How to Remove Mildew Stains & Smell from Clothes

How to Remove Mildew Stains and The Smell (Before They Take Over Your Favorite Clothes)

There’s nothing worse than pulling a shirt or towel out of the laundry only to find grey or whitish mildew spots, or worse yet—that sour, musty smell that won’t go away. Mildew isn’t just unsightly—it can weaken fabrics & irritate your nose. The good news is, with the right approach you can often rescue your clothes, which in this economy, saving clothes for the low vs buying new ones is a lifesaver. Here’s how I’d tackle it if it were my laundry pile!

First, What Is Mildew? And Why It Happens to Show Up on Clothes

Mildew is a type of fungus that thrives in damp, warm environments. It often shows up when clothes have been left wet too long, when damp items sit in dark laundry bins, or when there’s humidity or poor drying after a wash. Over time it leaves visible spots, causes musty odors, and can stain fibers. Mildew thrives when moisture lingers and clothes aren’t fully dried or stored properly. You know the ones you leave somewhere after a sweaty gym session.

Getting rid of mildew means treating both the visible stain and the invisible spores (and smell) that linger behind.

Step-by-Step: Remove the Mildew Stain

Here’s how I recommend doing it at home, before calling in a professional service:

1. Brush or Scrape Off Loose Mildew
   Before putting anything in water or detergent, take the clothing outside (if possible) and gently brush off any loose powdery mildew. This prevents spreading spores in your home or re-wetting them into the fabric.

2. Pre-Soak in a Mildew-Killing Solution
   A great “DIY trick” is to soak the garment in a solution with white vinegar. For example, fill a bucket or tub with cool or warm water and add about one cup of white distilled vinegar. Let the item soak for 30 minutes up to an hour. This helps loosen both mildew stains and the musty smell.
   
   If you want to go a little further, you can repeat the process, or use an oxygen-based cleaner (for instance, some people use cheaper brands like an oxygen booster you’d find for stain removal). Make sure to test first for fabric-safety.

3. Wash with a Strong Detergent at the Hottest Safe Setting
   After soaking, launder the item in your washing machine. Use the warmest water temperature that the care label allows. A heavy-duty liquid detergent or stain-removing formula works best because it can break down the remaining mildew residue.

4. Check & Repeat if Needed
   After the cycle, inspect the garment. If the mildew stain or odor is still present, you may need to repeat the soak + wash cycle. For persistent odors, some people use an oxygen-based cleaner or booster (for example an “oxygen power” or “Oxi-type” product) to lift the smell out.

5. Dry the Item Thoroughly (ideally in Sunlight)
   Do not put items back into your closet or drawers until they’re fully dry. Heat / sunlight helps kill spores, and leftover moisture encourages mildew to return. Outdoor drying or a high-heat dryer cycle (if safe for the fabric) helps ensure nothing lingers.

Extra Tips from Personal Experience

• If your clothes still smell funky, an additional booster (oxygen-based cleaner) can help. Some people heat water in a small container, dissolve a scoop of cleaner (or “cheap Oxi-brand”) into it, then add it to a bucket of cool water and let the clothes soak again.

• Always check the fabric care label. Some fabrics (silk, delicate blends) may not stand high temperatures or strong treatments.

• Don’t just treat the garment — also check your washer and its seals, gaskets, or detergent drawer for mildew buildup. Sometimes the source of the odor or mold is inside the machine itself.

How Get Fresh Start Laundry Handles Mildew Stains (So You Don’t Have to Stress)

Even with the best DIY efforts, mildew stains can be stubborn. That’s where Get Fresh Start Laundry steps in to save the day:

At Get Fresh Start Laundry, we treat mildew not as just a spot to clean, but as a process. When you drop off (or schedule pickup) your items with mildew concerns, we:

• Inspect the garment & identify type of fabric, checking the care label for safe temperature & treatment limits.

• Use specialized soaking / pre-treatment solutions designed to lift mildew stains and eliminate the musty odor.

• Run high-performance washes at optimal temperatures, with boosters or oxygen-based additives if needed.

• If necessary, repeat treatment cycles until the stain—and smell—is fully gone.

• Ensure that drying is thorough, with our equipment and settings tuned to kill lingering moisture and discourage mildew regrowth.

In short, you can rely on Get Fresh Start Laundry to handle the science, the soaking, the detergent choice, the repeat cycles, and the drying — all tailored to your clothes, so you don’t have to worry or risk damaging your favorite items.