Why does mold appear on clothes in the closet?
Mold and humidity in general are one of the biggest problems at home, whether on walls, furniture, closets or even clothes. In addition to its completely unsightly appearance, the musty smell is really unpleasant, in some cases reaching affect health of people.
When mold has taken over your closet and your clothes, it is time to take action on the matter and that is why at FoxWiki we take the opportunity to explain to you why mold grows on clothes in the closet and how to prevent and eliminate it.
Topics Covered in This Article
Why does mold appear in closets and clothes?
Mold is a bacteria accumulation, which create a fungus and this in turn remains thriving in dark places with high humidity. This is why mold occurs perfectly on furniture with drawers, basements and in this case, the clothes inside the closet.
Moldy clothing is mainly caused by a wet garment. Folding clothes without waiting for them to dry completely is the main cause of mold appearing on clothes.
All clothing should be air dried and put away when completely dry. Even if you use a dryer, it is advisable to let it dry outside so that it airs perfectly. If the problem is in the closet, the best option is to keep it open or take out the clothes from time to time to let them air out. However, it is of utmost importance remove mold from closet.
Humidity in the closets? Solution!
To prevent the appearance of mold on clothing, it is best to keep the following in mind:
- Hang clothes quickly: Immediately after washing clothes, hang them on a line outdoors or tumble dry them. The less time clothes remain wet, the less likely they are to develop mold.
- Quickly remove clothes from the washing machine: Avoid leaving freshly washed clothes in the washing machine.
- Don’t pile up wet clothes: Remember that humidity is the number one cause of mold growth.
- In the case of sportswear: It is recommended to wash and dry it after exercising. Sweat contains bacteria, which can further facilitate the creation of mold on clothing.
- Let your shoes air dry: especially after a busy day, as well as sneakers. This is extremely important, especially for people who do not wear socks or if the shoe is very closed.
- Let the towels dry: After bathing, put the towels outdoors to dry.
- Leave the washer and dryer open: After washing clothes and turning off the washer and dryer, leave them open so the air can remove excess moisture.
You may also be interested How to remove mold from the washing machine.
How to remove mold from clothes
Don’t think that clothes are lost if they have mold; Believe it or not, getting rid of this fungus is very easy and you can do it with ingredients you have at home.
Vinegar for mold on clothes: alternative 1
It has been proven that vinegar kills even 85% types of molds, in addition to contributing to the elimination of its unpleasant odor from our clothes. There are two ways to use vinegar for this purpose and you can choose the one you want the most:
- Place the detergent in the washing machine and let it fill normally with the clothes inside.
- When you are going to start the washing process, add 2 cups of vinegar and let the cycle run normally.
- Wring out your clothes and let dry.
Vinegar for mold on clothes: alternative 2
- Soak the moldy piece in a mixture of water and 1 cup of vinegar for 1 hour.
- Put the soaked garment in the washing machine and add detergent. Let it fill and run the wash cycle.
- If the mold is not completely gone, repeat the process once more.
Borax for mold on clothes and closets
Borax is commonly used for its effectiveness in remove mold from different surfaces and it is very effective on clothing. You can find it in the cleaning section of the supermarket or in pharmacies.
- Place the clothes that have mold inside the washing machine with the detergent and proceed to fill it.
- Bring 1 cup of water to a boil and add ½ cup of borax and dissolve.
- When the washing machine is about to start its wash cycle, add the above mixture and let it wash normally.
Now that you know why mold appears on clothes in the closet, you may also be interested in this other article on How to remove mold from the shower.
If you want to read more articles similar to Why does mold appear on clothes in the closet? we recommend that you enter our Home Cleaning category.