How to Remove Mold from Fabrics & Furniture

Discovering mold in your home can be a nightmare. The process of removing mold from your home can be a long and arduous. And there might be an additional step you may not have thought about. Not only do you need to remove mold from your walls, furniture or floors, but you need to know how to remove mold from fabric. Any drapes or fabric on furniture could be harboring mold that you’ll need to know how to remove.

Last month we talked about the best way to remove mold from your home or office. In that article, we mentioned that all the items in the room would need to be removed and bagged for cleaning. But what we didn’t tell you was how to get mold off of fabric furniture.

Well today, that’s what we’re going to do. We’ll tell you how to remove mold from fabric, like drapes and sofas. We’ll tell you how to remove mold from fabric without using bleach. And we’ll also talk briefly about when you should call in a professional mold removal service.

How do You Remove Mold from Fabric without Bleach?

The most effective way to remove mold from fabric is to use white vinegar. Not only is white vinegar more effective at killing mold, but it can be used on fabrics that can’t be bleached. The reason white vinegar is such an effective tool in removing mold from fabric is because of its acidity. Lemon juice can also be used, but we found it to be slightly less effective than vinegar.

To clean fabrics with white vinegar try this:

Use a cotton pad, soaked in white vinegar, to get mold off of fabric. Place the cotton pad on the part of the fabric that’s moldy, and let it sit for ten minutes. To boost the acidity of the vinegar, you can sprinkle salt on the affected area. Let the item dry in the sun, and repeat the process if necessary. Once the mold stain is no longer visible, if the item can be laundered (like clothing, sheets, or curtains), you can launder it as you normally would.

What if you have mold growing on something that doesn’t fit in the washing machine? How do you get rid of mold on your fabric sofa?

How to Get Rid of Mold on Your Fabric Furniture (Sofa)?

Hydrogen peroxide can be used to get rid of mold stains on fabric furniture. You can use a 3% solution of Hydrogen Peroxide. Most bottles of hydrogen peroxide that you find on the shelf are already a 3% solution, there’s no mixing required.

But don’t run off and grab that dusty brown plastic bottle just yet. There are a few things you need to know first.

Do You Need a Professional?

If you’re dealing with a heavily water-damaged and very moldy piece of furniture, it’s best to just replace the item. No amount of H2O2 will get your sofa free of mold and like new again. And if you’re dealing with a very old, or vintage piece, you’ll need to call in a professional. You can seriously damage the fabric by trying to remove mold this way.

If Not, Try This...

So with that in mind, here’s what you can do to remove mold from a fabric sofa. Soak the area with a 3% solution of Hydrogen peroxide. Then, “rinse'' the area by applying a damp sponge or cotton cloth, and “dry” it with a dry sponge or cotton cloth. Alternate rinsing and drying until the mold stain is removed.

This will not completely remove the mold from your sofa. It’s still going to be there, under the surface. But getting the stain out is a step in the right direction.

If possible, place the cushions or the sofa itself in the sunlight, which will also help remove the stain and kill some of the surface mold. This is especially beneficial if you live in a warm and dry climate like we have here in Santa Clara. Place the item outside on a dry sunny day, and let the UV rays go to work.

Know When to Call in a Professional Mold Removal Company.

Unfortunately, there are fabrics that you should not attempt to remove mold from. Silks and wools will not respond well to the cleaning methods described above. Pure Silk, silk blends (70-30), and pure wool should be taken to a dry cleaner.

Additionally, any clothing or furniture that is very old or would be considered vintage are typically made with materials that don’t stand up to highly acidic substances like vinegar, or harsh chemicals like hydrogen peroxide.

Want to Know the “Easy Way” to Remove Mold from Fabrics?

Call My Pure Environment!

We use a patented two-stage method involving our dry fog mold remediation system. We disburse tiny droplets of our powerful sterilant into the air. Those tiny droplets penetrate and remove mold from fabrics, furniture, your sofa, your office chair, your electronics, you name it! And it doesn’t contain any powerful bleaching agents, meaning nothing gets damaged. Contact us today for a free consultation, now offered virtually!

Image used under creative commons license – commercial use (2/11/2021) Vitalik Radko (depositphotos.com)