How to Remove Black/Mold Spots From Clothes/Fabric

Dark spots on clothes after washing and drying are some of the most common problems that we can encounter.

Some people say fungus and bacteria are the causes of black spots on washed white clothes. Yet, we see other reasons for dark spots on clothes than fungus or bacteria.

Dark spots on clothes after washing and drying

Furthermore, we’re going to show you the secret procedures to remove and prevent black spots on clothes. We don’t only let you know the reasons and wash cycle – we will also guide you, show you the easy ways to remove black marks on clothes, so your favorite clothes will be shinier again.

But first, let us delve deeper into why are there dark spots on my clothes after washing, what causes black spots on clothes, what can remove black dots stains on clothes before we show you how to remove black spots on clothes.

What are the black spots on my washcloth

The black spots are the alternative names to the molds. Dark stain or mold stain on your clothes are generally the conditions where your clothes are dirty.

These brown stains can appear even if you’ve washed or dried your clothes. Sometimes, the spots’ colors are not entirely black. They can have greyish hues that depend on your washing behaviors and the washing environments you’re in.

Several reasons cause black spots to appear all over your washcloth. Fungus’ reproduction activities are some of them.

Which fungus causes black spots on clothes

Conidia are non-motile and asexual bacterias that come from the fungus’ reproducing activities. Many conidia then cause black spots to appear on your clothes. 

Many cloth-damaging fungi cause black spots on white clothes after washing. 

Some of them are Aspergillus niger, A. furnigatus, and Curvularia lunota. Some species of Cladosporium and Penicillium can also cause black-colored spots on your clothing items. 

There are some occasions where you don’t dry your clothes in the appropriate ways. In such cases, you may run the risks of encouraging harmful activities of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus bacterias on your clothes.

What causes dark spots on clothes after washing

Fungus isn’t the only cause for dark spots on clothing items after you wash them. The most straightforward reason lies in our washing behaviors and the equipment and tools we use for washing.

It can be that we don’t dry our clothes according to the appropriate washable fabric care label instructions.

If we wash clothes without separating the colors, dark spots can appear on some parts of our clothes. This hypothetical situation is particularly true when we wash our clothes together with other people’s clothes.

Alternatively, the dark spots can appear because we use the wrong laundry detergent, liquid fabric softener, rust remover, prewash stain remover or cleaning solution. Even when we use lesser chlorine bleach, such dark spot problems can still happen. Benzoyl peroxide and dryer sheets can also leave brown spot on freshly washed clothes.

There are times when the washing machine drum are so defective that they have grease buildup. Such conditions can encourage dark spots to remain on clothes even after washing.

How do I stop my washing machine from leaving black marks on my clothes

You can use a can of Coca-Cola instead of liquid laundry detergent when you want to stop your washing machine from leaving black marks on your clothes. A cup of white vinegar is a fantastic alternative to Coca-Cola that you can try.

Follow these steps for your washing machine after you’ve prepared either one of Coca-Cola or white vinegar:

  1. Separate light-colored clothes from dark ones. Use a large bowl to do so.
  2. Clean the washing machine’s drums by pouring down the Coca-Cola or the white vinegar.
  3. Operate your filled-in drums without inserting any of the clothes.
  4. Wipe out the drums using a dry cloth. Make sure you don’t miss the door seal.
  5. Clean the drainage holes’ surroundings with a cotton swab.
  6. Let it be for at least 15 minutes.
  7. Insert the clothes according to the color categories.

How to remove dark spots on clothes after washing

Even after washing your clothes, the dark spots won’t fade away. Luckily, there are ways to overcome this problem. Follow these steps:

  1. After you do the instructions on the previous guide for your washing machine, re-wash the clothes, starting from the light-colored ones. 
  2. After that, go in the more challenging dark-colored clothing items.
  3. Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, mix a cup of white vinegar and a cup of baking soda to make a cleaning paste.
  4. Gently scrub the cleaning paste with an old toothbrush on the affected areas.
  5. Rinse the affected areas with clean warm water.
  6. Gently press and massage the clothing items until the entire dark spots vanish.

How to prevent dark spots on clothes

There are 4 different ways that you can do to prevent mold spots on your clothes, no matter wet clothes or clothes that already dry. These things are the things that you should do:

  1. White vinegar: White vinegar can remove both of the dark molds and musty smell. You’ll need to add 3/4 cups of vinegar to a bucket of clean water. Then, soak your clothes in the mixture.
  2. Lemon and salt: Combine these two ingredients to make a cleaning paste. Rub the paste to the affected areas. Then, wash and dry your clothes.
  3. Borax: If you can get the powdered versions of the borax, that would be great. It’s because the powdered versions give more natural cleaning effects when you mix them with hot water. Be sure to pay attention to the instruction manuals when doing so.
  4. Light bulbs: Place some environmentally friendly light bulbs around the inner parts of your washing machine. This action will prevent bacteria from invading your clothes’ surfaces.

Water temperature: Liquid detergent such as vinegar and borax work well in hot water or cold water. The higher the temperature of the water, the faster the laundry process will be. But, if you set the temperature too high, then you might damage your clothes. So, choose wisely.

Black spots on clothes in rainy season

Fungus tends to have sporadic growth rates in a damp and moist environment. So, when it rains, you’ll have to prepare yourself with more black spots around your clothes.

In such conditions, you’ll need to avoid washing and drying your clothes outdoor. If you can’t avoid it, at least go to the nearest laundry services or other indoor areas where you can have your clothes cleaned up.

Sure, some things cause dark spots to appear on your clothes’ surfaces. Yet, the most crucial thing is to apply the steps for getting rid of them.

As long as you execute the steps that we give to you, your clothes will be okay even after you’ve washed or dried them. Even though dark spots can emerge more in rainy seasons, they shouldn’t be an insurmountable problem to you.

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