How to Remove Musty Mildew Odors from Your Clothing?
With the summer months soon to be coming to a close, many of us are trying to get our fill of beach and pool days. Aside from just sunny days and fun times with family and friends, that also means a ton of wet clothing and swimwear. At Aplus Laundry Service, our over 25 years in the laundry service and garment industry gives us the experience and knowledge to handle a variety of different laundry and linen issues. And during the summer, full of beach days and pool days, packing those wet, damp, still soggy clothes back into your backpack and then into that hot trunk of yours can lead to a few different issues, but none of which are worse than the presence of mold and mildew, and the putrid, foul odor that often comes alongside that dampness. In order to combat that however, there are few specialized methods that the team at Aplus Laundry Service has learned over the years, considering that fabric, clothing and linen restoration is one of our key services, we have helped countless clients to restore their clothing after floods and water damage. Rather than throwing out your favorite pair of swim trunks, here are some helpful tips that will help you bring them back to their former glory, and have them ready for next weekends trip to the beach!
The best thing to avoid these types of issues is to thoroughly dry your clothes as much as possible before putting them away into your bag. This will save you plenty of time and effort, but once the deed is done, there is a specialized procedure that the team at Aplus Laundry Service uses to help remove mold and mildew from our clothing items.
· Cleaning Products and “Detergents”
The first thing you must do is find the right cleaning product to use, that will help you to fight the spread of mold and mildew and kill and bacteria and fungus that may continue to live on your clothing’s surface. Some of the best items for this job include:
o White Vinegar
White vinegar does a good job in removing the hard water and detergent residues from the cloth. These provide a fertile ground for the trapping of moisture that in turn promotes the growth of mold. The vinegar should be mixed with water in the ratio 1:1 for optimum results.
o Borax
Borax is composed of boron, sodium, water, and oxygen, and is a mineral that is good at riding off clothes of mildew. It works best when mixed with water.
o Baking Soda
Baking soda comes in handy in cases whereby even after multiple attempts of using vinegar, the smell does not simply go away.
· The Washing Machine
Once you find the right additive to add to your clothing, they must be put into the washing machine using your regular detergent. At Aplus Laundry Service we use a number of detergents, anything should work with the additives above. The washer should be completely filled with water (preferably hot to kill the spores, unless the clothes can only be cold washed). Run your normal cycle and check if the smell is still present. If using a cold wash, you may have to repeat the cycle more than once to get a satisfactory result.
· Add Your Specialized Product from the First Step
Whatever specialized product you chose in the first step, must be added to the washing machine, with additional water – then run another wash cycle. These products will kill any remaining mold that was not eliminated in the first wash. If the clothes are too musty, repeat.
· Hang the Clothes to Dry
Take the clothes outside and use an old-school clothesline, this will give them direct contact with the sun, not only for drying but to allow the sun’s UV rays to help kill of any of the excess bacteria and fungus that might be leftover on them.
For more information on commercial laundry service options, be sure to contact APLUS LAUNDRY today.
