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How to Clean a Moldy Bath Mat

Kaye Wagner

Mold is a type of fungus that tends to grow in areas with excess moisture. It eats organic matter and can actually decay fabric materials. Because of its water-needs, you can commonly find mold growth in humid areas of your home such as your bathroom. Clean mold from your bath mat as soon as you notice it to prevent the mold from growing out of control and permanently destroying your bath mat.

Machine Washable Bath Mats

Wash bath mats as soon as you notice mold growth.
  1. Fill your washing machine with water and adjust the cycle to use the hottest water possible. High temperatures kill mold spores.

  2. Add ½ cup of distilled white vinegar. White vinegar will help remove the mold.

  3. Put the moldy bath mat in the vinegar water and shut the lid to start the cycle.

  4. Remove the bath mat from the washing machine.

  5. Put the bath mat in a dryer and adjust the heat to the highest that the bath mat can handle. If the bath mat manufacturer does not recommend machine drying the bath mat, hang it over a hanger until it is completely dry.

Non-Machine Washable Bath Mats

  1. Remove as much of the mold growth as possible by scrubbing the mold area with a dry toothbrush. This will flake off a lot of the mold, but will probably not remove all of it.

  2. Mix 1 cup water with 1 cup rubbing alcohol.

  3. Dab the rubbing alcohol solution onto the moldy area until you remove as much of the mold as possible.

  4. Mix 1 cup white vinegar with 1 cup water if mold is still present on the rug. Dab the vinegar solution over the moldy areas until you remove all of it.

  5. Rinse the bath mat with clear water to remove the vinegar and the rubbing alcohol solutions. Hang the bath mat to dry completely.