Mold & Mildew

We all know about mold and mildew here in the sunny…and humid…South. You know it smells like a damp basement. But what can you do to stop it and what can you do if you find your clothes with mildew damage?

Mildew is a fungus that grows on organic material such as clothing when left for a prolonged time in a damp, warm condition with little or no air circulation. Knowing this, stopping mildew from damaging your clothes is not very difficult. Keep your clothes in a dry, cool space with good ventilation. With high humidity in the Birmingham area, a dehumidifier will provide excellent results. Make sure your clothes, especially your offseason garments, have room to “breathe.” Don’t crowd your closet. And don’t store your clothes in the plastic bags you get from us (and most every dry cleaner) because they don’t let air circulate around the garments.

But what should you do if you have a mildew problem? Take the garment outside and brush off the mildew so the spores don’t contaminate other items. Then allow the sun and air to dry the garment thoroughly. Be careful not to cause sun fading of colored items. If direct sunlight is not feasible, drying in the shade with indirect sunlight is beneficial.

These steps should stop the problem but not necessarily restore the item to its original condition. If caught early enough, before the mildew grows into the fiber, dry cleaning can help with the problem. But you must catch it early. Your best bet is to avoid mildew by keeping your clothes and other household textiles in a cool, dry space with good air circulation.