How to get mold out of forgotten laundry
Moldy clothes left forgotten in the washing machine can usually be safely salvaged rather than thrown away, provided the spores are thoroughly killed and washed out. However, people worry that standard rewashing will not remove the health risks or the stubborn black stains, leaving them unsure whether to toss the garments or how to check the washing machine drum for hidden spores.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
- 1Rewashing the clothes in the hottest water suitable for the fabric and using vinegar instead of fabric softener.
- 2Rewashing and drying the clothes normally
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“I am concerned about the health effects of mold exposure and also about not being able to fully remove the mold so I was wondering if I should just throw them out or if I can actually fully clean them?”source ↗
“I washed it and forgot about it for weeks and found it today. I didn’t notice the mold/stains before until after I rewashed and dried it today, and noticed all these moldy black spots where he typically sweats. Can I save these or should I sadly just toss them? Is the drum spinner for the washing machine going to have mold spores in it too?”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
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