Prep first
Before you start
- Fix whatever made the item wet, and dry it completely.
- Wear gloves, goggles without vents, and an N-95 respirator so you don't breathe in or touch the spores.
- Fabric dried within 24 to 48 hours of getting wet usually won't grow mold.
A fresh mold mark on clothes is mostly growth sitting on the surface, but the longer it stays damp, the more the fibers themselves get marked. Fresh stains lift far more easily than set-in ones, so don't leave damp garments sitting around. Dry-clean-only pieces and fragile fabrics need a different route, and that limits what you can try at home.
Check the care label before anything goes in the wash, because some fabrics can't take strong cleaners. White mold on fabric often responds to a mold remover made for fabric, used in a normal wash. Let it air dry completely before you store it, since leftover dampness is what brings the musty smell back.
Before you start
What clothes can take
Safe to use3
- Water
- Soaking
- Enzyme cleaners
Use with care6
- Hot water
- Chlorine bleach
- Oxygen bleach
- Solvents (alcohol, spot removers)
- Acids (vinegar, lemon)
- Scrubbing and abrasives
Avoid1
- Heat, once the stain is out
6 items
What you'll need
Tap an item to get it on Amazon, or tick what you already have.
- Mild liquid hand dishwashing detergentLoosens the mold so the wash can rinse it out. (opens Amazon)
- Soft brushRemoves loose mold outdoors without pushing spores deeper. (opens Amazon)
- Gloves, goggles without vents, and an N-95 respiratorKeeps spores off your skin and out of your lungs. (opens Amazon)
- Oxygen bleachThe option for colorfast items, soaked in hot water. (opens Amazon)
- Chlorine bleachOnly for colorfast, bleach-safe fabric, as the last step. (opens Amazon)
- Measuring cupFor the 1/4 cup of bleach and 3/4 cup of water.
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5 steps
Step by step
Step 1 of 5
Brush off the loose mold
Take the item outside and brush off any loose mold or mildew before anything gets wet. Outdoors, the spores can't scatter through the house. Brush gently, since scrubbing pushes the spores deeper into the fibers.
Step 2 of 5
Wash in mild detergent
Work a little mild liquid hand dishwashing detergent into the stain with your fingers or a soft brush. Then launder it at the hottest temperature its care label allows, and keep it out of the dryer.
Tip. No care label? Use cold water and skip both bleach steps.
Careful. Never rub bar soap on a stain; soap sets many stains.
Step 3 of 5
Air-dry and check the stain
Hang the item to air-dry, away from direct heat, and wait until it's completely dry. Then look at the stain in good light. If the mark is gone, you're done; if not, go on to the next step.
Careful. Never dry or iron a stained garment; heat sets the stain and can make it impossible to remove.
Step 4 of 5
Soak in oxygen bleach
If the mark is still there, test a hidden spot first, then soak the colorfast item in oxygen bleach mixed with hot water. Launder it as usual afterward, then air-dry it again before you check. Skip this step on wool or silk.
Step 5 of 510 to 15 minutes
Finish with chlorine bleach
Rinse out the detergent and oxygen bleach first, then soak the item for 10 to 15 minutes in 1/4 cup chlorine bleach with 3/4 cup water. Use this only on colorfast cotton, polyester, nylon, acrylic or rayon. Rinse thoroughly, launder, and air-dry.
Careful. Never combine chlorine bleach with lemon juice or vinegar, and rinse thoroughly first.
If you'd rather buy than mix
Best products for mold on clothes
Choose an oxygen bleach for anything colored, and keep chlorine bleach for white fabrics that are bleach-safe. Skip any mildew remover whose fabric use you can't confirm.
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 clothes, 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.
See what to do for what you're seeing →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 mold is gone when the spot no longer looks fuzzy after the item is fully dry. A faint shadow can stay even after the mold is gone, because the fibers underneath were damaged. Stop there rather than repeating bleach on a mark the fabric can't lose.
What changes for yours
Adjust for your clothes
Mildew stains and spots
On mildew spots, the color you see is the shadow of tiny pits in the fiber where damage has happened. The steps stay the same, but expect a faint mark even after the mildew is gone.
Stop once the spot stops fading, and don't keep bleaching a mark that is really fiber damage.
Mildew and fungus
Mildew and fungus get the same treatment as mold, since they're all fungi that need damp fabric to grow. Fungus on other fabrics follows the same wash, air-dry, and check order.
What changes is the fabric: if the item is wool or a wool blend, skip the bleach steps and see the Wool & Cashmere guide for the stain. Without a care label, stick to the cold-water wash.
Fabric and cloth
For general fabric, the fiber decides which treatment you can use, and the care label tells you that. Cotton, polyester, nylon, acrylic and rayon can take chlorine bleach if they're colorfast. Anything else gets the wash and air-dry, with oxygen bleach only if it's colorfast and not wool or silk.
If the label is missing and you can't identify the fiber, don't guess: wash in cold water and skip both bleaches.
Jeans, cotton shirts, and baby clothes
Jeans and cotton shirts are usually bleach-safe, so the dye is the main thing to watch. Test a hidden seam with the bleach mixture before you soak the whole item, and skip the bleach if the color lightens or shifts.
Baby clothes follow the same wash and air-dry steps, with a mild detergent and a thorough rinse so no product is left against the skin.
Musty mildew smell
A musty smell means mildew is still in the fibers, so the item needs another full wash and air-dry before you wear it. Covering the smell with perfume won't help, because it comes back once the fabric is damp again.
Dry it completely in the open air, then smell it before you put it away.
Colored mold
Colored mold, whether white, black, pink, yellow, or another shade, uses the same steps as any other mold. The change is on the bleach side: for colored items, use oxygen bleach and skip chlorine, because chlorine isn't safe on fabric that isn't colorfast.
Test a hidden spot before you use the oxygen bleach. If the color shifts during any treatment, stop there and go back to the wash alone.
Heavy or long-standing buildup
An old mold stain, one that has sat for days or dried onto the fabric, takes longer to lift than a fresh one. Repeat the soak if necessary and let the item dry between tries, so you can judge each result.
Mold that has been there a while can leave damage in the fibers, and the mark you see is partly that damage. Fabrics badly damaged by mildew may be impossible to clean.
If the item went through the dryer, the heat may have set the stain, so don't dry it that way again. If the stain is still there after the bleach step, it may be a permanent shadow of damage, and the garment may not come fully clean.
Vinegar, baking soda, peroxide and more
Do home remedies work on mold on clothes?
Most home remedies aren't made for clothes, so stick with detergent and the bleaches the fabric can take. Here's where each common option lands for this stain. If you can't wash the item or can't use bleach, the salt and lemon juice option and the professional advice below cover you.
Works3Helps2Skip2
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.
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
Ammonia and chlorine bleach release toxic fumes, so never use the two together. Rinse thoroughly between any two stain removers, and check the labels before you reach for bleach.
Don't bleach wool, silk, or spandex
Chlorine bleach is unsafe on wool, silk, mohair, leather and spandex, and on any fabric that isn't colorfast. Full-strength bleach can also weaken cloth so it tears sooner, so keep to the diluted soak. For wool, the Wool & Cashmere guide covers the gentler options.
Don't scrub the mildew hard
Mildew weakens fibers, so scrubbing can wear the spot thin before the stain is gone. Blot or press the area with a cloth instead.
Don't make bleach your routine
Chlorine bleach isn't meant for routine use on mold, so save it for the last stubborn stain. If you do use it, work in a ventilated room or outdoors.
Troubleshooting
If the stain is still there
Pick what you're seeing:
The spot is still there after washing
Treat it again rather than drying it. Repeat the detergent wash, then move to the 10- to 15-minute soak in 1/4 cup chlorine bleach (if safe for fabric) or sodium perborate bleach and 3/4 cup water, and air-dry until the stain is gone.
You don't know whether the item can take chlorine bleach
Test a hidden seam or hem first. Any color change means the item is not safe for chlorine bleach; use sodium perborate bleach instead if the fabric is colorfast.
The fabric feels thin around the spot
Mildew weakens fibers, so work cautiously from here and stop scrubbing. Test everything on a hidden seam, and accept that badly damaged fabric may be impossible to clean.
You used one remover and now want to try another
Rinse thoroughly first and let the item dry. Use one product at a time, and never mix chlorine bleach with ammonia or any cleaner that contains it.
When to call a professional
Take dry-clean-only items to a professional dry cleaner as soon as you can, and tell them the fiber content and the stain. Take washable items too if the stain covers a large area, the item is bulky, or the fabric is fragile. Badly mildewed fabric may not be recoverable, so a cleaner can tell you if it's worth trying.
Questions
Will mold come out of clothes, and is it dangerous after washing?
Surface mold often washes out, but a faint mark can stay because mold can damage the fibers underneath. Once the item is clean and fully dry, it's fine to wear and won't keep growing unless it gets wet again. If it still smells musty or feels damp, wash it again before you wear it.
What does mold on clothes look like?
It usually shows as spots, and those spots can be white, black, pink, yellow, or other colors. The color you see is partly the shadow of tiny pits in the fiber where damage has happened, so the mark can linger after the mold is gone.
Does mold on clothes come back?
It can, if the fabric stays damp. Mold needs water or moisture to grow, so dry the item completely and store it somewhere dry.
Is it safe to use chlorine on fabric?
Only on colorfast, bleach-safe fibers, and only as the last step after everything is rinsed out. If the item can't take bleach, use oxygen bleach on colorfast fabric or the salt and lemon juice method in direct sunlight.
Is oxygen bleach enough for mold on clothes?
It's a strong step on colorfast fabric in hot water, but it isn't always enough by itself. Test a hidden spot first, and repeat it if the stain remains. Don't use baking soda in its place, since it isn't a fabric treatment in this method.
Do I need a special mildew remover for clothes?
No, you don't need a special mildew remover for clothes. A mild liquid dish soap for the wash and an oxygen bleach for colored items cover most cases, and chlorine bleach is held back for the last step.
Can I wash mold-stained clothes that are dry-clean only?
Don't wash it at home, and don't use any product or procedure the care label prohibits. Take it to a professional dry cleaner promptly, and tell them the fiber content and the stain.
Methods, care labels and related guides
Good to know
Odor guides
Still smells?
Mold on other materials
Other stains on clothes
Start from the bigger picture
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.