Getting Mold Out.....

It sounds like you've tried everything I can think of. Perhaps you can put the quilts on the beds and then position stuffed animals to hide/disguise the stains. Just a thought! Good luck! Have you Googled "removing mold stains"? It is amazing what you can find when you Google.

You've gotten a lot of advice about how to treat the stain, I hope you get it out. One person (so far) has advised you how to take care of the quilt. But no one has told you how to treat them. Just my opinion; maybe your grandma had other intentions, but I make afghans for family gifts. All the time I am making them, I think about the person I am making them for. Never ever do I picture that person putting it in a closet so they can admire it when they are old. I want it to be part of their everyday memories, and a reminder of the good times we have had together. Don't just take a picture, USE THOSE QUILTS!! If you don't want them on the beds, keep them around for snuggling up with a book. Your kids will get a hug from your grandma every time they wrap up in them. Let them feel her love every day, not just look at it stored away in a closet.

In my handy dandy cleaning book, it says to use borax. Soak a sponge in a solution of 1/2 cup borax dissolved in 2 cups hot water, and rub it into the affected area. Let it soak in for several hours until the stain disappears, then rinse well.
You can also try Lemon Juice and salt. Make a paste of juice and salt and rub it on the area, then dry in the sunlight. Repeat process until the stain is gone. Also works for rust stains.
Good luck.

Hi D.,

First, try not to put them through the washer and dryer. Those are heirlooms, and I hope that your daughters will treasure them as I treasure the quilt that my grandmother made for me. Washing them in the tub is fun - my girls get to 'squish' on the laundry, and it is fun for all.

Re: the mold, have you tried white vinegar? It is the stain/smell solution to many things. (Passed on by a Grandmother, of course!)

If not, the spots become part of family lore... ; )

Regards,

L.

Hello D.. I personally have never been able to get mold out of clothes. I agree with the first mom that after all your hard work the mold itself is gone and has just left a stain. Have you contacted a Dry Cleaner to see if they could get the stain out? Also, if you are not a quilt maker yourself, I would contact someone older (like from Church or your grandmother/mother - opposite side of the family from the grandmother who made the quilt) and see if they can color the fabric with a fabric marker. Also, I would take the pictures (with the stain not showing) and send it to thier grandmother and keep each girl a copy. Best of Luck!

HI Danielle,
It sounds as though the mold has stained the fabric.
I have never been able to get mold stains out myself.
As far as the mold goes I am sure it is dead by now, and the stains will not hurt anyone :)
Sorry it happened!
C.

I used oxy clean to get mold out of swimsuits. I let the swimsuits sit in a bucket of water and cleaner for a couple days and it took almost all the mold out. There were still a couple very small spots. Good luck.

There is little that a dry cleaner will do that you can't do at home. Dry cleaning itself doesn't remove mold stains and none of the chemicals do either. Your best bet is to soak it in a concentrated solution of OxyClean for 24 hrs. I would just get a tub and fill it with hot water. I use about 2 scoops of Oxy to 5 gal of Hot water for tough stains. Then just swish it around every few hours, but make sure that it soaks for a long time. After you are done soaking, wash it on gentle, then check it before you put it back in the dryer. If it needs to soak again, try again. Sometimes it takes a while, but the spots usually do come out. I've only ever had one thing that I couldn't get the mold spots out of.

I would take it to a Cleaners and see if there is anything that they can do chemically.

believed it or not-vinegar kills mold.

Hello D.,

We have problems with mold and mildew growing in our bathrooms, thanks to my mother in law whom did not get the roof fixed on time. (It was her house a few years ago, and she's selling it to us now)...so the mold and mildew is in our roof, ceiling, walls and floor. So we have to tear everything out and fix it. One thing I did learn is that bleach, only bleaches the mold..there for it does not get it out. Take Vinegar about 1/2 cup, add 1/4 cup of lemon juice/real lemon (squeezed) and the rest water into a spray bottle and spray where needed. If its in the dishes, I add about 1 tbsp. of vinegar in my water, with 1/4 cup of bleach and dishsoap as usual, and water. It sanitizes and cleans, plus removes any stains or bad odors, along with killing the bacteria from mold, mildew, and germs. Good Luck! Also, you can go to about.com and search for homemade house cleaners or type in the search engine on vinegar as a house cleaner. Have a great day and good luck once again!

I am not sure if it will work, but I would try OxyClean. I usually soak items overnight and put them in the regular wash. I can't remember ever using it on mold, but it has gotten every other kind of stain imaginable out for me.

Hi D.,

What a nice grandma! and what a sweet idea to take the picture! Have you tried putting lemon juice on the stain and letting the sun bleach it? Sometimes that works; Though it sounds like you have worked hard already....

If you have to, could you arrange things so that it doesn't show in the photo? Put a pillow, stuffed animal, daughter, etc over the spot? Put that side on the side of the bed that is against the wall?

Take the photo anyway and look to see how noticeable it is. Show it to a friend and ask if they see anything unusual. If they don't, send it!

Good luck!

K.

one of my son's favorite shirts ended up with mold or mildew spots all over it. I made a paste of oxy and let it set for a while, before washing in pretty warm water. The spots all came out. The shirt WAS a slightly less bright shade of yellow afterwards, but it was still very wearable.

You might try making a paste out of OXY Clean and allowing it to set awhile then use a old tooth brush to scrub it and try washing it once again, However since you put it in the dryer you have probably set the stain. My grandmothers always taught you can machine wash a quilt but NEVER EVER put them in a dryer to only hang them dry.
You could try a dry cleaner and see if they can get the stain out.
Another choice cover the stain with a favorite stuufed animal on the bed when you take the picture then Grandma won't know it has been mistreated.Do the same for the second one so they look natural.
Good Luck.

Try soaking it in Biz, using water temp. for material type.

Good Luck!

R.

ammonia. just pour it on straight. It works differently than bleach. let it soak for a while, then launder.

Ammonia is also good for spaghetti sauce stains.