How to Clean Mold Off Quilts

How to Clean Mold Off Quilts
Published: Jun 2, 2009
Updated: Nov 20, 2021
2 minute read

While cleaning mold isn't a pleasant task, it's important, because mold has been linked to respiratory ailments. Here are several methods for removing mold from a quilt.

Things You Will Need

  • Soft bristle brush
  • Bleach
  • Lemon juice
  • Salt
  • Vinegar
  • Clean cloth
  • 3% hydrogen peroxide
  • Laundry powder
  1. Scrape away as much of the mold as possible with a soft bristle brush. Do this outdoors so mold spores don't spread inside the house. Wash the quilt with a cup of color-safe bleach. You can dry the quilt in the dryer, but sunlight is really the best way to dry the quilt, because sunlight kills mold spores.

  2. Make a paste of lemon juice and salt and apply it to the moldy area with a clean cloth. Scrub the area well with the paste and set it outside in the sunshine. Launder the quilt in the washing machine after the quilt has been in sunlight for two to three hours.

  3. Use a brush to scrape away the mold and spray the area with a solution of equal parts vinegar and water. Allow the solution to sit on the mold for at least 20 minutes before laundering. Add a cup of vinegar to the wash during the rinse cycle and hang the quilt outside to dry in the sunlight.

  4. Apply 3 percent hydrogen peroxide to a soft, clean cloth and scrub the area free of mold before washing. Let the quilt dry outside in the sunlight.

  5. Use a brush to scrape away as much mold as you can. Make a paste of laundry powder and water. If the quilt is white, it doesn't matter if the powder has bleach in it, but if the quilt has colors that might fade, do not use laundry powder with bleach. Rub the paste into the affected area and launder, being sure to add a cup of vinegar to the rinse cycle. Allow the quilt to air-dry in direct sunlight.

The Drip Cap

  • Mold is a type of fungus that loves warm, dark areas.
  • Scrape away as much of the mold as possible with a soft bristle brush.
  • Add a cup of vinegar to the wash during the rinse cycle and hang the quilt outside to dry in the sunlight.
  • Apply 3 percent hydrogen peroxide to a soft, clean cloth and scrub the area free of mold before washing.
  • If the quilt is white, it doesn't matter if the powder has bleach in it, but if the quilt has colors that might fade, do not use laundry powder with bleach.

Photo Credits

http://www.sz-wholesale.com/uploadFiles/hand%20made%20patchwork%20quilts_585.jpg

http://www.sz-wholesale.com/uploadFiles/hand%20made%20patchwork%20quilts_585.jpg

Melynda Sorrels

Melynda Sorrels spent 10 years in the military working in different capacities of the medical field, including dental assisting, health services administration, decontamination and urgent medical care. Awarded the National Guardsman’s…

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