Week 9: Moldy Closet

Feb 23, 2012 | 29 Comments

Lil’ Update!  Been dealing with some closetal water damage…check it!!

Gross!!

Gross!!

Clothes are everywhere/handyman is coming tomorrow/can’t walk to my sewing machine, so a new post will be headed your way then!!

Displaced coats!!

Displaced coats!!

Dealing with the loss of my leather jacket I got in Florence when I was in college thanks to some mildew attacking.

Oy!

Oy!

Happy Thursday!!

In all
  • Btejkl

    Oh my. I’m so sorry. Some things can never be replaced……

    • Anonymous

      I know…there’s a reason for everything.  Perhaps a leather skirt is on the horizon!!

  • Paula

    Maybe you can salvage a bit of the jacket and make a keepsake to remember it.  Hope they can fix your mold issue quickly.  Hugs and happy thoughts headed your way.

    • Anonymous

      Thank you, thank you!!

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=532007777 Stephanie Tremel

    Try baby wipes before you write it off entirely.  If the mold hasn’t eaten through the leather baby wipes will clean it off without damaging the leather.  There is a moisturizer that is safe for baby’s skin in it that will actually help the leather.  My mom has some leather gloves that she has had for decades and this is how she gets them clean.  Good Luck.

  • DinaB

    I would check with a Dry Cleaner or maybe a Leather Cleaning specialist about your coat. Surely there mst be someone in Hollywood who is good with leather :)
    Consider it Spring Cleaning. My closet sure could use a good purge. Maybe I’ll find a little something to send your way.

    • Anonymous

      Great idea – I’m going to look into local cleaners.  At least I’ll *hopefully* get reimbursed by my landlady :)   This is totally jumpstarting my spring cleaning, that’s for sure!!

  • Hatlady1962

    White vinegar & water mixture will kill it. The vinegar scent will evaporate . Since leather is porous it might take repeat applications. And the vinegar won’t hurt the color.

    • Anonymous

      Amazing, thank you!!

  • Aymsterh

    Try saddle soap – we used to get mold on out horse tack and saddle soap cleaned it right up.

  • Beth Cockrell

    Don’t give up on the jacket! You’d be amazed at what can be saved on leather. You can try saddle soap if you want or find a good leather care shop and take it in for a consult. Hopefully you can get it back good as new.

    • Anonymous

      Thanks Beth :)   I’m definitely going to try to do my best to get it cleaned!  I think I’m so attached because of the memories and the $$ I saved up to purchase it abroad.  Saddle soap, here I come!!

  • Shan in Austin

    OH NO!!!!! I’m soooooo sorry!!! :(

  • Liza Lu

    I wonder what you will make with the good parts of the moldy leather jacket… hmmm…

    • Anonymous

      Ha, seriously!!

      • Denise

        I saw somewhere that you can donate it to a place that makes purses from it.  You could try making your own purse/bag!  

  • sarah

    the most effective way to kill mold is cold… get some of that canned air to clean your computer and spray all the mold with it then you’ll get it all the way down to the root… then you can clean…. i live in florida there is some serious mold here….. 

  • Jen

    So sorry, I HATE mold. I’ve never had it in my closet, but I had it on all 4 walls in my bedroom once and a whole lot more in the bathroom of another place I lived. At least yours looks more like mildew. Mine was black, it gave me pneumonia 3 times, two of which I was hospitalized for. Thank God, I don’t live there anymore.

  • jess

    holy crap!!!! i had the same issue in my rental about 10 years ago, except the water damage was from the tub to the closet and was all over the floor. can’t tell you how many pairs of my dear dear shoes were ruined (it happened while i was away on vacay). to this day i still keep all of my shoes on hig ground. HA! anyway, best of luck with the leather jacket! i bet saddle soap will work perfectly. bisous, jess

  • Denise

    Had that happen once.  Thankfully it was a leak that came up from the floor so nothing of significance was ruined in my case (except the wall and carpet).  

  • Wendy

    so sorry about your jacket.   there will be another someday but for now take care of YOU my dear.  mold is serious.

  • Angel2j

    Oh God, that is a terrible loss.  I’m so sorry!!  Now you have to go back and get a new one.  Bummer!!  ;)

  • Kissem37

    Ugh- I can empathize. All my yearbooks and photo albums were in a basement that flooded and then molded over. Its so upsetting to lose items with sentimental attachments :(

  • Vhadlley5

    I clean my moldy leather horse tack MURPHY’S OIL SOAP.  Worth a try,
    it is available at most super markets.

  • http://profile.yahoo.com/2DSELW45JRB23G57P7L63ZLXLI EV11

    Apple cider vinegar on the leather.

  • Blkraven2

    I wear and  work with leather a lot ( Im a biker)  and like to use Hydrogen peroxide to remove protein stains and mildew. After you get the mildew off make sure you moisturize it using  one made for leather. This will tell you more how to take care of leather so it will last a lifetime
    Read About Leather Care Here

  • Lovestosew

    Yikes!  I hope you can save the jacket.  I think cutting it up to make a skirt would only make you cry.  DON”T DO IT!

  • Cphatchell

    Another handy tip to the mix – mix water w/ tea tree oil in a spray bottle & give it a heavy spritz, inside & out. The mold will dissolve in about 45 minutes. Hang it out in the sun. Truly, you cannot hurt leather. I’ve done this w/ 2 coats & my leather luggage.

  • Janice

    Just found this out, you can wash leather in the washing machine!!
    I had a leather vest I had make, there was a decorative section down the front, which I had turned to the suede side and beaded, I loved it.  Unfortunately something got dripped on the suede and left a stain.  Since I guessed it was maybe salad dressing, and therefore oil based, I covered it with cornstarch and let is sit over night.  This took out a lot but not all of the stain.  A friend said she buys old leather garments at good-will, then throws them in the washer and dryer to clean them.  I figured I had nothing to lose, since the vest was ruined the way it was, so into the washer.  It came out looking like new!!  I hung it to dry, and it looks like the day I made it.

    What have you got to lose, give it a try.

    Thanks for all your wonderful inspiration.

    Janice Jamieson
    Canada