HEAVILY soiled and moldy dress - need cleaning advice!

[debutanteclothing]

One of my pickers threw in some free very soiled dresses and one has mold on it. Visible mold. I want to try to rescue it. I was thinking a nice long soak in Borax. What do you think?

 

[MyVintageCocktail]

Sandra, I think the only permanent cure for mold is bleach.... But if this garment can't be bleached (even with a weak solution of bleach and water), then I'd go ahead and try the Borax; can't hurt, right? Or I'm wondering if Biz might work--maybe the little enzyme thingies would eat the mold????

 

[Laura]

Unfortunately I've never been able to get rid of mold spores. They've always left permanent stains in the fabric. :(

I hope someone else has had better luck and can give you some useful advice.

 

[debutanteclothing]

it can't be bleached - it has an adorable pink rose print which is why I am trying to rescue it. it might be a loss but thought it might be worth a try

 

[catseyevintage]

Is it the black mold? I've never been able to get that out either without the fabric falling apart.

You might try saturating the area with liquid Awesome then soaking in a mixture of Biz and water.

 

[nostalgic*collections]

Have a good cry and say goodbye....

 

[debutanteclothing]

yes, it's black =(

Realy? Say good bye? Darn.

 

[catwalkcreative]

Try and clean it as best you can. At least then you'll know you did your very best for her.

 

[Circa Vintage Clothing]

I haven't had any success with getting rid of black mold either, but I've heard that if you blow a hairdryer gently onto it, the mold will fluff up and blow away. You might like to attempt this outside...

My issue has always been the stains though, as I've had success getting rid of the mold itself by washing and drying in the sun. Not recommended for most vintage fabrics though as they may fade (of course, your sun may not be as harsh as our Aussie sun).

Nicole

 

[MyVintageCocktail]

The stains are why bleach is often, usually the only way to really get rid of mold. And normal dry cleaning won't do it. But if the dress will be a loss if you can't get it out, you may as well try the Borax or Biz with a boost of whatever you can find. A lady I just bought some dresses from told me she's had really good luck with her soiled vintage apparel using Oxy-Clean.

Or, once you get the loose mold off, you might want to try a cleaning fluid of some sort prior to washing, to see if you can lift some of the stain off first before soaking.