Everyone wants clean and fresh-smelling clothes all the time; that’s why all must know how to prevent mildew in closets. If you want to particularly have that daily, whether for home, office, or random errands, then prevention is better against mold than killing already present colonies.
Closets uninhabited by any mildew or mold have a higher chance of letting you wear and keep all your items in good condition. Not only do they dirt off your clothes, shoes, and accessories, they can sometimes be hard to remove stains and impart a musky smell that you wouldn’t want to wear the next time you’re out.
Since mildew and mold thrive on organics and moisture, their presence can also be a sign and invitation for other more destructive things to come and destroy your belongings. Starting with remarkable tips that work by preventing their invasion, we’ll also look into other information that will also help you understand their existence and get better at extinguishing them.
Tips For Preventing Mildew Growth In Your Closet
Prevention is all about altering and setting up an environment in an enclosed space against the thing of your concern and more into your favor. By tilting that scale towards you, whether it’s an entirely separate room or just a space interlaced to your room, you would have a level of control over the problems you’ll need to deal with.
Here are some tips you should consider for your closet to keep mildews off for a long time.
1. Keep your closet clean
The first item is the most important and for a space that houses the items you wear, cleanliness is an absolute priority. After all, there can’t be any clean clothes if it’s not a clean closet.
Make sure you fully clean your closet at least once a month; moving the clothes and vacuuming through the entire space. Wipe off all the dust in the shelves and hangers air out clothes that aren’t used in a long time.
Cleanliness also includes putting only clean items inside the closet. If you’re trying to hang items you’ve already worn, dry clean them or at least dry and shake them up to remove any dirt and spores that could have gotten stuck there.
2. Keep your closet dry
Mildew, as well as mold, loves that extra moisture and wetness so if any water gets into your closet, then that is a practical invitation for them. Keeping, therefore, the inside of your closet dry is a major trick to making a space that favors you.
Any clothes or items you place inside the closet must be dry as well. So if it’s been raining out, make sure any jacket or even boots that had gotten splashed on gets dried and brushed for cleaning before placing in.
Also note that if you place laundry that hasn’t completely dried in there, you’re guaranteed some smelly clothes even if you deodorized them.
3. Keep an eye on humidity and possible leaks
Other than placing wet things in, another thing that needs your attention against mildew is the concentration of water vapor in the air(humidity) and any leaking pipe or ceiling inside your closet.
Humidity can get pretty high on stormy days which also brings leaking roofs. You should check the weather forecast especially if you’re going to be away for a while and immediately pull actions against them before you set off.
Make sure you seal all leaks and close any opening on the closet to keep vapors out or run a dehumidifier inside.
4. Opt for more steel than wood
Wood can provide a good edible surface for the mildew so as much as you can, minimize their use in your closet, and opt for coated steels. Wood also absorbs and holds moisture on their surface which is a double plus for mildew.
If the wooden parts in your closet are already fixed though, make sure that they’re at least coated with varnish all year round or anything that can keep moisture out. To help lower the moisture inside, place some silica gel packs to absorb some of it as well.
5. Favor dry cleaning
Also along the dryness tip, opting for dry cleaning than a normal machine wash will also lessen your concerns. Since dry cleaners use a different solvent than water to wash your clothes, picking their service will assure that no water is introduced to your closet from clothes at all.
Here’s how to get rid of mildew smell in apartment to keep musty smells off from the rest of your place.
Why does mildew grow inside your closet?
Mildew will grow inside your closet if its spores get blown there with enough moisture and organics to feed on. This is why it’s necessary to remember that dirty clothes can carry those spores.
In the case that mildew is already starting to grow, you can use vinegar or bleach to get rid of them and do a thorough cleanse afterward.
Read this article on how to stop mildew on water damaged wood, especially if that’s what’s happening to your closet.
Conclusion
We’ve fully divulged significant tips on how to prevent mildew in closets. By following them, mildew should be absent from your clothes and shoes as well, so better start taking them to heart now!