Everyone has already smelled an unpleasant smell on their clothes on wet and cold days. Many people often call this odor “the smell of stored clothes”. But in fact, the best name for this is mold. Yes, the mold! It is associated with humidity and, therefore, when cold days arrive it is more common to find clothes with a strange odor or stained. This discomfort occurs on the wettest days. This favors the proliferation of fungi, which are responsible for the bad smell and stains. Do you know how to get the musty smell off?
For you to get rid of this problem once and for all, we have separated below 5 tips on how to prevent and remove the smell of mold.
1. Cabinets
Not all the parts in our closet are always used frequently. Winter clothes are the greatest example of this. They are stored during the other seasons of the year and, therefore, are more likely to develop mold.
So, the first step in this case is to remove your clothes before the cold arrives. Then wash them thoroughly on a very sunny and dry day.
That done, you need to extend them in the sun, so that the smell and stains are eliminated!
2. Ventilation
Keep the house always ventilated, with the windows open, allowing the circulation of wind throughout the house. It is the best option to keep mold away from rooms;
3. Wood
Keep wooden furniture always waxed, as the wood has grooves, which contributes to the proliferation of fungi. Waxes help to increase protection against mold;
4. Products
The use of some specific products is also indicated. These products are great allies in the removal of mold such as baking soda, vinegar, bleach or chlorine.
5. Step-by-step to remove the musty smell
As we said, vinegar and bicarbonate are great allies against mold and together they work even better. First you need to mix 1/3 cup of baking soda in a glass with vinegar. Then just apply on the surfaces affected by the mold.
The mixture can also be placed in the space reserved for the soap and the clothes should be washed normally in the washer.
Despite the not-so-good smell that the mixture seems to have, don’t worry: it won’t make it to your clothes. But if you’re still not convinced, you can add a softener cap.
After washing is finished, make sure your clothes no longer smell musty.
If it persists, it is necessary to repeat the procedure. This time, heat the water warm and add the vinegar to bicarbonate mixture again. Soak the clothes in a bucket for 30 minutes, then wash them again.
The mold and sun
As we said, the sun and the wind are the factors that can most help in removing the musty smell. Unlike the humidity, it keeps the pieces dry, making fungi proliferation difficult. Therefore, spread out the pieces spaced on the clothesline and let them dry well. One afternoon on a hot day should be enough to keep the pieces dry.
But it is worth remembering that, despite all these tips, some precautions are paramount. The closet where the clothes were kept must be cleaned thoroughly; otherwise, the fungus will have been removed from the clothes, but will remain on the furniture.
Therefore, perform a complete cleaning with bleach in all drawers, shelves and doors. If possible, apply wax indicated for wood to assist in cleaning.
Finally, leave the cabinet doors and drawers open for a whole day, so that ventilation occurs.
At the end of the day, store your clothes in such a way as to minimize the clutter of the items and always keep your clothes and furniture clean.
