Moldy Clothes, Furniture, Books and Mattresses, What You Can Save

The Keep or Toss Rule

Mold grows into soft, absorbent materials and cannot be fully removed from inside them. On hard materials it stays on the surface and cleans off. That one idea decides almost everything.

Two more questions matter. Was it soaked by floodwater or sewage? If so, porous items should go even if they look fine, because they hold germs as well as mold. Does the smell stay after two cleanings? If yes, mold is still growing inside, and it is time to let it go.

Clothes, Linens and Towels

Most washable fabric can be saved if you act within a few days. Mold that has had weeks to grow may leave permanent stains, but the fabric can still be clean and safe to use.

1. Take items outside and shake or brush off loose mold while wearing an N95 and gloves. This keeps spores out of the house and out of your washer.
2. Pre-soak heavily spotted items for an hour or more in warm water with oxygen bleach powder, mixed according to the package. Oxygen bleach is safe on most colors.
3. Wash on the hottest water the care label allows, with a full dose of detergent. Do not overload the machine. Wash moldy items separately from clean laundry.
4. For white cotton and linen, chlorine bleach per the product label is an option. Never add it to a load with vinegar or ammonia.
5. Dry completely, on high heat if the label allows or outside in full sun. Damp fabric can start growing mold again within a day or two.
6. Smell each item once dry. If a musty smell remains, wash again. If it stays after two full washes, toss it.

For dry clean only clothes, brush them outside, bag them, and tell the dry cleaner they have mold so they can handle them separately. After a big mold load, run your washer empty on its hottest cycle to clean the drum and gasket.

Mattresses, Pillows and Upholstery

This is where people lose the most money and where saving things is hardest. Mattresses, pillows and upholstered cushions are thick and absorbent. Once mold is growing in the foam or padding, you cannot clean it out.

The EPA’s advice is to throw out a mattress with mold on it. The same goes for pillows, cushions and anything soaked through. A mattress with a few surface mildew spots from a humid room is not an exception, since the spots mean moisture got into it.

Upholstered furniture can sometimes be saved when growth is light and only on the fabric surface.

• Take the piece outside if you can.
• Vacuum all surfaces slowly with a HEPA vacuum and upholstery tool. Empty the canister outdoors into a bag.
• Let it sit in direct sun for several hours. Sunlight and dry air help stop surface growth.
• Clean the fabric with an upholstery cleaner made for that fabric type, testing a hidden spot first. Do not soak it.
• Dry it thoroughly with fans and a dehumidifier.

If mildew returns within weeks, if there is a smell deep in the cushions, or if the piece was in floodwater, it has to go. For valuable antiques, ask an upholstery or furniture conservator before you do anything.

Before tossing, cut or mark mattresses and furniture so no one takes them from the curb and reuses them.

Wood, Leather and Hard Items

Solid wood furniture usually cleans up well. Take it outside, HEPA vacuum loose growth, and wipe it with a cloth dampened in water and mild dish soap. Dry it right away with a clean towel, then let it air dry out of direct heat. If mold has stained unfinished wood, such as the underside of a table or inside drawers, lightly sand it outdoors while wearing an N95, then vacuum again. Particleboard and pressed wood that swelled or crumbled should go.

Leather is porous but can often be saved if caught early. Wipe it outside with a soft cloth dampened with mild soap and water, then dry it with a clean towel. Let it dry at room temperature, never next to a heater. Condition it once dry. If mold keeps returning or has left dark stains in the grain, the growth is inside the leather.

Hard plastic, metal, glass and ceramic are easy. Wash them in warm, soapy water and dry them. Many hard plastic toys and dishes can go through a dishwasher.

Electronics are a special case. Do not plug in or turn on anything that got wet. Mold inside a computer, television or appliance is hard to reach. Wipe the outside only. For expensive items, ask a repair shop whether cleaning is worth it.

Books, Papers and Keepsakes

Paper is one of the best foods for mold. Everyday books, magazines, cardboard boxes and paper files with visible growth should usually be thrown out. Keep copies of any important documents first.

For items you want to save, the first goal is to stop growth.

• If they are wet, the fastest way to buy time is to freeze them. Put each item in a zip bag or wrap it in wax paper and place it in a freezer. Freezing stops mold growth and gives you time to find a conservator. Do not freeze photos without advice, since some types can be damaged.
• If they are damp, stand books upright with the pages fanned open in a cool, dry room with a fan and a dehumidifier. Interleave paper towels every 20 or so pages and change them often.
• If they are dry with mold, take them outside. Wearing an N95, gently brush the dry mold off with a soft brush, working away from you. Then HEPA vacuum through a screen or cheesecloth so the pages are not sucked in.

Never use bleach on paper or photos. For family bibles, rare books, letters, art and photos, contact a paper or photo conservator. Many will take a call and tell you whether it is worth saving before you commit.

Before You Throw Anything Away

If the mold came from a leak, flood or other event, your belongings may be part of an insurance claim or a dispute with a landlord. Once they are at the curb, that evidence is gone.

Before discarding anything, do this.

• Take a wide photo of the pile and close photos of each item, including labels, brand tags and the mold itself.
• Write a list with the item, approximate age, where it was bought if you know, and what you paid or what it would cost to replace.
• Keep receipts if you have them.
• Ask your insurer if they want to see anything before you toss it. Some ask you to keep a small cutting of carpet or fabric.
• If you rent, send your landlord the photos and list in writing.

Then bag moldy items in heavy plastic bags before carrying them through the house. Twist and tape the bags shut. Most household moldy items can go out with regular trash or bulk pickup, but check your city’s rules for mattresses and large furniture.

Stop the source before you bring cleaned items back. If the room is still damp or the leak is not fixed, your cleaned belongings will grow mold again. Keep the room between 30 and 50 percent humidity.

Step by Step

1. Fix the Moisture Source

   Stop the leak or high humidity in the room first. Cleaned items put back in a damp room will grow mold again.

2. Suit Up

   Put on an N95, gloves and goggles. Keep anyone with asthma, allergies or a weak immune system away from the sorting area.

3. Document Everything

   Photograph each item and write a list before you clean or throw anything out. This protects any insurance claim or landlord dispute.

4. Sort Into Keep and Toss

   Move items outside and sort them. Hard items and washable fabric go in the keep pile, while mattresses, pillows, moldy foam and everyday paper go in the toss pile.

5. Brush and Vacuum Outdoors

   Brush loose mold off clothes and fabric outside. HEPA vacuum upholstery and wood before wiping.

6. Wash Fabrics Hot

   Pre-soak in oxygen bleach, then wash on the hottest setting the label allows with detergent. Dry completely and smell-check, washing again if needed.

7. Wipe Hard Items

   Clean wood, leather, plastic and metal with mild soap and water, dry right away, and let them air dry away from heat.

8. Freeze Valuable Papers

   Bag wet books and documents you want to save and put them in a freezer. Call a conservator before trying to dry or clean them.

9. Bag and Discard the Rest

   Seal moldy items in heavy bags before carrying them through the house. Mark mattresses and furniture so they are not reused.

Mistakes That Make It Worse

• Shaking out moldy clothes indoors, which spreads spores into clean rooms.
• Trying to save a moldy mattress with sprays. Mold in the padding cannot be cleaned out.
• Leaving washed items damp in the machine or a basket. They can grow mold again within a day or two.
• Keeping porous items that sat in floodwater or sewage because they look fine once dry.
• Throwing items out before photographing and listing them for an insurance claim.
• Drying leather next to a heater, which cracks and shrinks it.