You will learn how to remove mildew from fabric in this article. However, before you remove the fungi, make sure that the cause of the growth is amended.
What Is Mildew?
Mildew is an unwanted growth that often invades households. It develops into a powdery or downy build-up on certain surfaces from spores.
Typically, mildew likes organic surfaces, like plants. You can see in this article what causes downy mildew that typically ruins the plants’ leaves.
You can also find powdery mildew on plants. Here is an article about how to get rid of powdery mildew on cannabis plants that can help you learn more about them.
Anyway, mildew does not only contaminate and destroy plants. Natural fiber fabrics (e.g., woven textiles and cotton yarns) also fall victim to it.
When your skin gets in contact with mildew-contaminated clothes, you may get rashes and other skin allergies. When inhaled, the spores can also trigger an asthma attack.
For those that do not have asthma, mildew exposure may trigger the development of asthma, which is what happens to children exposed to mildew. Other people vulnerable to mildew exposure are pregnant women and older people.
How Do Fabrics Acquire Mildew?
Mildew growth is a product of mildew spores and a perfect environment’s interaction. The ideal setting for mildew has high humidity levels.
These humidity levels are highly likely due to water damage. The water damage may result from leaks or condensation from the walls of your storage area.
If your fabrics are not stored in a cool and dry place, the material will absorb the moisture from the air. Without proper air ventilation in your storage space, the spores can freely rest on your fabrics, leading to mildew growth.
Another cause of mildew growth is dirt accumulation. Dirt can serve as mildew’s food source, leading to their sustained build-up.
Apart from dirt, improper fabric storage can also lead to mildew development. If the material has organic debris, you can expect that mildew will grow on it.
Mildew also needs the right temperature and ample oxygen to live. However, that can easily be met by the presence of water damage.
How To Detect Mildew Growth On Fabrics
After learning about the causes of mildew growth, it is only apt to learn how to detect them if you are dealing with mildew contamination.
Firstly, if you notice that your fabric exudes a musty smell, there’s a high possibility that it has mildew. Now, we don’t recommend that you sniff the material because it may lead to an asthma attack.
Apart from the smell, you may also notice stains on your fabric. Mildew causes stains on the material it rests on, so it’s not far-fetched that it’s due to fungi when you have marks.
You may also notice a white or light yellow growth on the stains. That’s the mildew, and its texture may be powdery or downy.
However, we do not recommend you touch it or brush it off using your bare hands. It may have less severe effects than mold, but it can still irritate.
Steps In Removing Mildew From Fabric
Step #1. Mix two cups of borax into two liters of warm or hot water to dissolve it. Then, pre-soak your fabrics on the solution before washing it.
Step #2. Brush off the stains on the fabrics while they are soaked in the solution. Also, make sure that the material is amenable to hot water.
Cool the water down before soaking the fabric in the mixture if it isn’t. Let all of the areas of the material absorb the solution.
Step #3. After brushing the mildew off the fabric, please remove it from the solution and squeeze it over the sink. Ensure that the material does not have excess water after this step.
Apply regular detergent on the stain and scrub the mark from the opposite side of the fabric. This can remove the spot and not drive it further into the material.
Moreover, it can reduce the wear-and-tear appearance of the fabric.
Step #4. Check the instructions on your fabric’s care label. Then, wash them on the machine accordingly.
If your fabrics aren’t thoroughly contaminated with mildew, you can put them in the machine with your clothes.
You can put a miniscule amount of bleach on white-colored fabrics. For colored clothes, use colorfast bleaches so that they don’t bleed.
Step #5. Air-dry the fabrics outside. Putting them in a dryer can set the stain in the article, so we do not recommend doing it.
Also, inspect the material even after drying them to ensure that the mildew is gone.
How To Prevent Future Mildew Growth
The most effective way of preventing future mildew growth is to avoid making the environment perfect for them. In other words, you have to maintain the storage area of the articles.
You can check the area for leaks and fix them accordingly. Lastly, make sure the fabrics are devoid of dirt before storing.
Conclusion
Learning how to remove mildew from fabric involves understanding its causes and knowing how to detect them. The integration of all this information makes the mildew removal process more successful.