How do I remove mildew from cotten fabric?

Question

This is from the USS Stephen W Groves FFG 29. A momento of my Naval Service

Answer 1

Most mildew stains can be removed during regular laundering if they are moistened beforehand. If a stain remains, test fabric for colorfastness. If color doesn't change, cover stain with a paste of lemon juice and salt. On cotton and linen, make a paste from an oxygen bleach, water, and a few drops of ammonia. Let paste cover stain for 15 to 30 minutes. Flush thoroughly with water and launder again.

Surprisingly, the "seen on TV" product OxyClean has a good rap for mildew removal.

Someone else writes, "After trying various solutions I have found online (such as lemon juice & salt, etc.) what I found to work very well is a combination of Clorox2 color-safe bleach and oxy clean. I added both of these to the hottest water the fabric would allow and the stains came out. I pretreated the stains first with some clorox2 by pouring it on the stain and rubbing it in gently prior to washing. Once the wash ran for about 15 minutes, I shut the washer off and I let the quilt soak in the washer for several hours. I then started the washer back up and let the cycle finish. The quilt came out beautifully."

Good luck and non sibi sed patriae!

Answer 2

A community member at Scott Common Sense recommended this:

"When you have an article of clothing that has mildew stains on it, soak it in a mixture of hot water, oxiclean, and laundry or dish detergent. Some heavily soiled items may require more than one soaking, but the mildew comes out every time."

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