Removing mould stains

by Valerie
(USA)

I have an old needlepoint canvas I purchased at a tag sale as part of a large box of stitching goodies that got damp in a basement. It has mouldy spots on it.

Since I have little invested in it, I decided to try and restore it myself.

It is a hand painted piece and my dry cleaner refused to touch it even though I signed a waiver in case of possible damage!

I have so far attempted to clean it with Woolite, Dawn dish soap, and Fabreeze. The stains are now light and no longer
smell, but I am still leery of working the canvas for fear the spots may re-surface the way mould does on a painted wall.

Does anyone have any advice?

Tip Also, I have always relied on the blood/saliva combo and it has always worked. But it only works when both items are from the same person. My kids used to get a kick out me having them spit on the knees of their pants to clean them after bandaging their knees from a tumble. :>)

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Mold on Needlepoint Canvas
by: Anonymous

I wonder why you couldn't use Zinser Primer? It works on sheet rock, etc. to block stain and odor. Use a dry paint or stencil technique to cover the stain but not plug the hole.... Let it dry. Let me know how that works.

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cleaning moldy needlework
by: Anonymous

Dear Valerie -

Try soaking it in Oxiclean (found with the laundry items at the grocery store). This is one of those enzyme cleaners advertised on TV. My sister-in-law had a needlepoint piece that was dear to her, but had framed it without glass. Since her household is filled with heavy smokers, the piece was extremely dirty, yellowed and also had duct tape residue on the back. I would allow it to soak overnight in an Oxiclean solution, rinse it, then soak again. I must have done this seven or eight times, but eventually, this piece came clean and now looks great. Good luck!

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Removing mould from fabric
by: Carol

Oh dear, that is a shame about your needlepoint canvas with mould stains.

You seem to have already done what I would try, which is to take the piece outside and brush off the mould spores. Don't do this in the house!

Leaving the piece out in the fresh air and sunshine can help to kill the mould spores and remove the musty smell.

I believe most hand painted needlepoint canvas is painted with acrylic paint, or sometimes oil, both of which are waterproof.

Does anyone else have any ideas for solving this problem?

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