Mould on clothes and curtains: save what you can, then find the damp

Most mouldy clothes can be saved. Take them outside, brush off the loose mould, then wash them at the warmest temperature the label allows and dry them fully. But the clothes are only the symptom. Mould on fabric usually means a damp wardrobe, a cold outside wall, or washing being dried indoors with nowhere for the moisture to go.

Why clothes and curtains go mouldy

Fabric holds on to moisture. Put a shirt away slightly damp, hang it in a wardrobe against a cold outside wall, or leave a coat packed tight in a cupboard that never gets any air, and it stays damp long enough for mould to grow. You'll often smell it before you see it: a musty, stale smell that comes back after washing.

Curtains have a different problem. In winter, condensation runs down the inside of the window glass and soaks into the bottom of the curtains, especially heavy or lined ones that are pulled shut all night and touch the window. The hem stays wet day after day, and black spots appear along the bottom first. If that sounds familiar, our guide to condensation on windows explains what's going on at the glass.

Drying washing indoors adds to all of this. A load of wet laundry gives off a lot of water as it dries, and if it's on a clothes horse in a closed bedroom or draped over radiators, that water ends up on the walls, the windows and the clothes in the wardrobe.

How to wash mould out of clothes

1. Take the items outside and brush off any loose mould there, so it doesn't spread around the house.
2. Check the care label. Wash at the warmest temperature it allows, on its own load if the mould is bad.
3. If the label says hand wash or dry clean only, take it to a dry cleaner and tell them it's mould.
4. Dry the items completely, outside if you can. Don't put anything away until it's fully dry, including the seams and pockets.
5. Smell and look at each item once it's dry. If the mould or the musty smell is still there, wash it again.

Some things don't come back. Pale fabric that's been mouldy for a long time can keep a grey or black stain, and padded or foam-backed items can hold mould inside where washing can't reach. If something still smells or shows marks after a couple of goes, it's usually better to let it go than keep it in the wardrobe with everything else.

Shoes, bags and leather are trickier. Wipe the surface outdoors, let them dry somewhere airy, and use a specialist cleaner if the mould has got into the leather.

Curtains and blinds

Most fabric curtains can be washed or dry cleaned like clothes; check the label before you take them down. Fabric blinds and lined curtains may need a specialist cleaner. Once they're clean, change what's causing it:

• Open the curtains during the day so the window and the fabric can dry.
• Wipe the condensation off the glass and the sill each morning.
• Keep the hem clear of the windowsill and the glass where you can.
• Keep trickle vents open, and don't let the curtains block them.

Stop it happening again

Clean clothes go mouldy again quickly if they go back into the same damp space. This week:

• Empty the wardrobe and check the wall behind it. If there's mould there too, our guide to mould behind a wardrobe explains how to sort the wall and where to move the furniture.
• Leave a gap between the wardrobe and an outside wall so air can get behind it.
• Don't pack clothes in tightly. Air needs to move between them.
• Dry washing outside where you can. If you can't, use one room with the door shut and the window open, and run a fan or a dehumidifier in there.
• Only put clothes away when they're completely dry.

When it's more than condensation

If the clothes keep going mouldy even though you've changed how you dry and store them, look at the wall itself. A damp patch that gets worse after rain, a tide mark low down, or wet plaster behind the wardrobe point to water getting in, not just damp air. Washing the clothes won't fix that, and the wall needs looking at.

Your health

The NHS asthma causes page lists mould among the allergy triggers that can set off asthma. If anyone in the home has asthma or a mould allergy, deal with the mouldy items and the damp behind them promptly, and speak to your GP if their symptoms get worse. Government guidance for rented housing in England, Damp and mould: understanding and addressing the health risks for rented housing providers (MHCLG, DHSC and UKHSA), lists people with allergies and asthma among those at greater risk from damp and mould.

When to get a specialist

Get the room looked at if the wall behind the wardrobe is damp or mouldy over a large area, if new mould keeps appearing on clothes after you've changed your habits, or if there are signs of water coming in. A specialist can find where the damp is coming from and fix it. Tell us what's happening and we'll pass it to one independent local specialist to quote. It's free to ask.

Last checked 26 October 2026. This is general guidance, not legal or building advice.