Short answer: to get mould out of clothes, brush it off outside, soak the garment in white vinegar and water for an hour, then wash it on its own at the hottest temperature the care label allows and dry it in full sun. Don’t tumble dry or iron it until the smell is completely gone, because heat sets the stain. If the fabric is thinning, the smell survives two washes, or the clothes keep going mouldy in the wardrobe, the problem is bigger than the laundry.
Before You Wash Anything
The first step to get mould out of clothes happens outside, before you touch the mould. Brush the loose growth off with an old soft brush, downwind of you, and wear a P2 mask and gloves if there’s a lot of it. Doing this indoors just moves the spores onto your carpet and the clothes next to it.
Bag mouldy clothes separately and wash them separately. Don’t throw them in with the rest of the load. Then check the wardrobe they came from, because whatever made one shirt mouldy is working on the rest.
How to Get Mould Out of Clothes, Step by Step
1. Brush it off outside
Dry brush the visible mould away from the house before the garment gets wet.
2. Soak for an hour
Four parts white vinegar to one part water, enough to cover the stained area. One hour minimum, overnight for heavy growth.
3. Wash it hot, and on its own
Use the hottest setting the care label allows (60°C for most cotton and linen) and a normal dose of detergent.
4. Dry it in full sun
UV and dry air finish what the wash started. Turn coloured items inside out to limit fading.
5. Smell it before you dry or iron it
If it still smells musty, repeat the soak and wash. A tumble dryer or iron will set any stain that's left.
Two rounds usually does it on cotton and synthetics. If a garment still smells after the second, the mould is deep in the fibres and it’s time to think about step six, the bin.
Read the Care Label: Natural vs Synthetic
How you get mould out of clothes depends on the fibre, so check the care label first.
Cotton and linen handle the most. Hot wash, oxygen bleach on whites and colourfast items, full sun. These are also the fibres mould digs into deepest, so staining is more common.
Wool and silk are protein fibres and don’t take heat or bleach. Hand wash in cool water with a wool wash, add a splash of vinegar to the rinse, and dry flat in the shade. Strong sun yellows silk.
Polyester, nylon and other synthetics absorb less water, so mould mostly sits on the surface and usually washes out at 40°C. Check the label before going any hotter.
Dry clean only means exactly that. Take it to a dry cleaner and tell them it’s mould, so they can treat it before it goes in with anyone else’s clothes.
For couches, mattresses, curtains and leather, see our guide to removing mould from fabric and upholstery.
Vinegar, Bleach or Oxygen Bleach?
White vinegar is the safe default. It’s mildly acidic, works on every washable fabric, and the smell rinses out. The NSW Health mould fact sheet recommends four parts vinegar to one part water for routine mould cleaning.
Oxygen bleach (sodium percarbonate, sold as a laundry soaker) lifts mould stains from whites and colourfast cotton without stripping the colour. Chlorine bleach is a last resort, for white cotton only and only if the label allows it. It removes the stain, but it also weakens the fibres, and it does nothing about the damp that caused the mould in the first place. Our fabric mould guide compares vinegar, bleach and clove oil in more detail.
Never mix bleach and vinegar, in the bucket or in the machine. Together they release chlorine gas. Use one, rinse thoroughly, and only then use the other.
When a Garment Isn't Worth Saving
Some clothes don’t come back. Bin it if the fabric is thinning or tearing where the mould was, if dark staining has gone right through a delicate fabric, or if it still smells musty after two full rounds. Mould can trigger allergy and asthma symptoms, so be stricter with anything worn against the skin of someone who reacts to it, and with baby clothes.
Before you replace it, work out why it went mouldy. Otherwise the new one goes the same way.
Why Clothes Go Mouldy in the Wardrobe
Clothes don’t grow mould on their own. They need damp, and in a wardrobe that usually comes from one of four places: clothes put away before they’re fully dry, a wardrobe built against a cold external wall, a bathroom or laundry on the other side of the wall, or a leak you can’t see.
Leave a gap between the clothes and the back wall, don’t pack the rail tight, and keep the doors open for an hour or two on dry days. A small dehumidifier or moisture absorber helps in a closed room. If you find mould on the back wall or ceiling of the wardrobe, though, that’s the actual problem, and washing clothes won’t touch it.
When It's the House, Not the Clothes
We don’t dry clean clothes. What we do is find and remove the mould in the building that keeps reaching them. If clothes keep going mouldy, or there’s mould on the wardrobe walls, ceiling or carpet, a mould inspection will tell you where the moisture is coming from. Our mould removal and remediation team then removes it at the source.
We work across Australia, with local teams for mould removal in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I get mould out of clothes with a normal wash?
Light surface mildew often comes out with a hot wash and a vinegar soak first. Mould that has grown into the fibres usually needs two rounds, and if the musty smell survives both, it’s in too deep to wash out.
Can I wash mouldy clothes with my other laundry?
No. Brush them off outside and wash them on their own. Spores move to the rest of the load, and a cool or short cycle won’t kill them.
Does vinegar kill mould on clothes?
Vinegar helps, and it’s safe on every washable fabric, which is why it’s the first step. The soak, the hot wash and drying in the sun together do the work. Never use it in the same wash as bleach.
Why do my clothes keep going mouldy in the wardrobe?
Because there’s moisture in the wardrobe or the room. That might be clothes put away damp, a cold external wall, poor ventilation or a hidden leak. Fix the moisture and the mould has nothing to grow on.
Do I need a professional to get mould out of clothes?
Not for the clothes themselves. Most garments can be washed at home or taken to a dry cleaner. You need a professional when the clothes keep re-contaminating, because the source is in the building.
