Prep first
Before you start
- Take the item outdoors and brush off the loose mildew.
- Keep it out of the dryer and away from the iron until the stain and smell are gone.
- Check the care label before you use any cleaner.
- Dry-clean items that can't be washed.
Mildew is mold growing right into the fabric, and a musty smell usually gives it away before you see the marks. Those marks can be white, green, brown, black or orange, and they're really the shadows of tiny pits where the fibers have been damaged. Fresh mildew lifts far more easily than mildew that has had time to set.
Mildew on outdoor cushions is worth scrubbing before it spreads deeper into the foam. Let the cover dry completely in the sun before you decide it's clean. Old mildew stains usually need a second round with a mold and mildew remover, because one pass rarely finishes the job.
8 items
What you'll need
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- Liquid laundry detergentLifts the stain in the wash. Unlike bar soap, it won't set the stain. (opens Amazon)
- Oxygen-based bleachUsed in the wash, where the fabric allows it. (opens Amazon)
- Chlorine bleachOnly for the final soak on bleach-safe white or colorfast cotton or linen. (opens Amazon)
- Table salt and a lemonThe bleach-free treatment for fabric that can't take chlorine. (opens Amazon)
- Enzyme pretreaterFor old, stubborn stains on fabric that allows enzymes. (opens Amazon)
- Soft brushRemoves loose mildew outdoors without pushing it deeper into the fibers. (opens Amazon)
- Absorbent pad and 70% isopropyl alcoholFor the stubborn-stain routine, after a pretest. (opens Amazon)
- Lemon juice (opens Amazon)
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5 steps
How to get mildew out of clothes
Step 1 of 5
Brush off the mildew outdoors
Take the item outside before you do anything else, and brush off the loose mildew with a soft brush or by hand. Shake it and let it air in the open so the spores don't scatter through the house.
Careful. Don't brush silk or wool; shake and air them outdoors instead.
Step 2 of 5
Wash with detergent and oxygen bleach
Wash the item at the hottest temperature its care label allows, using liquid laundry detergent and an oxygen-based bleach where the fabric allows it. Repeat the wash as many times as needed to remove the mold and mildew smell.
Tip. Work the detergent into the stain from the back of the fabric.
Careful. Test the oxygen bleach on a hidden spot first; it's only safe on colorfast fabric.
Step 3 of 5
Lift the rest with salt and lemon
If the fabric can't take bleach, rub table salt and lemon juice into the stain. Dry the item in direct sunlight, then rinse it out and launder it again.
Careful. Test lemon juice on a hidden spot first; acid can change some dyes.
Step 4 of 5
Air-dry and check the stain
Dry the item completely in the open air, never in the dryer. Check it in good light for both stain and smell, and move on to the chlorine soak only if either one is still there.
Step 5 of 510 to 15 minutes
Soak in diluted chlorine bleach
On white or colorfast cotton or linen whose care label allows bleach, mix 1/4 cup chlorine bleach with 3/4 cup water and soak the stain for 10 to 15 minutes. Rinse the item thoroughly, then launder it as usual, since this is the last treatment.
Careful. Don't leave a chlorine soak longer than 15 minutes, since over-soaking can cause yellow stains that can't be removed.
If you'd rather buy than mix
Best products for mildew
Choose an oxygen-based bleach for colors, and check the label first, since it doesn't suit wool or silk. Keep chlorine bleach for the bleach-safe white soak only.
Utopia Kitchen White Flour Sack Towels
How we picked these: each product is made for this type of stain, its maker doesn't warn against using it on this fabric, and its directions fit the steps above.
Finished the steps? How does it look?
Nice work. Let it dry completely and check it again in good light before using any heat. Here is what done looks like:
How to tell it's really gone →A faint mark usually needs one more round, not a stronger product.
Heavy buildup usually takes more than one round.
Heavy or long-standing buildup →When to call a professional →How to tell it's working
The stain is gone when the fabric looks clean in daylight and the musty smell has faded. If the smell lingers after a wash, the mildew isn't out yet, so repeat the wash before anything goes near the dryer.
What changes for yours
Adjust for your fabric
Whites and white shirts
White cotton and linen whose care label allows bleach can take the chlorine soak at the end of the steps. That's the only step that changes for them, so brushing and washing still come first.
Work detergent into collars and cuffs before the wash. Use the hottest water the label allows for whites.
Colors and denim
Skip the chlorine soak on colors, since chlorine isn't safe on fabric that isn't colorfast. Oxygen bleach in the wash is the bleach to use here, and only where the label allows it.
If you can't tell whether the dye is colorfast, leave bleach out until you know. Denim follows the same rule as any colored fabric.
Silk, wool and delicates
Silk, wool and other delicates take no chlorine, and they don't take oxygen bleach or enzyme detergent either. Keep them out of hot water and the dryer, and don't iron them while the stain is still there.
Heirloom textiles should never go in a washing machine, even on a gentle cycle. Velvet shouldn't be ironed, and S-coded velvet needs a dry-cleaning or solvent-based cleaner, not water.
Dry-clean-only items
Don't put dry-clean-only items through the wash steps. Shake and air them outdoors, then get them to a dry cleaner as soon as you can.
Tell the cleaner it's mildew so they can check the fibers before cleaning. Don't use any home cleaner or oxygen bleach on the item while it waits.
Heavy or long-standing buildup
An old mildew stain has had time to set into the fibers, so start with an enzyme pretreatment instead of a plain wash. Keep an enzyme product solution on the stain for 30 minutes, then flush it with water. Enzymes aren't for silk or wool, so skip this step on those fabrics.
If the stain has dried, work a detergent mixed with white vinegar into it, then rinse thoroughly. Next, dab on alcohol with an absorbent pad after a pretest, and flush it out with more alcohol. A stain that has been through the dryer is harder, because the heat has already set it.
Only after everything is rinsed out should you use the chlorine soak at the end, and only on bleach-safe white or colorfast cotton or linen. If the stain is still there after all of this, it may be permanent, since badly damaged fibers may not clean up.
Vinegar, baking soda, peroxide and more
Do home remedies work on mildew?
Most home remedies people reach for don't belong on mildew stains in clothes. The ones that do work here are the oxygen bleach and the salt and lemon method, and a few others help only in the stubborn-stain routine.
Works2Helps2Skip3
Chemical safety
Never mix these
Some products in this guide react dangerously with each other. Use them one at a time and rinse with water in between.
Chlorine bleach + Vinegar
Vinegar is an acid, and acid mixed with bleach gives off toxic chlorine gas.
Chlorine bleach + Oxygen bleach (OxiClean)
Both makers advise against combining them: OxiClean says not to mix it with chlorine bleach, and Clorox says the two bleaches cancel each other out.
Oxygen bleach (OxiClean) + Vinegar
OxiClean's maker says it should not be mixed with household chemicals other than detergent in the wash.
Chlorine bleach + Rubbing alcohol
Bleach and rubbing alcohol can form chloroform, which causes dizziness, nausea and loss of consciousness.
If they mix by accident: Stop and add nothing else; leave the area for fresh air, open windows and keep children and pets away; call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222, or 911 if anyone has trouble breathing.
What makes it worse
Mistakes to avoid
Don't mix bleach with ammonia, vinegar or lemon juice.
Chlorine bleach mixed with ammonia, or with acids such as vinegar or lemon juice, is unsafe. Rinse the item fully between any acid treatment and any bleach, and never let the two sit in the same water.
Don't use chlorine bleach on wool, silk or spandex.
Chlorine is hard on these fibers, so keep it off them entirely, even in a diluted solution. Use the delicate-fabric approach in the cards above instead.
Don't use bleach at full strength.
Undiluted bleach can weaken fabric so it tears or wears out sooner. Mix it with water first, as the chlorine step says.
Don't rub a fresh stain with bar soap.
Bar soap sets many stains, so it can make the mildew harder to lift. Use liquid laundry detergent for the pretreat instead.
When to call a professional
If the musty smell stays after several full washes, or the fibers feel weak where the mildew was, a dry cleaner is the safer next step. Ask them to check the fibers before cleaning, since cleaning can't repair damage that has already happened.
Questions
How do I remove mildew from outdoor cushions?
Take the cushion outside and brush off the loose mildew, then vacuum what's left. Dry the cover in direct sunlight and open air, and follow any care label on it before you use a cleaner.
Can you get mildew out of clothes completely?
Usually, if the fabric is washable and the damage is light. Brush it off outdoors, wash it with detergent and oxygen bleach, and repeat the wash until the smell is gone.
Why does the mildew smell stay after washing?
A musty smell is the usual sign of mold, and it can linger after one wash. Repeat the wash as many times as needed, and keep the item out of the dryer until the smell is gone.
When is chlorine bleach safe for mildew?
Only on white or colorfast cotton or linen whose care label allows bleach. Dilute it, soak the stain for 10 to 15 minutes at the end of the process, and never use it on wool, silk or spandex.
Can white vinegar help with mildew?
Yes, a few drops mixed with detergent can help on a stubborn stain. Use plain white vinegar only, and rinse it out completely before any bleach touches the fabric.
Does mildew permanently damage fabric?
It can. Mildew weakens fibers, and the color of the stain is really the shadow of pits where the fiber surface was damaged. Badly damaged fabric may be impossible to clean, so an old stain can stay even after a full routine.
What's the difference between oxygen bleach and chlorine bleach for mildew?
Oxygen-based bleach is the gentler choice for colors and colorfast fabrics, and it goes in the main wash. Chlorine bleach is the stronger option, used only as a last soak on bleach-safe white or colorfast cotton or linen.
Odor guides
Still smells?
Related
How we know this
Every method, amount and warning here comes from university extension services, industry bodies and product makers. We read them, check every step for unsafe combinations and changed amounts, and write it up so you can follow it.