Can I get rid of mould on Fabric?

sarahs999

It isn't washable, no, sadly. Not sure what zoflora is so off to investigate. Thanks.

zippychick

I've merged this with an older thread on removing mould from fabric

This thread may also help

Zip

bellaquidsin

My daughter has a very large front north facing bay window. She gets a lot of condensation and the curtains were touching the wet window and became very mouldy at the bottom. DSIL has now extended the brackets so that the curtains don't touch the window but of course the mould is still there, smells and is probably growing. She has recently had a quote for new made to measure curtains and staggered at £585. I know that in my OS past powdered Borax was used to remove mould from shower curtains but it doesn't seem to exist any more.

lobbyludd

Depending on the fabric - can she wash them on a hot wash and tumble dry? I have done this on linen mix curtains which has solved a condensation mould issue. Alternatively if they can't be washed - dry clean them?

curtains are very very easy to make I have huge windows and make all mine - so if she absolutely has to replace she could look to sewing them herself?

moneyistooshorttomention

I couldn't say whether it would work or no, but it could be worth an experiment with teatree essential oil to kill the mould off and then lemon juice (and possibly a spell of "toasting" outdoors in the sun) to bleach it.

Just a thought...which may or may not work...but its the sort of lines I would be thinking along personally.

savingqueen

We have the same problem with big French windows. I chopped off the bottom of the curtain (only part that was mouldy) and managed to find a pelmet in similar fabric but contrasting colour and sewed it on rather than replace the whole curtains (they are very wide). I also chopped off the bottom of the lining and replaced. Actually when I say I, it was mum but the lining needs re-doing and I will have to do it myself this time.


I struggled to move the mould marks as fabric was light and in the end gave up and did the above!

trailingspouse

If you're going to wash/tumble dry them, then remove the lining first and wash separately. Chances are they will shrink at different rates, so it's much easier to take the lining out first than to try to sort things out afterwards.

Where did she get the quote from? She could try Dunelm at Home - my huge bay, with 6 widths of fabric (and a pattern repeat), lined, floor to ceiling (high ceilings), and with extra-deep Ruflette tape cost £600, which I didn't think was too bad. I could certainly have got them cheaper by going for a cheaper fabric and no pattern repeat, and without lining, and with the standard tape - might be worth a look.

In the spare bedroom they did two windows - floor to ceiling again, 4 widths for one window, 3 widths for the other, no pattern repeat, deep tape and lined - £385.

For me, the advantage of having them made is that if it goes wrong, it's their problem. If I buy the fabric and then go and cut it wrong, the cost is all mine!

bellaquidsin

lobbyludd wrote: »

Depending on the fabric - can she wash them on a hot wash and tumble dry? I have done this on linen mix curtains which has solved a condensation mould issue. Alternatively if they can't be washed - dry clean them?

curtains are very very easy to make I have huge windows and make all mine - so if she absolutely has to replace she could look to sewing them herself?

Does washing or dry cleaning remove mould? If so my DD could have a go at either of these but will need to wait until the spring now and as someone had said remove the linings, or I have successfully in the past just undone the stitching down the side and then left the linings loose.


She is certainly capable of making her own curtains but I don't think she thinks she is. Space to lay the material out would be an issue too, but as she has health problems at the moment I don't think we can take that route.


Bella

zippychick

i've merged this with an older thread which has some useful ideas

let us know what works

Zip

bellaquidsin

trailingspouse, the first quote DD had for curtains was from a local shop but she has since gone to Dunelm and been quoted £100 less. As she's not confident that the mould problem will not come back she has now looked online and found them for another £100 less so she is taking that route. I'm still intrigued to see if the mould can be removed. Perhaps when the new curtains are up she will let me have a go with the old ones.