurrence in any corner of the world. Its high accumulation leads to the fact that a mold smell forms on clothing by propagating fungi, which at first we cannot always notice. It is imperative to deal with this phenomenon, since if everything is left to chance, the consequences can be most dire - not only for the room itself, but also for the health of all its residents. In this article, you will learn exactly how and what you need to deal with this problem.

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Excessive moisture control

Before proceeding with the removal of the fungus, you need to determine the substance that is right for your clothes. They can be both folk remedies, which can always be found at hand, and the chemistry intended for this.

Often, housewives use the following tools:

• Salt.
• Clay.
• Turpentine.
• Acetic acid.
• Lemon juice or citric acid in powder.
• Ammonia.
• Onion juice.
• Hydrogen peroxide.
• Special chemistry.
• Other means.

Important! When choosing the substance used, pay particular attention to the type of fabric. The funds listed are not universal. Particular attention should be paid to acids and aggressive agents: they can significantly harm the processed material.

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We fix the problem

We have prepared for you many ways to get rid of the smell of musty clothes of different types of fabric. The means used in different methods should be found at the disposal of every housewife, the main thing is to carefully process the material.

Important! Keep in mind that mold does not usually occur on things for nothing. Surely in your home there are suggestive factors for this, or there are obvious signs of mold on the walls and ceilings. Therefore, it is perhaps best for you to solve this problem as a whole. Our following publications will help you:

• How to reduce humidity in the apartment?
• How to remove mold in the apartment?

Silk and Wool Processing

Clothing from such materials can be cleaned of the fungus in many ways. Consider the main ones.

Ammonia

You can get rid of the unpleasant odor using ordinary ammonia. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Dilute alcohol and water in a ratio of 1:16.
2. The resulting solution to process the material.
3. Rinse freshly treated clothing in soapy water.
4. Wash things in the washing machine.

Clay with turpentine

Also, to remove the smell of dampness from clothes from such a capricious material, clay with turpentine can be used. To do this, you need:

1. Dampen a cotton swab, disc, or cotton wool in turpentine.
2. Handle the fabric carefully.
3. Pour clay of any type.
4. Iron the work surface with an iron by placing a paper towel or ordinary sheet of paper under the appliance.
5. Wash the item by hand using laundry soap.

Important! Silk and wool are delicate materials that must be washed according to certain rules. Read about them in our thematic articles:

• How to wash woolen things?
• How to wash silk?

Processing of other materials

There are many ways to eliminate the smell of mold on clothes, but most of them are very harmful to the material, discoloring and changing its structure. We have selected for you the most effective and safe ways to solve the problem.

Salt and ammonia

Using salt, you can remove many stains and other contaminants from any material. To remove an unpleasant raw smell from clothes, using only salt and ammonia, you must perform the following steps:

1. Mix table salt with water in a ratio of two tablespoons per liter of water.
2. When the salt is dissolved in the liquid, you will need to add a teaspoon of ammonia to the mixture.
3. Next, the solution needs to be boiled and kept on fire for about half an hour.
4. Cool boiling water to 40 degrees Celsius.
5. Treat the material with a solution and set it in this state for 2 hours.
6. Wash clothes in normal mode by rinsing them in addition.
7. Dry fabrics on the street or on the balcony.

Salt and Citric Acid

A method using the same salt and citric acid (it can be replaced with vinegar) can also help remove the smell of musty from clothes:

1. Prepare vinegar with any percentage or the juice of a whole lemon.
2. Saturate the treated surface with acid and hold for 5-7 minutes.
3. Next, the treated surface should be sprinkled with fine table salt.
4. Wash the garment in the washing machine.
5. Dry a thing under the sun.

Onion

As we all know, onion juice has disinfecting properties, and in addition, onion has a pungent odor that can drown out any other flavor. It is even possible to process moldy places with onions:

1. Squeeze the juice of onion turnips.
2. Grate the treatment area with the resulting fluid.
3. Repeat steps 2-3 times.
4. Wash clothes in warm water.
5. Dry the material well.

Dairy products

To surely remove the smell of mold on clothes, you can use whey or yogurt:

1. Pour the dairy product into the basin.
2. Soak clothes in it for no more than 12 hours.
3. To wash things in the washing machine.
4. Dry the item on the street or balcony.

Important! Getting to the final wash, check the settings of your machine and the rules from the article “How to wash clothes from different fabrics?”.

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Methods for processing white and colored fabrics

Choosing a tool in order to remove odor, you need to take into account the color of the processed material. For example:

• for white or very light fabrics, the use of bleach, peroxide or bleach is recommended;
• multi-colored fabrics are best treated with ammonia and water.

You can apply other means.

Method 1

The main solution to the problem of wet odor is to perform the following actions:

1. Prepare the necessary solution.
2. To treat fabric with a sponge or a swab of gauze, previously moistened in a solution.
3. Wash clothes in a typewriter using ordinary washing powder.

Method 2

The second option to eliminate bad smell:

1. Fill the basin with warm water.
2. Dissolve vinegar in it (1 tsp / 1 l).
3. Soak a thing in this solution for several hours.
4. Rinse clothes.
5. Wash in the washing machine.

Method 3

The next way to get rid of the smell of musty clothes will seem exotic to the reader:

1. Dissolve ascorbic acid in alcohol (vodka is best). 1 tablet is designed for glasses of alcohol-containing liquid.
2. Handle fabric.
3. Allow the solution to dry.
4. Wash and dry as usual.

Method 4

Also, to output the fungus, you can use ordinary paper on which newspapers print:

1. To hammer a thing from the inside with newsprint.
2. Wrap it in 4-5 large newspaper sheets.
3. Maintain clothes in this position for 3-7 days.

Important! Before using the latter method, check the print quality on the page. The paint should not peel off and leave marks on the fabric.

Method 5

You can remove the smell of dampness from clothing using a conventional steam generator. As you know, it not only dries the material well, but also has disinfecting properties.

Important! They are not recommended to process delicate fabrics: in most cases, the fabric loses its shape.

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How to prevent the formation of fungus?

As you know, the smell of mold on clothes appears due to high humidity. Therefore:

• It will be very good if the hostess periodically sprinkles the inside of the cabinet with special solutions. You can even make them yourself.
• It is also worth sometimes to dry things in the open air, and preferably in sunny weather. Pay special attention to materials such as leather, suede, fur, etc.
• You can not use several methods when processing clothes at the same time, otherwise - the result will not be the best. For example, the interaction of ammonia and bleach produces a toxic gaseous compound.

Important! It is recommended to periodically add baking soda to the washing powder. It has the ability to disinfect tissues.

Useful Tips

Here are a number of rules, following which you won’t have to wonder all the time how to remove the smell of musty from clothes:

• Items should be hung immediately after washing.
• Do not put wet items in the closet.
• Iron clothes before putting them in the closet.

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Stock footage

In order to no longer have moisture problems, it is recommended that you use our prevention tips. If they are followed, mold will not have a single chance.