For outdoor fabrics, the mold is a menace, no less than a scourge. You may have the perfect climate to leave your cushions, parasol, or outdoor furniture covers in the lawn, but a little but of sun and rain could cause mold spots. There’s nothing to despair. You can clean mold off the fabrics with your cupboard items.
You don’t need to buy any costly solutions or replace them with new tools. Outdoor fabrics, such as patio parasols and garden cushions tend to harbor mildew stains and mold when you leave outside for a prolonged duration.
- For parasols, scrub the canvas properly. Use a soft-bristle and quality brush for just removing any loose dirt.
- Wipe it with lukewarm water for softening the surface and breaking up tree sap, bird droppings, etc.
- Pop on a rubber gloves pair. Fill up half a bucket with water. Add 500 ml of white spirit.
- Stir it well and then squeeze out all the excess water/liquid with a soft cloth. Again, scrub it well to eventually break up the jam. Remove the mold spots gently.
- When everything goes, rinse the main fabric with a dedicated garden hose. Since it’s odorous, you need rinse the entire fabric.
Get some important tools
A basic borax cleaner eliminates mildew from outdoor furniture covers. They work best when you allow the fabric to dry outdoors on a non-humid, sunny day. First, brush off the mildew spots with a nylon brush or broom to remove some residue.
- Mix one-fourth cup borax in a bowl of hot water. Rub it on the mildew areas with a rag or sponge, allowing the water to soak into the cover fabric for many hours. Rinse the cloth with clean water.
- Vinegar Spritz is another excellent solution. White vinegar eliminates mildew, freshening the outdoor fabrics and infusing new life into them.
- Spray white vinegar (undiluted) on the affected area. Let it settle on the fabric for an hour.
- Wipe away the residue with a damp cloth or sponge. If it’s particularly difficult to remove the spots, you need to spray more solution over them. Use a nylon brush for rubbing them.
A mild solution of bleach can be clinical in removing stubborn mildew from your outdoor furniture covers. Mix a tablespoon of bleach into a small bucket of warm water. Soak a sponge in the solution and apply it on mildew areas. Leave the furniture to rest in the sun for 15 minutes.
Identifying mold and mildew
Usually, mold appears as darker or black spots on your cushions. However, it can also look like green, blue, or yellow discoloration or stains.
If you notice anything velvety or fuzzy developing on the cushions, it has every possibility to be mold. If it’s powdery or fluffy, or yellow, gray, or white, it’s surely mold. Mold generally has a dirty and musty smell. If you ever forget to wash your bathing cloth or towels for more than a week or so, you surely know the smell of mildew.
In addition to the Borax method, you also have the Pressure Washer method.
