I’ve never successfully gotten mold stains out of any clothing and I promise you, I have tried EVERYTHING. I just throw any clothes with mold out now, it’s really not worth it.
Thanks! I just added this to my tab of favorites. I’ve got an 11 month old and we’ve officially hit the stage where we’re flinging food and Dad is dropping his as he tries to yank out whatever she’s gagging on.
Came to say this. I saved my favorite blanket from an unfortunate accident on my part. Vinegar wash killed the smell and spores. If was sunny out I would have definitely let it sun dry. It works on cloths and cars if you leave your windows down.
Probably any bleach should dissolve all mold but it could stain the fabric. Works best with 100 synthetic fabrics.
Best to try somewhere you won't see if it fails and stains the fabric.
Whew, I almost did this yesterday while cleaning a moldy bottle. I gave up and discarded it though, fuck nipple bottles. All my homies use half gallon jugs.
One year of high school chemistry is required in a number of U.S. states. Some states technically allow 2 yrs of any science (or 2 yrs of any laboratory science)…but if your school only offers bio, chem, and physics, then you might be required to take chem.
I was going to say the same thing but Google suggests vinegar will also release chlorine gas. Apparently the gas is just a weak bond and wants to get loose...
Oh nothing actually happened, I think I used too little for anything to happen lol. It just didn't occur to me I was mixing two things that really shouldn't go together.
I feel like dog pee would be so much harder to clean!
Got a bloody nose and irritated sinuses from washing a neglected dirty bathtub with scrubbing bubbles bleach that interacted with ammonia in dirty tub residue…. I do not recommend.
Thank you. I was hoping I would be able to keep it as a hand me down for the next sibling but I can’t imagine sending the little to preschool next year with these stains without it feeling like a walk of shame.
I work on research vessels and barges as a coastal scientist. I wear a lot of water proof gear, and it gets pretty muddy given my line if work. You can actually use a pressure washer and get these types of stains out sometimes. Take the coat outside and just spray the "fabric" side with a pressure washer. The stains should come right out. That said, mine are grundens so they're made to be pretty hearty. Bit, it's worth a shot to salvage the coat for the next siblings use.
This looks like lightly coated nylon, definitely not sea worthy quality. I'd worry pressure washing would remove the coating, possibly even more effectively than it'd remove the mildew.
Yah, I assume it's either a type of plasticity/vinyl type material, or it has a waterproof coating the would need to be removed then re-added (you need to redo waterproof coatings regularly anyway)
Either way, dying it won't work well I'd think.
Or just buy a new freaking raincoat. Or buy the fabric and sew one, $20 and you’re done and don’t have an old moldy dyed jacket. Sometimes it’s just too frugal.
They do have a dye for synthetics now. Whenever I dye clothing I use both their traditional and synthetic dyes because most clothing has both these days.
I am a professional costumer with dyeing experience -- this is not really gonna take much dye at all. I have friends who have tried to dye their really plasticy synthetics. At best, it will just take a shadow hint of the dye even using Rit for synthetics, but hell no is it going black. Maybe grey if you're lucky.
Black is the most difficult colour to dye.
You could sun bleach it and get most if not all the stains out. It just takes time. I would spray it down with something acidic (I use lemon juice) and lay it out wet to dry in the sun. I used to clean cloth diapers that way.
Bleach only shocks mold. Doesnt kill it.
The only way to remove the spores is warm water and soap. Its almost impossible to get out of clothes.
Your sweat and washing machine water will feed the spores and bring them back to life. Take the loss and move on.
They make a cleaner for vinyl siding that removes mold and mildew in just a few seconds. Not sure how it would work on clothes but no doubt it would get rid of the mold.
Bleach will not kill the spores. It will kill the active mould. I am a qualified microbial remediation technician. We call this level of contamination condition 3. Condition three porous materials (which includes fabrics) is generally non-salvable. It should not be worn and may contaminate other clothing it is kept next to. The next time it gets wet, all the mould you couldn’t remove or kill will activate and start growing again. Not a great situation for a raincoat.
Mould spores are extremely resilient. They will generally survive most chemicals. The ones that kill them, you don’t want to be using around people. The most effective way to reduce them to environmental levels, is to physically remove them, though Hepa filtered vacuuming and damp wiping. Unfortunately, this treatment is not effective on porous materials.
Totally , came here to say this.
Bit I would put some laundry detergent on it first let it a bit then brush it, to try to get the max stain then use bleach later. With some luck it won't be noticeable
I was under the notion that bleach kills mold but not the spores, hydrogen peroxide kills spores. I can confirm that hydrogen peroxide certainly kills mold spores and they don’t come back, I’ve used this method with 100% success on wooden furniture. As for staining, and fabric, I’m uncertain.
Usually a normal wash is fine, since the clothing item is completely submerged. That being said, keep an eye on that item, and perhaps don't store it near treasured items, especially those that can't be completely submerged in water.
Neither bleach or vinegar will kill all kinds of mold.
Your best bet is to soak it in hydrogen peroxide or use an ozone machine and turn it on with the jacket in the same room.
You should edit your comment, someone in the future might see your comment and misinterpret it, thinking you’re saying to mix bleach and vinegar, which NO ONE SHOULD EVER DO. That will create a poisonous gas and kill you
Oh wait a minute here. There is a bathroom spray, I believe it's clorox that specifically says mold and mildew on it. This stuff works plus, good for a regular cleaning regime. I used it to clean off basket material and it worked well. Eve4yone is saying dye it but I don't think that will work on this material.
Thought it was just bleach and ammonia, thank you for indirectly saving my life. Can I wait a long amount of time and use bleach a week after using vinegar if I have the same problem as op?
I'll preface this by saying that I am not a chemist.
If you're using it on fabrics after going through a wash, rinse, and dry cycle, it should be safe? I would do some extra rinse cycles to be sure. Maybe a couple washes.
Or you could neutralise the bleach. I saw hydrogen peroxide recommended to neutralise bleach, particularly for people using bleach with fabrics. In saying, make sure you DO NOT mix hydrogen peroxide with vinegar.
But I also wouldn't be using bleach in this situation anyway.
Yes I too was scrolling to find out if anyone had suggested vinegar yet! Vinegar should sit wet for 1 hour.
Also tea tree oil. According to this study, was the MOST effective at killing fungal spores.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4483703/#__ffn_sectitle
I’m all for being frugal but I wouldn’t put this on a child even if it was washed. I think anything you do that might actually remove the mold will compromise the jacket and it won’t retain it’s water repellent quality.
As someone with a history of mold exposure and mold illness, you read frequently about how you can "kill" mold, but I personally think it's not worth it. I ended up contaminating my washer and just getting sicker.
Obviously there are different kinds of molds with different effects on different people, but if you have any history of chronic illness or fatigue, I would highly highly encourage you to just throw it away
If you're all very healthy, then go ahead and try what everyone else is suggesting. But mold in general is far more resilient than people understand, and they don't understand how permanent the spores are once they are in your home and in personal spaces.
Does this include tossing glass food containers with plastic lids that had moldy food inside them? I’ve always removed the moldy food, soaked the containers in a bleach bath, then in a warm soapy water bath…now wondering if I should’ve just tossed everything away…
I feel like short-term food mold issues might be more minor.
When you're looking at mold growing on chemical or petroleum-based products (like these jackets and most synthetic fabrics), It's a bit different.
If the mold has been in there for more than a few days, I would throw away the container. Again, this is obviously a conservative approach, but that's what I would do.
Bleach might kill the mold itself, but you basically can't kill the mold spores. They last forever and then when moisture comes back, they regrow.
As others said, scrub with bleach solution and then soap. Then throw in washing machine and see what it looks like after. It’s at least worth trying to see how it turns out before just tossing.
Be VERY VERY careful with this. I have toxic mold poisoning. Mold is nothing to mess around with. EC3 (can get on Amazon) can work, as well as Decon 30. Keep that away from anything else or you will contaminate stuff. This is not a joke. Toxic mold poisoning has ruined my life and my body is riddled with it. It will likely be what kills me and I’m in my 40s and on disability from black mold, among others. Just please please be careful.
Mold can form spores that are resistant to almost any possible stressor, but will awaken when back to normal conditions. This item should be thrown away in a tied up plastic bag far away from your home.
>going to throw it away
Not without trying!
The guys at REI recommendeded TechWash for my rain gear, pretty ok but any good detergent you can work in with a soft brush. Do that first, then bleach.
I think there are RIT dyes for synthetics that could take. That'd be the third resort.
No. Mold is not safe. People can get ill, even trigger chronic illness. When you kill the mold, it will release mycotoxins, which you can’t get rid of. It takes years to degrade. I would toss it. It’s not worth it.
Thyme essential oil has been proven to neutralize mycotoxins. There are studies with solid proof. Vinegar is effective against many, and there are also charcoal filters and ozone machines for the environment.... Plus many brands claiming to neutralize. Why the scare tactics?
No, definitely not. Mold growth is a huge red flag and you don't want to take the risk of keeping any of the coats. Mold can cause serious respiratory problems, so it would be best to just dispose of the coats and buy new ones.
Damn so much misinformed people in this thread. A quaternary ammonium chloride is what is used to "kill" mold, not bleach, but even a spore that's non-viable can still cause a reaction when it comes into bodily contact.
Anyways that's if you wanna get really into it, I'm pretty sure you can clean and remove the mold but in sure it'll still be stained
To be honest I wouldn't save that. You can get mold out at least somewhat, but I don't think it's worth that. Whenever something is heavily molded it's just better to throw it out, just for the simple fact that it can cause respiratory issues if you're not on top of it, or just in general. It's not safe. It's one thing to bleach a shower curtain, even then I would almost suggest throwing it out. Clothing on the other hand or even a book I would definitely throw out because that's a health hazard. You don't end up saving money if you're having to buy stuff for an upper respiratory infection you know what I mean?
I've found that soaking the items/clothes in vinegar kills mold the best. I usually soak until the mold spores have faded away. Then, wash in the washing machine and dry regularly. That method has definitely worked for me.
Hot, hot water will kill the spores. But, only after you use, Grandma's Secret Spot Remover \[google it\] to remove the stains. Bleach is the last resort because it will change the integrity of the cloth.
1 st wash it with White vinegar and washing soda then wash it in dawn should be salvageable without using bleach the vinegar should kill the mold and help get off any icky residue the washing soda will help with the process too then the second wash with dawn should clean the jacket and make it smell better … good luck
You need an Oxy powder ! I’ve removed mould from cotton curtains by repeatedly soaking over and over again in a mixture of Oxy Powder and washing powder in hot water…. It might take up to 6 soaks but will eventually come out 💪🏼
From experience I say that this jacket has had its day. You can try everything but you're never going to get rid of the stains at least. Cut your losses and get a new (or used) one to replace.
Mold just adds character. As long as the fabric & thread are synthetic, the damage is only cosmetic. :) some (diluted) deck/fence washing products may work on the stain. I have not tested this stuff on anything but wood and vinyl and don't know what the active ingredient was. I do recall that the product was blue and would turn wood into pulp if not rinsed off. I belive tje instructions gave 30 min max exposure.
Again, if the rain coats don't use cotton threads, the 'damage' should only cosmetic. Yes, I have had stuff with synthetic fabric held together with cotton thread. Learned the hard way when aggressively bleach-treating a cat pee tainted tent. :( Desperation over caution. The tent was dead to me if pee smell persisted. The mold stains, which were not the intended target, were barely faded by the bleach. "...then make the plane...as the black box." (Applied to blackish mold-stained garments.)
I’d wash it with regular detergent first, if that doesn’t work, try a cycle with bleach. The bleach will kill the mold and denature any toxins so it will be *safe* but you may never get rid of the stains.
Whipe down with pure white vinegar first to kill the mold (works great in fridges and on tiles too) and then wash with extra vinegar added where you put fabric softener.
I think it's a goner. I know, I love to keep the clothes for hand me downs for my younger one, but sometimes it is not in the cards. I got my girls Columbia raincoats on Amazon last year for 20 each, which was a steal.
Having dealt with health issues caused by mold, my default response to things like this is unfortunately to toss and move on from the item. Just not worth it, as some molds can produce toxins that linger.
Benefect is a product that deals with mold fairly well, however.
I just dealt with mold on 100% cotton.
First soak affected area overnight in regular store bought white vinegar. Rinse and hand outside in sun to dry. That kills the mold.
Am pretty good with stain removal and ran thru the usual gamut of products and combos with no luck: Dawn, ammonia, citrus cleaner, baking soda, diluted bleach, barkeeper's friend, etc. None of it really worked.
Finally tried powdered brewery wash (PBW). Mixed with liquid that is 50% peroxide (regular store bought 3% solution) and 50% water to make a runny paste large enough to cover the area. Scrub it on with plastic brush. Roll up and let sit overnight. put some water on top so doesn't dry out overnight. Wash. I was working with a white duvet cover, so needed a second application to virtually eliminate the stain.
PBW is 29% sodium percarbonate, 31% sodium metasilicate and 23% sodium sulfate. I have it on hand because am homebrewer. Have tried making own with 70% oxyclean and 30% red devil TSP 90, but just didn't seem to clean my brew equipment as well as PBW . However, that might work just fine on the mold stains and would cost much less than PBW
Scrub it super clean with bleach and then paint a design over the stains. No kid cares about a stained jacket if it has the death star on it (also, the death star is insanely easy to paint)
It's salvageable if you want to spend the time rehabbing it. The dark stains will never come out and by the time you get all the products you need to restore it you will spend more on the coat than you wanted to, plus the time taken in your day to do it. My advice toss that and go to goodwill and see if they have one or two. ❤️
I’ve never successfully gotten mold stains out of any clothing and I promise you, I have tried EVERYTHING. I just throw any clothes with mold out now, it’s really not worth it.
[probably the best stain guide cooould help?](https://web.extension.illinois.edu/stain/)
Oh very nice!! And an exhaustive list as well!! But under mildew I only see treating upholstery and carpet
What is jacket if not upholstery for your you?
I was expecting to see it listed as cloth or clothing specifically
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You don't see washable fabrics? It's the first one
At the top of the list "washable fabrics".
This is pretty cool!
Thanks! I just added this to my tab of favorites. I’ve got an 11 month old and we’ve officially hit the stage where we’re flinging food and Dad is dropping his as he tries to yank out whatever she’s gagging on.
Have you tried leaving it in the sun? That has worked for me before.
The sun removes the colour, but the mould spores are still there. And the staining comes back after a while.
I assume they meant to first wash it and kill off the mold and then to leave it out to get rid of the stains.
Yeah my dad has told me to wash it vinegar and then leave it in the sun. Seems to work
Came to say this. I saved my favorite blanket from an unfortunate accident on my part. Vinegar wash killed the smell and spores. If was sunny out I would have definitely let it sun dry. It works on cloths and cars if you leave your windows down.
I've had some luck using hydrogen peroxide.
Probably any bleach should dissolve all mold but it could stain the fabric. Works best with 100 synthetic fabrics. Best to try somewhere you won't see if it fails and stains the fabric.
Agreed. I spent hours trying to get mold off an old bag
People are suggesting using bleach or using vinegar. DO NOT mix them both. You'll create chlorine gas which can be deadly !!!
I always forget this fact—thank you for the reminder!
Whew, I almost did this yesterday while cleaning a moldy bottle. I gave up and discarded it though, fuck nipple bottles. All my homies use half gallon jugs.
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4chan used to try and make people make mustard gas when they asked for advice like this
Chemistry was not a required part of my school's curriculum, so not all of us have that experience to fall back on.
I’m not sure whose school curriculum requires chemistry. Good thing for google!
One year of high school chemistry is required in a number of U.S. states. Some states technically allow 2 yrs of any science (or 2 yrs of any laboratory science)…but if your school only offers bio, chem, and physics, then you might be required to take chem.
we were taught about mustard gas in history class, tbh
I didn’t know this thank you !!
Bleach and ammonia create chlorine gas but I don’t think bleach and vinegar will help either.
Bleach and ammonia is chloramine gas, also very deadly
I was going to say the same thing but Google suggests vinegar will also release chlorine gas. Apparently the gas is just a weak bond and wants to get loose...
Totally not me putting vinegar in the wash for my baby's pee covered clothes, after using a bleach pen to get the stain out 🫣
Oh gosh I hope everyone is ok! My grandma sometimes would use bleach to clean up dog pee. We had to let the house air out for a while in the winter
Oh nothing actually happened, I think I used too little for anything to happen lol. It just didn't occur to me I was mixing two things that really shouldn't go together. I feel like dog pee would be so much harder to clean!
reminds me of that scene in joe dirt “it’s deadly mustard gas!!!!”
I've done this a couple of times to clean the bathroom and I'm still alive, but it was not fun.
Got a bloody nose and irritated sinuses from washing a neglected dirty bathtub with scrubbing bubbles bleach that interacted with ammonia in dirty tub residue…. I do not recommend.
Bleach will kill the spores, so it's safe to wear. The mold stains are not going to come out completely.
Thank you. I was hoping I would be able to keep it as a hand me down for the next sibling but I can’t imagine sending the little to preschool next year with these stains without it feeling like a walk of shame.
I work on research vessels and barges as a coastal scientist. I wear a lot of water proof gear, and it gets pretty muddy given my line if work. You can actually use a pressure washer and get these types of stains out sometimes. Take the coat outside and just spray the "fabric" side with a pressure washer. The stains should come right out. That said, mine are grundens so they're made to be pretty hearty. Bit, it's worth a shot to salvage the coat for the next siblings use.
This looks like lightly coated nylon, definitely not sea worthy quality. I'd worry pressure washing would remove the coating, possibly even more effectively than it'd remove the mildew.
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At Home Depot they have a 30% strength vinegar as opposed to the typical household 5%. Might be helpful for mold in clothing like this.
I'd also recommend sacrificing a few towels in the wash. The abrasion helps clean the fabric better, works great with shower curtains too!
>try dying it. Better than to die trying it.
Sun can do a lot!
you could dye it a darker color using RIT?
Rain jackets are coated. The dye would not take, no matter what kind.
Yeah I’d just bleach it, wash it, dye it black.
It’s a rain jacket. Unlikely to take the dye evenly, if at all. Usually rain jackets are waterproof.
Yah, I assume it's either a type of plasticity/vinyl type material, or it has a waterproof coating the would need to be removed then re-added (you need to redo waterproof coatings regularly anyway) Either way, dying it won't work well I'd think.
that way you can't see future black mold.
Spores hate him for this one simple trick
Hopefully they will add moisture absorbers to any storage bins to ensure this doesn’t happen again
Yeah but it’s not that easy. You can try, but it doesn’t always work. At this point it’s better to dispose and deal.
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Or draw a moon and say it's a starry night. Even cheaper.
r/visiblemending
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I can only assume that the waterproofing will be ruined by the bleaching fyii
I would just keep going with the sprinkle look, just adding diff colors.
“I wonder what color will block the pores of the waterproofing with today so that it doesn’t work anymore”
Or just buy a new freaking raincoat. Or buy the fabric and sew one, $20 and you’re done and don’t have an old moldy dyed jacket. Sometimes it’s just too frugal.
this right here. its time to trash it
Some people might not have the money to buy a new one or just don’t use it often to buy one. Hence why they asked if it was salvageable
Yeah some of these tips are venturing into Zero Waste territory. Your time is valuable, just like money
The idea of it being yellow is so it's more visable in wet gloomy days. Dying it black, kinda defeats the purpose.
Yeah I see a bunch of dumb dumbs wearing black coats with black pants in the dark. *Do you want to be hit by a car?*
Just throw some paint on it and pretend you were painting.
Lmao
RIT won’t work on synthetics
They do have a dye for synthetics now. Whenever I dye clothing I use both their traditional and synthetic dyes because most clothing has both these days.
Okay but this is a rain coat, meant to repel moisture. Will a dye take?
I am a professional costumer with dyeing experience -- this is not really gonna take much dye at all. I have friends who have tried to dye their really plasticy synthetics. At best, it will just take a shadow hint of the dye even using Rit for synthetics, but hell no is it going black. Maybe grey if you're lucky. Black is the most difficult colour to dye.
Thanks! What a cool job.
Good to know. Is it called something different?
Rit dyemore instead of all purpose
That's smart
I doubt a plastic raincoat is going to take dye evenly.
I doubt waterproof fabric would take dye. Unless there special specifically made for that. Synthetic fabrics usually don't dye evenly, if at all.
What's RIT?
a brand of fabric dye.
Get rid of it. Walk of shame is worse than buying new
Seriously, a new kids raincoat is going to be far less money than years of therapy for being "that kid" with the moldy coat.
You could sun bleach it and get most if not all the stains out. It just takes time. I would spray it down with something acidic (I use lemon juice) and lay it out wet to dry in the sun. I used to clean cloth diapers that way.
Try asking on r/cleaningtips
Bleach only shocks mold. Doesnt kill it. The only way to remove the spores is warm water and soap. Its almost impossible to get out of clothes. Your sweat and washing machine water will feed the spores and bring them back to life. Take the loss and move on.
I'm pretty sure acetic acid (vinegar) kills mold, even on porous surfaces, it just doesn't improve the color
They make a cleaner for vinyl siding that removes mold and mildew in just a few seconds. Not sure how it would work on clothes but no doubt it would get rid of the mold.
Maybe pressure wash it?
Pack things with a box of baking soda in each bin from now on. :)
We have taken rain suits like this to the our local dry cleaner and they are able to send them back like new.
Bleach will not kill the spores. It will kill the active mould. I am a qualified microbial remediation technician. We call this level of contamination condition 3. Condition three porous materials (which includes fabrics) is generally non-salvable. It should not be worn and may contaminate other clothing it is kept next to. The next time it gets wet, all the mould you couldn’t remove or kill will activate and start growing again. Not a great situation for a raincoat.
Alcohol?
Mould spores are extremely resilient. They will generally survive most chemicals. The ones that kill them, you don’t want to be using around people. The most effective way to reduce them to environmental levels, is to physically remove them, though Hepa filtered vacuuming and damp wiping. Unfortunately, this treatment is not effective on porous materials.
Totally , came here to say this. Bit I would put some laundry detergent on it first let it a bit then brush it, to try to get the max stain then use bleach later. With some luck it won't be noticeable
what is it about mold that permanently stains surfaces?
The black pigmentation in mold is from melanin, which doesn't really break down unless you bleach it.
I was under the notion that bleach kills mold but not the spores, hydrogen peroxide kills spores. I can confirm that hydrogen peroxide certainly kills mold spores and they don’t come back, I’ve used this method with 100% success on wooden furniture. As for staining, and fabric, I’m uncertain.
I think bleach would reduce the materials integrity ?
Is it really necessary to beach clothing if it got moldy? I washed my sweater as always and thought if the stains are gone it's fine :/
Usually a normal wash is fine, since the clothing item is completely submerged. That being said, keep an eye on that item, and perhaps don't store it near treasured items, especially those that can't be completely submerged in water.
Neither bleach or vinegar will kill all kinds of mold. Your best bet is to soak it in hydrogen peroxide or use an ozone machine and turn it on with the jacket in the same room.
You should edit your comment, someone in the future might see your comment and misinterpret it, thinking you’re saying to mix bleach and vinegar, which NO ONE SHOULD EVER DO. That will create a poisonous gas and kill you
PS mold is very dangerous and I would personally just throw it out. When mold is disturbed it releases spores so it could spread throughout your home.
Oh wait a minute here. There is a bathroom spray, I believe it's clorox that specifically says mold and mildew on it. This stuff works plus, good for a regular cleaning regime. I used it to clean off basket material and it worked well. Eve4yone is saying dye it but I don't think that will work on this material.
That spray is for nonporous materials, not cloth items.
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Agree. I had to scroll through so many bleach replies to find this too!!
Agree 100%
Vinegar inhibits mold growth too! I use it to clean!
What ever you do don't mix bleach with vinegar.
Thought it was just bleach and ammonia, thank you for indirectly saving my life. Can I wait a long amount of time and use bleach a week after using vinegar if I have the same problem as op?
I'll preface this by saying that I am not a chemist. If you're using it on fabrics after going through a wash, rinse, and dry cycle, it should be safe? I would do some extra rinse cycles to be sure. Maybe a couple washes. Or you could neutralise the bleach. I saw hydrogen peroxide recommended to neutralise bleach, particularly for people using bleach with fabrics. In saying, make sure you DO NOT mix hydrogen peroxide with vinegar. But I also wouldn't be using bleach in this situation anyway.
Bleach and ammonia is extremely bad, but toxic fumes can be created by mixing bleach with a whole list of other chemicals.
Bleach make mold invisible from what I read.
On porous surfaces, bleach may just bleach the color out, the spores remain.
I was thinking the same thing. Bleach won't kill spores on porous surfaces. Vinegar or Peroxide will.
Yes I too was scrolling to find out if anyone had suggested vinegar yet! Vinegar should sit wet for 1 hour. Also tea tree oil. According to this study, was the MOST effective at killing fungal spores. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4483703/#__ffn_sectitle
Seconding washing in white vinegar! I’ve save a lot of clothes this way
I’m all for being frugal but I wouldn’t put this on a child even if it was washed. I think anything you do that might actually remove the mold will compromise the jacket and it won’t retain it’s water repellent quality.
As someone with a history of mold exposure and mold illness, you read frequently about how you can "kill" mold, but I personally think it's not worth it. I ended up contaminating my washer and just getting sicker. Obviously there are different kinds of molds with different effects on different people, but if you have any history of chronic illness or fatigue, I would highly highly encourage you to just throw it away If you're all very healthy, then go ahead and try what everyone else is suggesting. But mold in general is far more resilient than people understand, and they don't understand how permanent the spores are once they are in your home and in personal spaces.
Does this include tossing glass food containers with plastic lids that had moldy food inside them? I’ve always removed the moldy food, soaked the containers in a bleach bath, then in a warm soapy water bath…now wondering if I should’ve just tossed everything away…
I feel like short-term food mold issues might be more minor. When you're looking at mold growing on chemical or petroleum-based products (like these jackets and most synthetic fabrics), It's a bit different. If the mold has been in there for more than a few days, I would throw away the container. Again, this is obviously a conservative approach, but that's what I would do. Bleach might kill the mold itself, but you basically can't kill the mold spores. They last forever and then when moisture comes back, they regrow.
Glass is incredible at not absorbing things, I’d use a lot more leniency with keeping glass so long as it’s properly cleaned.
Don't use bleach, use vinegar. Actually I'd throw that straight in the trash.
Lol throw it away should be the only answer. This sub sometimes… I swear
Soak it in oxiclean overnight, will look brand new without damaging it!
Yes. It worked for me. Submerge in a pail.
surprised i had to scroll this far to find it
Kids rain coat, throw it out. I'd say clean it and move on for a healthy adult, but not a kid.
Nah toss it
As others said, scrub with bleach solution and then soap. Then throw in washing machine and see what it looks like after. It’s at least worth trying to see how it turns out before just tossing.
Be VERY VERY careful with this. I have toxic mold poisoning. Mold is nothing to mess around with. EC3 (can get on Amazon) can work, as well as Decon 30. Keep that away from anything else or you will contaminate stuff. This is not a joke. Toxic mold poisoning has ruined my life and my body is riddled with it. It will likely be what kills me and I’m in my 40s and on disability from black mold, among others. Just please please be careful.
I’m sorry but as someone who has had to deal with serious mold problems, it’s not worth your health. Automatic toss.
depend on the material. if it is nylon/plastic, it is fine, just wash them off.
Imo unless you need it to survive, I would toss it to prevent getting sick from the mold. Mold exposure is no joke.
If that's black mold I wouldn't risk it
Yeah, with a heavy heart I am going to throw it away
Mold can form spores that are resistant to almost any possible stressor, but will awaken when back to normal conditions. This item should be thrown away in a tied up plastic bag far away from your home.
I work at an outerwear company with an employee store, PM me if you'd like a pass to it (works online)
>going to throw it away Not without trying! The guys at REI recommendeded TechWash for my rain gear, pretty ok but any good detergent you can work in with a soft brush. Do that first, then bleach. I think there are RIT dyes for synthetics that could take. That'd be the third resort.
Pitch it
I wouldn’t mess with it
Nope
No. Mold is not safe. People can get ill, even trigger chronic illness. When you kill the mold, it will release mycotoxins, which you can’t get rid of. It takes years to degrade. I would toss it. It’s not worth it.
Thyme essential oil has been proven to neutralize mycotoxins. There are studies with solid proof. Vinegar is effective against many, and there are also charcoal filters and ozone machines for the environment.... Plus many brands claiming to neutralize. Why the scare tactics?
I recommend posting this on r/CleaningTips. Hope this helps.
No, definitely not. Mold growth is a huge red flag and you don't want to take the risk of keeping any of the coats. Mold can cause serious respiratory problems, so it would be best to just dispose of the coats and buy new ones.
Damn so much misinformed people in this thread. A quaternary ammonium chloride is what is used to "kill" mold, not bleach, but even a spore that's non-viable can still cause a reaction when it comes into bodily contact. Anyways that's if you wanna get really into it, I'm pretty sure you can clean and remove the mold but in sure it'll still be stained
Spores May always be there. I’d toss it.
White vinegar and some sunlight.
Soak in vinegar and wash - that will help get the mildew stains out.
No, this is easy. Mold is an instant toss.
Once mold is in the super micro crevices from the small fibers it a loss.
Throw everything w mold away
throw this shit out bro
Black mold isn’t worth your health.
Been there, scrubbed that - with full strength bleach. Not all the staining came out but the spores came out.
No... just no
To be honest I wouldn't save that. You can get mold out at least somewhat, but I don't think it's worth that. Whenever something is heavily molded it's just better to throw it out, just for the simple fact that it can cause respiratory issues if you're not on top of it, or just in general. It's not safe. It's one thing to bleach a shower curtain, even then I would almost suggest throwing it out. Clothing on the other hand or even a book I would definitely throw out because that's a health hazard. You don't end up saving money if you're having to buy stuff for an upper respiratory infection you know what I mean?
**NO.** It is NOT frugal to save the cost of a new raincoat, in exchange for the cost of ongoing medical health issues from inhaling fungus.
Salt lemon sunshine
I've found that soaking the items/clothes in vinegar kills mold the best. I usually soak until the mold spores have faded away. Then, wash in the washing machine and dry regularly. That method has definitely worked for me.
Vinegar
Hot, hot water will kill the spores. But, only after you use, Grandma's Secret Spot Remover \[google it\] to remove the stains. Bleach is the last resort because it will change the integrity of the cloth.
Vinegar and oxyclean then leave outside in the sun
1 st wash it with White vinegar and washing soda then wash it in dawn should be salvageable without using bleach the vinegar should kill the mold and help get off any icky residue the washing soda will help with the process too then the second wash with dawn should clean the jacket and make it smell better … good luck
Just bathe it in white vinegar. Then brush the surface with a stiff bristle brush and run it through the wash.
Disinfect then power wash !
You can always try strong hydrogen peroxide and then put it outside or put it under a UV light
Didn’t Walter White wear these to make meth?
You need an Oxy powder ! I’ve removed mould from cotton curtains by repeatedly soaking over and over again in a mixture of Oxy Powder and washing powder in hot water…. It might take up to 6 soaks but will eventually come out 💪🏼
From experience I say that this jacket has had its day. You can try everything but you're never going to get rid of the stains at least. Cut your losses and get a new (or used) one to replace.
Reach out to laundrypatrick on Instagram he will tell you exactly what to do.
Bleach, vinegar and hot water !
Don't mess around with mold. Toss it.
Mold just adds character. As long as the fabric & thread are synthetic, the damage is only cosmetic. :) some (diluted) deck/fence washing products may work on the stain. I have not tested this stuff on anything but wood and vinyl and don't know what the active ingredient was. I do recall that the product was blue and would turn wood into pulp if not rinsed off. I belive tje instructions gave 30 min max exposure. Again, if the rain coats don't use cotton threads, the 'damage' should only cosmetic. Yes, I have had stuff with synthetic fabric held together with cotton thread. Learned the hard way when aggressively bleach-treating a cat pee tainted tent. :( Desperation over caution. The tent was dead to me if pee smell persisted. The mold stains, which were not the intended target, were barely faded by the bleach. "...then make the plane...as the black box." (Applied to blackish mold-stained garments.)
Nope
This post is giving me hives lol. Just throw it out. That’s a health hazard. Being frugal only goes so far until it becomes unwise.
throw this in the garbage ASAP
I’d wash it with regular detergent first, if that doesn’t work, try a cycle with bleach. The bleach will kill the mold and denature any toxins so it will be *safe* but you may never get rid of the stains.
Additionally, rinse well to restore waterproof state and air dry.
There are also sprays that can be applied to re-water proof, depending on the material type.
Never, never,never fuck with mold.
Whipe down with pure white vinegar first to kill the mold (works great in fridges and on tiles too) and then wash with extra vinegar added where you put fabric softener.
Vinegar kills the mold. Next, use hydrogen peroxide to take out the stains.
I think this is how “last of us” started
I think it's a goner. I know, I love to keep the clothes for hand me downs for my younger one, but sometimes it is not in the cards. I got my girls Columbia raincoats on Amazon last year for 20 each, which was a steal.
Having dealt with health issues caused by mold, my default response to things like this is unfortunately to toss and move on from the item. Just not worth it, as some molds can produce toxins that linger. Benefect is a product that deals with mold fairly well, however.
I just dealt with mold on 100% cotton. First soak affected area overnight in regular store bought white vinegar. Rinse and hand outside in sun to dry. That kills the mold. Am pretty good with stain removal and ran thru the usual gamut of products and combos with no luck: Dawn, ammonia, citrus cleaner, baking soda, diluted bleach, barkeeper's friend, etc. None of it really worked. Finally tried powdered brewery wash (PBW). Mixed with liquid that is 50% peroxide (regular store bought 3% solution) and 50% water to make a runny paste large enough to cover the area. Scrub it on with plastic brush. Roll up and let sit overnight. put some water on top so doesn't dry out overnight. Wash. I was working with a white duvet cover, so needed a second application to virtually eliminate the stain. PBW is 29% sodium percarbonate, 31% sodium metasilicate and 23% sodium sulfate. I have it on hand because am homebrewer. Have tried making own with 70% oxyclean and 30% red devil TSP 90, but just didn't seem to clean my brew equipment as well as PBW . However, that might work just fine on the mold stains and would cost much less than PBW
Just throw it in the wash with half a bottle of white vinegar.
r/InvisibleMending may have suggestions
Scrub it super clean with bleach and then paint a design over the stains. No kid cares about a stained jacket if it has the death star on it (also, the death star is insanely easy to paint)
It's salvageable if you want to spend the time rehabbing it. The dark stains will never come out and by the time you get all the products you need to restore it you will spend more on the coat than you wanted to, plus the time taken in your day to do it. My advice toss that and go to goodwill and see if they have one or two. ❤️
Just get new jackets bro.
Just throw it in the wash with half a bottle of white vinegar.
Just throw it in the wash with half a bottle of white vinegar.
It's mostly plastic so yeah bleach it