Old quilt found with mildew. How do I get it out?
 

I was going through some of my mothers things and found an old quilt i remember her having on her bed. I got so excited I wet my ????? that is beside the point. When I opened it up I found that one corner of the quilt has some small mildew stains. Nothing that I can not live with but would like to get them out if I can. Any help welcome.

Google gave several solutions.
1. Oxy-Clean
2. A mixture of salt, vinegar, and water should remove mildew stains on most fabrics. Use up to full-strength vinegar if mildew is extensive.
3. To remove mildew from upholstery and other fabrics, soak a sponge in a solution of 1/2 cup borax dissolved in 2 cups hot water, and rub it into the affected areas. Let it soak in for several hours until the stain disappears, then rinse well. To remove mildew from clothing, soak it in a solution of 2 cups borax in 2 quarts (2 liters) water.

Hope one of these works!

boy, mildew is one of those things.....sunshine- bleach- sunshine- will help- i really don't know of anything that will actually get it out- but bleach will kill it & sunshine will fade it- good luck

I always use ammonia on mildew. I'd mix a mild solution and damp wash the quilt where the spots are. Then run clean warm water over the affected area to rinse. In my experience, ammonia is the only product that actually kills mildew spores so they don't return.

Lay the quilt on the lawn overnight where it will get morning sun, leave there until afternoon. If the mildew goes clear through, turn the quilt over and leave out for another day. the chlorophyl in the grass, the sunlight and the overnight dew will get rid of the mildew, even the smell. It may take a few days, depending on size/depth of stain. Sounds wierd, but works on a wide variety of stains.

All these good to know!!

I would just add that after you have removed the mildew, you should not dry it in the dryer. IF there are any spores that still cling to the fabric, the heat from the dryer will set them and they will be harder, if not impossible to remove. Sun is your best bet to dry the quilt. Good luck & let us know what transpires.

I would perhaps try http://www.retroclean.com . You can kill mildew spores, but sometimes the mildew has already created permanent stains in the fabric that may never come out. I'd be careful about using anything too strong on it, as you don't want to damage areas of the fabric only to have those areas become shredded holes later on in life.