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Help! Getting mould stains out of clothes...


Kitty

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One of my daughters has come home from boarding school with her very expensive white chef's outfit.  All the items (scarf, apron, coat, jacket) are mouldy (little spots like the measles) all over.  They have been put away in her suitcase wet and left in their for a week or two, I suspect.

I can't bleach them because they are embroidered with her name in large lettering.

What gets mould out?  Anything?

 

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Exploring my femine side for a moment he he.

Russethouse showed a link that sounds useful, Hydrogen peroxide is what is used in those non chlorine bleaches like ACE and I have used that to get rid of mould on painted surfaces that I did not want to repaint.

Oh of course, you ladies may used hair bleach which is the same, so you would already know where to get it.

I will leave your thread immediately.

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If you go to your local DIY shop in France most of them have a ranges a bit like Stain devils but better and they do all sorts of things like rust remover, don't use ordinary bleach it weakens the fibres and could go yellow especially if you dry it outside in the sun and it will be ruinned for good. Ace bleach works a treat on most stains and is my product of choice when laundering old embridered sheets but you do have to be careful around old coloured embroidery as it sometimes is not colour fast.
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I pre-soaked a favourite, well worn, old white top in 'Vanish White', then washed it (with more Vanish) & it came out like new.  It shouldn't damage the embroidery as it isn't very strong & should hopefully work on mould.  Might be worth a try before using anything stronger.
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Completely useless piece if info, maybe. Hydrogen peroxide is in a lot of cleaning products these days. The ones that are marked Oxygen Activ.

Its also in those ear drops because it foams and breaks up the wax, (just as Russethouse says about the dentist). I think I have mould on my dentist appointment card [:D]

I did say I was leaving your thread did n't I

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Thanks for your suggestions.  What is the French equivalent of  'Stain Devils'?  Is 'Milton' sold in France (as that was on the website that was suggested)?

Listening to your advice etc, I have soaked the head scarves and aprons (not embroidered with names, other than usual name tags) in a bucket of dilute Domestos as that is all I have in my (French) house.  I then went out to a vide grenier and hey presto, when I got back, shoved the stuff in the washing machine (anxious to clear off the bleach because of what Miss Babs said about it going yellow).  It has worked.

The embroidered stuff is a problem.  I have tried to scrub the affected areas with diluted bleach, without touching the embroidery, but am only getting the mildew to fade slightly.  I'm running out of time because the tenue has to be back in her suitcase for Monday morning, so she will have to return to boarding school with some (dried) mildew still on some of the things.

This week, I'll look into the DIY shops for products and have another go next weekend.

Apparantly, she worked in the school restaurant on Monday and Tuesday (she's training to be a chef), stuffed the wet clobber in a bag to bring home and in the space of 3 days, the mould has just taken over.  Incredible.  I doubt that she will do the same thing again.

A special thank you to Teapot for entering into the discussion.  Cleaning clothes should not just be a 'girl thing'....

 

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Cathy, can you get to SuperU? They stock some good stain removing products. Special small pots for removing chocolate, blood, and many other stains, I have used them in the past and they are good.

Just remembered that it's now Sunday so probably too late and in our neck of the woods SuperU closes on Sundays.

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[quote user="Cendrillon"]Cathy, can you get to SuperU? They stock some good stain removing products. Special small pots for removing chocolate, blood, and many other stains, I have used them in the past and they are good.
Just remembered that it's now Sunday so probably too late and in our neck of the woods SuperU closes on Sundays.
[/quote]

Thanks, Cinders.  No SuperU round here but I'm off to Bordeaux on Wednesday so I'll look online as there must be one there.

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Most supermarkets sell stain removers near the washing products. I have some of the ones for blood, chocolate, oil and butter etc... They are in a pale green bottle and are called "Dr Beckmann  - Diable detacheur" - Good stuff it is too..
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