- 1). Take the object outdoors immediately, to keep spores from spreading to other parts of your home. Brush the spots to remove any loose mildew.
- 2). Wash your fabric as you normally would. (This treatment is not for dry-clean-only fabrics.) This step is important in order to remove as much of the mildew as possible before starting the rest of the treatment. Allow it to air-dry outside. Hang the fabric in a spot that receives optimum sun exposure.
- 3). Test the fabric to be sure it is safe for bleaching. Apply bleach additive to a hidden corner and allow the fabric to set overnight. If it makes a spot or damages the fabric, take the object to a dry cleaner and let a professional do the job.
- 4). Thoroughly dampen the damaged spots with lemon juice, which is a natural bleaching agent. Rub generous amounts of salt into the mildewed areas. Lay the fabric on a table to dry in the direct sun. After the fabric has dried, wash and rinse as usual.
- 5). If mildew remains, make a paste of Oxi-clean and water. Oxi-clean is a powdered bleach that contains no chlorine, so it is more gentle on fabrics than liquid bleach. Thoroughly rub the paste into the fabric and allow to dry overnight.
- 6). Put the fabric in the washer and wash on as hot a setting as the fabric will allow. You can add more Oxi-clean to your regular detergent when washing the final time. Set your washer to rinse twice. Hang to dry, again in the direct sun.
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