Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Getting Rid of Mildew in Hunting Clothes...............

Does anyone have some good ideas of how to get rid of Mildew and Mildewy smell in hunting clothes?

I had some hunting clothes and accessories stored in my Garage and when I opened them for a hunting trip some of them had visible white mold on them and a strong mildew smell.

I've washed them using SportWash a couple times even using the "Sanitary" setting my washer has that uses Steam to nearly sterilize sheets and stuff.

Still a slight smell.

Any ideas/suggestions/hints?

Also much appreciated would be advice on how to PREVENT the same thing from happening again!..................DJ

Hang them out in the sun for a few days, turn inside out and hang some more. Re-wash in your sport wash a couple more times. If it seems bad maybe re-wash with a little bleach first then hang in the sun.

Give them to your brother in law.



Try packing them with silica gel packs next time.

White vinegar for first wash with plain old green soap or sport wash. Then again with baking soda and borax plus safe soap, green soap or sport wash. Hang in the sun or near a smokey fire.

The "miracle" enzyme products do work so could add to the last wash.

If that doesn't work then the brother in law idea.

Mr. djpaintless;
We've used this product both at work and here at home to kill mold especially after areas have flooded or when lines break causing wet areas one can't access to dry out.

http://webfiles.acuitysp.com/psr/psr_1771.pdf

As I understand it, the active ingredient eats mold and mildew and then dies when there is nothing left to eat.

It has worked very well for us on a number of occasions so I can't see why it wouldn't work on your clothes.

Hopefully that was some use to you.

Regards,
Dwayne

Thanks Dwayne and all................DJ

The sunshine trick works well.

Try about a 1/4 ounce or less of bleach mixed well into a couple of quarts of water. That little bit of bleach won't damage the colors. Put that into your washer along with your detergent (scent away or sport wash) when the tub fills up. It it about the best thing to take away the odor. I do that to my work-out clothes, and it is the only thing that works. It kills the bacteria causing the smell. It's CHEAP, you won't have to buy anything and it works!

There are special detergents sold to wash tents in that advertise it will kill mildew and the associated smell. I bought some for a tent that had mildew, but haven't had a chance to try it yet, so I don't know if it works. I got mine a Cabela's.

Here's some other stuff I found.

http://www.moldoff.org/?gclid=CNTj5t_opJ8CFQIhDQoduzKVMA

http://www.albioncanvas.co.uk/p444548/Mould-amp-Mildew-Stain-remover.html

http://www.mcnett.com/MiraZyme-Enzyme-Based-Odor-Eliminator-P170.aspx

Fast Ed

Thanks Ed............DJ

MiraZyme
Highly recommended.

A little Brown bottle of the 3%, home use Hydrogen Peroxide added to the load will help. It is simply the "Color Safe Bleach" that you find in many laundry and other cleaning products. It is most effective in warmer water.

You can add a little detergent to help it penetrate the fibers, but you won't need much. Also, don't add any other chemicals or Chlorine Bleach to it.