How to Clean Up Mildew on Leather
Leather is highly porous, absorbent and completely suitable for mold.
If you have mold or mildew manifesting on your suede or leather sofa, shoes, apparel or anything else, you may be deeply concerned.
After all, authentic leather isn't cheap, and you will want to maintain it as well as you possibly can.
Don't freak out.
The sooner you tackle the problem, the better off you'll be.
First off, are you fairly confident that you actually have mildew growing growing on your leather surface? Mildew will appear as a thick, patchy area (or areas) of dark-colored slime or velvety consistency, typically accompanied by a sour, insufferable odor.
The smell can best be identified as musty, hot or sour, and the physical appearance can differ from extremely thick to paper thin, depending on how much mold has grown.
As far as the color, this depends on numerous factors as well.
You may find black, yellow, white, green, brown or gray mold appearing on the affected surface.
If you feel confident that you have a mildew or mold issue, you can start killing it immediately.
First, place the leather object outdoors so that it can dry in the sun.
If you cannot dry in the sun, you can get the job done using a standard hair dryer, but you'll need to set it for "Cool", and and not the "Hot" setting, because leather can become damaged with excessive heat.
This is very important.
After the drying has concluded, mix half-and-half rubbing alcohol (Isopropyl alcohol) and water.
Apply the diluted alcohol to a sponge or cloth and thoroughly scrub to remove the mold.
It might give off a harsh stench, but the odor will disappear soon.
It's key that you scrub the entire article, and not just the target spots where mold growth is physically visible, because some mold spores may hide, unseen upon casual inspection.
Finally, move the leather or suede item outside in the sun to dry.
You don't need to wash away the rubbing alcohol, and in fact rinsing would not be advantageous.
The rubbing alcohol can continue doing its job long after you first scrub the surface.
When the drying concludes, keep it a dry place to prevent mold and mildew from coming back.
Remember that mold can only grow if you permit moisture to remain unregulated, so keep the moisture at bay and you can rest easily in the future.
If you have mold or mildew manifesting on your suede or leather sofa, shoes, apparel or anything else, you may be deeply concerned.
After all, authentic leather isn't cheap, and you will want to maintain it as well as you possibly can.
Don't freak out.
The sooner you tackle the problem, the better off you'll be.
First off, are you fairly confident that you actually have mildew growing growing on your leather surface? Mildew will appear as a thick, patchy area (or areas) of dark-colored slime or velvety consistency, typically accompanied by a sour, insufferable odor.
The smell can best be identified as musty, hot or sour, and the physical appearance can differ from extremely thick to paper thin, depending on how much mold has grown.
As far as the color, this depends on numerous factors as well.
You may find black, yellow, white, green, brown or gray mold appearing on the affected surface.
If you feel confident that you have a mildew or mold issue, you can start killing it immediately.
First, place the leather object outdoors so that it can dry in the sun.
If you cannot dry in the sun, you can get the job done using a standard hair dryer, but you'll need to set it for "Cool", and and not the "Hot" setting, because leather can become damaged with excessive heat.
This is very important.
After the drying has concluded, mix half-and-half rubbing alcohol (Isopropyl alcohol) and water.
Apply the diluted alcohol to a sponge or cloth and thoroughly scrub to remove the mold.
It might give off a harsh stench, but the odor will disappear soon.
It's key that you scrub the entire article, and not just the target spots where mold growth is physically visible, because some mold spores may hide, unseen upon casual inspection.
Finally, move the leather or suede item outside in the sun to dry.
You don't need to wash away the rubbing alcohol, and in fact rinsing would not be advantageous.
The rubbing alcohol can continue doing its job long after you first scrub the surface.
When the drying concludes, keep it a dry place to prevent mold and mildew from coming back.
Remember that mold can only grow if you permit moisture to remain unregulated, so keep the moisture at bay and you can rest easily in the future.
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