Don't overthink this -- just give mattress protector a good washing in HOT water with your detergent, and the mold should be gone. No need for all the extras unless there's stains to remove. If the mold looks like it's left a stain, then you can spot treat with the OxiClean. Be sure to thoroughlydry the mattress protector before putting it back on the bed.

Hi. What if the public washing machine does not have hot water? The laundromat I go to I believe is lukewarm water. I think there is another laundromat a bit further that does have hot water setting. So I should go to that one then? I went there previously a while back and had used warm water setting. Is warm water and lukewarm same or is warm a bit warmer?

In the pictures, it isn't a lot of mold right? It seems to be only around the top left area of the mattress protector. It's only in a few spots. I didn't check if the bed has any mold though yet. However, a pillow did have mold on it and a lot more and I threw out the pillow. That is good right? However, what about the pillow case that I used with the moldy pillow. It's very sweaty/stain but when I looked inside it, it doesn't appear to be any mold on the pillow case. So just wash that as normal with my bed sheets? I have 1 bed sheet, 1 bed cover/blanket that comes with it and 2 pillow cases. So wash these in 1 washing machine like normal? So no oxiclean at all?

Then the other washing machine... just wash the mattress protector as is with FOCA powder detergent? What about putting some dawn dish soap on the spots or is that not necessary? So no oxiclean? But can oxiclean hurt? My main concern with using oxiclean is would you put it in the same compartment as the detergent? The thing is since it's a public laundromat, well people pour bleach into the compartments right? So wouldn't there be an issue of mixing oxiclean and bleach? Like some people put vinegar as well right so isn't there issues with that? But I heard people put vinegar only in fabric softener compartment? The public laundromat washers that I use, there are 3 compartments.

The other thing is I am not sure if the owner washed the mattress protector with bleach or not before I came to this apartment. But that should not matter right since it's been so long? Like whether I use oxiclean,bleach or vinegar or on it, it doesn't matter?

I want to make sure I destroy the mold on the mattress protector. The other thing is since my bed sheets is covering the mattress protector, should I put some oxiclean or whatever with it as well since mold probably got on it? Is this mold or mildew in the pictures?

I don't know if Dawn kills mold and mildew (both are fungi and mildew the less harmful of the two). If you are suspect of the temperature of the water, I would add some bleach. I'm not one to use bleach often but I do have white shower curtains that can get some mildew at the bottom hems and I wash those in hot water with a little bleach - and a clear conscience.

If your pillow cases are that dirty and sweaty you are not washing them often enough. Once a week minimum. If you perspire in your sleep you might want to consider another pair and changing to those midweek, not waiting for a regular day to go out to the laundromat. Do you use a pillow protector on your pillow beneath your pillow case? It protects your pillow from oils and dirt, sweat, usually is zippered and you can remove that and wash it with your sheets and cases. The pillow itself will stay more sanitary longer.

Both mold and mildew can leave stains. I wouldn't take the chance if not having a back up set of sheets. I'd bleach according the directions on the bottle. Clorox is my product of choice. - but never use it on anything colored. If you have colored sheets, you'll want the oxy.

Nasty! Just Nasty!

You post every few months on your laundry issues. Wash yourself before getting into bed!

Bleach kills mold. Flat out simple. At home, make a simple and very mild bleach solution and put it in a bucket. Soak the molded part of your protector in the bucket. Then thoroughly wash out the bleach in that section by hand in the sink. Then take it to your laundromat and wash the whole thing in as hot of water as you can get. The mold will be killed and your protector will be clean.

For the pillow, I would not mess around with it. Toss it and get a new pillow. Ikea has very inexpensive pillows.

@shirlpp - Nothing wrong with posting frequently. And, they clearly do wash themselves before they go to bed - their hair was wet! No reason to shame someone who is trying to figure out how to clean.

So oxiclean won't work or it might work? Does it have to be hot water? If so, I have to go to another laundromat because the one I go to seem to have lukewarm water only. That isn't good enough?

I threw away that pillow with the mold.

So buy regular clorox bleach that is in a bottle? Then at laundromat, do you pour that in with the detergent in the same compartment? It doesn't go in fabric softener right? So only use bleach on the white mattress protector? What about my bed sheers and pillow cases? If it matters, it's blue color.

No I don't use a pillow protector. That wouldn't have protected my pillow from mold right if my hair was wet?

But why do people not suggest oxiclean?

So I googled mattress protector and bleach and it seems you should never use bleach on it because it is too harsh? Does anyone have any thoughts on that?

I agree about nothing wrong with posting frequently!

However, when folks have answered their questions and the poster continues to ask the SAME questions as if they don't undertand then.....come on!

Go back to their other postings @Kendrah and you will see that @Donny Pauly ask the same questions - over and over.

Seems strange that he is always asking why people don't suggest oxiclean....hmmmm...

Laundromat washers often have a labeled bleach compartment. In theory, the compartments get flushed with water during the cycle, so they are rinsed of other users' products, but in reality....As insurance you can bring a little pitcher or measuring cup, and pour water in the compartments before you start your load. Also choose a laundromat with staff that clean the machines frequently.

If you hesitate to use bleach, Oxi is worth a try but it works best in HOT water and is less effective in cold. Put Oxi powder in the drum, not the compartments.

There is also a Lysol sanitizer laundry additive (added to the softener compartment/rinse cycle) that people seem to like for persistently smelly laundry.

I think it's worth it to use a hot water laundromat. Also make sure to use a big enough machine that the laundry can move around inside the drum, in other words don't stuff it totally full to try to save money with the smaller machine.

"As insurance you can bring a little pitcher or measuring cup, and pour water in the compartments before you start your load."

That's a really good suggestion, I never would have thought of that. I take my duvet cover and comforters to the laundromat, I'd be upset if bleach hit the duvet cover, it would ruin the colors. I'll have to remember this tip!

I still think really HOT water would kill the mold -- a machine with a sanitize cycle would do the trick. I probably wouldn't use bleach because if there were any residual bleach smell it would bother me. But yes it would most definitely kill the mold.

Can you just buy another mattress protector? That might be less grief for you than stressing out over getting the mildew/staining out, since IIRC you're obsessive with cleanliness. Plus, is this a mattress pad someone else slept on regularly? The ick factor in that alone would be enough to cause me to buy a new one if I could afford it.

Zippered pillow protectors are worth the small investment. They protect the pillows well if you get a good one. DH has nosebleeds often, and if it hits the pillow I can just get the blood out of the pillowcase and protector, the pillow itself isn't ruined. I like them for myself because of my allergies, they keep any dust from the pillow from getting out.

And yes, wash your bedding at a minimum of once per week. Even if you're a super-clean person and shower before bed, you may sweat overnight and you're going to shed skin cells, like we all do no matter how clean we are.

This mattress protector is the owner's. The thing is this mold/mildew is only in a small area of the mattress protector. It's on the top left side and few spots. I didnt check the other areas of the mattress protector but I don't believe there is any mold there. If there was a lot of mold, I would just throw it out and buy a new one This is a mattress other people who have slept on as it's a rental. However, I been at this rental for several months now. This was recent and I am pretty certain it was due to me sleeping on a pillow while my hair was wet. The interesting thing about this is the pillow that I laid down on for a few hours, didn't have any mold. Few hours later I went to sleep in my main pillow and then noticed there was mold in the pillow so I threw that away. That pillow had considerably more mold than this mattress protector. It wasn't a lot, but still a decent amount so I threw it away.

Would a zippered pillow protector worked had my hair been wet when I went to sleep though or not?

Okay so you say use hot water to clean it. So no using dawn dish soap or vinegar or alcohol to spot treat it before going to laundromat? If I do this, the mattress protector would be on my bed but I would fold the mattress protector to where any liquid that gets on it... its going to be at the top as I don't want to get the mattress wet. Is there anyway I could spot treat it with oxiclean without a bucket or sink or is that not possible? A while back I remember using oxiclean and dipping it in a bucket and it whitened old mattress protector a while back. But now, I have no bucket and sink too small and bathroom is way too tiny for me to do any of that.

To the person that says put oxiclean in the drum, what do you mean by that? I do not get that term. Do you mean just pour some oxiclean directly on the mattress protector before closing the washer? Like throw the mattress protector inside the washing machine, then take a spoon and pour some oxiclean powder on it? Sort of like throwing sand at it so to speak? Then close the washer. Then put the normal FOCA powder detergent in the compartment like normal and then wash? The laundromat that has hot water option, I think it's a 25 minute wash. The laundromat that uses lukewarm water only goes like 36 minutes or so.

What do you mean pour water in the compartment before you start your load? When I go to laundromat, I would pour the detergent powder from a ziploc bag into the compartment. The issue with this public laundromat is it seems like you are suppose to pour it in the compartment and once the machine starts and water starts passing by the compartment, it then pushes the detergent down. That is normal or not? Most home washing machines you pour whatever detergent whether powder or liquid in a hole correct? The thing is this public laudromat washer... the hole isn't really visible. You have to sort of angle it if you want to put whatever detergent you want in it... does that make sense? Whenever I open the top compartment of a washing machine before putting it powder detergent, there is always powder detergent traces in the compartments no matter what. That is normal right? Because unless you are the 1st person to use the machine in the morning, whenever someone uses a machine, if they use powder detergent, it will have lot of residue or even more laying therr right... since many times the detergent gets stuck there since the water doesn't push it hard enough?

Dude, you are trying to analyze laundry far beyond what's necessary.

You've never posted a photo of the washer(s) you use at your laundromat of choice so no one replying has a reference for what kind of dispensers are involved.

In the end, it doesn't matter HOW you get detergent/cleaning products into the machine ... just get the stuff in there ... except for liquid chlorine bleach (and liquid fabric softener).

Undiluted chlorine bleach straight from the bottle is very strongly alkaline and can damage fabrics. Chlorine bleach should be diluted in water before contacting fabrics, even white items. Thus, it should be added to a dispenser which (depending on how it's designed) either 1) immediately diverts the bleach into the outer tub for mixing with water when the machine fills instead of directly onto the clothes, or 2) flushes the bleach into the outer tub several minutes after the wash period begins (instead of immediately at the beginning) with water flow and dilutes it via that process.

Fabric softener has fats and oils to lubricate fabric fibers and is incompatible with detergent, so softener always goes into the last rinse, which the appropriate dispenser for softener is designed to do.

The perforated rotating cylinder that holds and tumbles/spins the clothes is called the drum.

The drum is contained in a solid (non-perforated) outer tub which holds the water that fills in (and drains out) for washing and rinsing tumble, and catches (and drains away) the extracted water that spews out of the clothes through the perforations (holes) when the drum spins.

No, don't put bleach into a landromat machine. They often don't let you and it is really harsh and strong. If any residual is left over it can get on people's clothes. That is why I said do it on just the spot IN A BUCKET and AT HOME.

Yes, now I see the irritation. It sounds like you overthink Donny and don't pay attention to what comments are suggesting.

Any "residual bleach" in a laundromat washer, whether placed directly into the drum or into a dispenser should/would be substantially diluted after the machine runs, unlikely to damage the next user's clothing,

I would add a bit of bleach (1/8 to 1/4 cup) to every load for sanitizing purposes if I washed at a laundromat, considering the unknown and gnasty items that are often run through laundromat washers!

Applying undiluted chlorine bleach directly to fabric is much more likely to cause damage. The bucket-at-home method also calls for diluting the bleach before it contacts the clothing ... fill the bucket with water, add the bleach, then the clothing. I doubt an entire mattress cover/protector would fit into a bucket. The affected area could perhaps be submerged in a bucket. Or the whole thing could fit in a bathtub.

The photos in this thread are not just mold or mildew or a result of not drying hair before getting into bed. The other stains are not typical of mold/mildew. shirlpp's first post in this thread made me laugh, but it is spot on.

Bleach only truly kills mold on hard surfaces such as tiles. On porous surfaces it kills the surface layer but doesn't kill the roots. OTOH, vinegar kills mold on everything. Once the mold is dead, you can use bleach to lighten the mold stains.

You could spot clean the stains with vinegar, then once it is dry, take it to the laundromat for an oxyclean wash. Toss the pillowcase in as well. Oxyclean breaks down to hydrogen peroxide in water and has a bleaching effect.

Get a pillow protector for your new pillow as well as a second set of sheets/pillowcases. What would you do if you were sick in bed overnight without a spare set of sheets?

So there seems to be mixed responses on this. So you can't pour bleach into a public laundromat? I had no idea about it. I never used bleach in a laundromat but I assume there has to be people that do that? Like if people are washing and whitening a ton of white t shirts and socks and putting it in a public laundromat, aren't they going to be using bleach? If not bleach, then oxiclean?

I don't have a bucket and have to buy one. The other issue is my bathroom is really small. Not only that, this is a king size mattress protector so it is huge. It would be hard to fit in a big bucket as well. Someone says well you could just submerge the area into it only which makes sense but that would be hard because I have a tiny bathroom. There is very few floor space if any. I don't have a bathtub.

To the person that says it isn't mold or mildew in the photos... how sure are you? The reason why I think it is, is because it looks like it and I had mold in an old white mattress protector in an older apartment a while back. Not only that, my pillow had lot of black and gray spots that I am sure is mold so I threw that pillow away. But you are saying if I go to the public laundromat and then just put this white mattress protector and the FOCA detergent and use hot water... then when I take out the mattress protector from the washer... there will for sure be none of those spots? My main concern is it will still have those spots and then I have to dry it afterwards... so if it still has those spots... it would set in the mold?

Could I use vinegar and spot clean it now? If so, how would I do that? Say I remove the white mattress protector from my mattress. Then I fold it in a way where it is very bulky and the spots are at the top. Now I pour some vinegar or vinegar and water on the mattress protector while it's on the mattress and then scrub it with what? A scotch brite sponge or microcloth? What about paper towels? Then once most of the spots are gone, put the white mattress protector in a trash bag and go to laundromat and just use FOCA detergent and hot water for wash and that's it? Note... I do not want to spot clean the mattress protector while putting it on the floor. I would keep it in the mattress but make sure the spots are at the top so any vinegar and water that gets on it... won't get on the bed. Does that make sense? Or is this not the correct way to do it? What about just using some water and paper towel and wiping it and maybe that might work? If not mold/mildew, what is this?

The last thing I want is to have it washed in the laundromat and it still has mold... then dry it and once you dry it, the mold sets in so you can't ever get rid of it at a later time? I heard like with stains... don't ever use a machine to dry it if they stains are there... so that still applies here?

I've never seen a laundromat with actual HOT water, even tho there is a setting. They don't want to pay to heat it; it's usually lukewarm at best. Oxyclean is not a germicide and will not kill anything. Chlorine bleach will stop the growth of mold, so I would get a jug of that. Take it to the laundromat, put 1/4 cup or so in the bottom of the top load machine, turn on the water and let it mostly fill, then add your clothes. It will be fine for the mattress protector at that strength. If there is mold on your pillow and it's not down or feather but fiberfill, you can wash and bleach that, too, Just make sure it's good and dry before you put a case back on it.

Foca is a budget/lower-end detergent. It has only one enzyme, I believe something in the protease variety aimed at protein-based soils. Better detergents have multiple enzymes. Other types of enzymes are amylase (starches), lipase (fats), mannanase (bbq sauce, chocolate, similar soils), pectate lysase (fruits, veggies), and cellulase (clay, soot, rust, and cotton fabric pilling).

In laundromats here the machines won't fill unless the lid is closed and locked. So if your machines are like that, Donny, Olychick's suggestion won't work. Also, Oxyclean does disinfect as the sodium percarbonate breaks down in the wash to form hydrogen peroxide. A similar product has been on the market for decades here and was originally marketed for disinfecting and whitening babies' cloth diapers (called "nappies" here, so the product is called Napisan).

Use a sponge dipped in vinegar to spot clean your mold spots. Be sure to rinse them well with plain water as the vinegar will react in the wash with the Oxyclean to form an acid that won't do your mattress protector much good.

Then wash your mattress protector with just Oxyclean in the machine. You don't need to add the detergent but you do need to use more Oxyclean- see the instructions on the container.

You really should buy a better quality brand of laundry detergent for future washing though.

So that is interesting for someone to say they never saw a laundromat with a hot setting. The thing is I never cared or thought what water temperature is used in a public laundromat a while back. But the one I go to uses lukewarm water. Another laundromat a bit further does have a hot, cold and warm water setting.

I know oxiclean whitens products. A while back in my old apartment, I had a white mattress protector that got yellow due to sweat stains and oxiclean was able to whiten it. The thing was I used a big bucket and put in warm/hot water and put the mattress protector in it overnight or even longer. Then I would go to the shower and manually wash it while standing up... yes this is ridiculous and I would never do it again. I remember pouring some foca on it as well and then washing it while standing in the shower. It is extremely hard doing this as I didn't want it to touch the shower floor. In the end, I would hang it on one of those clothes hangers... the ones that have like 12 hangers in 1 like a circle? Then I would put a bucket below it as water is still dripping down from it. I would leave it haning for multiple days before I then took it and then put i on my bed because it would take days for it to dry. Yes I am aware 100% you should never do this inside the apartment but I didn't know that back then. I remember doing this with mold even on the mattress protector and the oxiclean soak overnight seemed to have removed it.

So based on that... oxiclean doesn't work? When I google oxiclean, it does say it removes mold so why do people say it doesn't? The thing is for my situation, I can't soak it because I have no nor enough space in my small bathroom. I just want to put it in a public laudromat washing machine and remove any mold and whiten it... but people here say that only works if I use bleach? Then you have others say you aren't suppose or not even allowed to use bleach in public laundromats? So that is what has me confused here. What I would prefer to do was just put it in washing machine and put oxiclean in that detergent compartment and then foca detergent but that won't work? That washing machine with lukewarm water goes for about 35 minutes.

I have used FOCA for years here. I heard it is a good detergent so that is the only one I ever used here and it's the powder form. What other detergent is good? Is Roma good? They have that detergent here as well but I used FOCA because I'm used to it.

What do you mean the machines don't work unless the lid is close and locked? The public washing machine where I'm at looks like this... you have to turn the knob to open it. If you google public washing machine, that is how it looks... the most common one. Now for putting the detergent... that thing is at the top of the machine. It's like a flap that you open up and there are 3 compartments for you to put things on it. They do have like 7 different options for washing and it shows the degrees I think. But I always choose option 1. So when I go to cashier and pay... they ask me what machine I put my clothes in.

Then when they come to the machine where I have my clothes in, they use this card to turn on the machine. Does that make sense? So once they turn it on... I would open that flap at the top of the machine... then pour the FOCA detergent down on it. You notice the water pushing anything you put inside on it fast... but many times detergent do get stuck in it. Like when I put detergent in 1 or 2 compartments before the person comes and turns on the machine... once they turn each on and I open compartment, I notice the detergent is like stuck and the water doesn't even have enough strengh to push the FOCA detergent down? So I then pour FOCA detergent right on when the water is dripping so then detergent goes down... does that make sense?

So you say use a sponge and vinegar to spot treat the mold Is it fine if I do this while the mattress protector is on the bed but I put it in a way where the mold spots are at the top so I fold and crumble the mattress protector that way so no water gets on the mattress? I don't have a place to my mattress protector... I have no bucket nor a bathtub and not going to put it on the floor. Well how would I even rinse water on it then if it's on the bed? I can still sort of do that but then just immediately put the mattress protector in a trash bag?

Wait so you not suppose to mix vinegar and oxiclean? Then how would spot cleaning it be good idea? I want to spot clean it... then immediately put it in trash bag and go to public laundromat. So I can't do this then? I can't spot treat it with oxiclean while on the bed right?

Could you or someone explain why can't I just bring the mattress protector to public laundromat and put it in and put oxiclean and detergent and it would clean itself? The machine goes for more than 35 minutes.

The other thing is... could I try using a paper towel and water and try to scrub it right now to see if it would go away? Do you believe this is mold/mildew? Someone else said from the pictures... it isn't. I am pretty sure it is because my pillow had mold/mildew and a lot of it... and I threw that pillow away.

Take it all to the laundromat and get it all done. Its been days now since you first posted. Those stains will soon be permanent, if not already, because you havent washed them yet. Washing should have been done immediately.

The stain has probably been there for 2 weeks already. I am concerned about washing it incorrectly and then the stain will set in ... after using the dryer. I don't want to make a mistake here.

So just wash with FOCA powder detergent and lukewarm water and that is fine? Then dry it with the dryer? So no oxiclean?

What about spot treating it? Again... i want to make sure I wash the mold/mildew away even though one person said the picture doesn't seem to show mold/mildew and it's something else. So can I take a paper towel and water and wipe it and check if that wipes away? What about wiping it with vinegar and cold water? Then just bring it to laundormat and wash with FOCA detergent? Someone said spot treat it with vinegar and vinegar but then they said use oxiclean in the washer but you shouldn't mix those from what I read. If i'm going to spot treat it with vinegar and water... I will be doing it on my mattress... then putting the mattress protector in a trash bag and go to the laundromat and well if I use oxiclean... it will obviously mix with vinegar because they vinegar wouldn't dry.

I think it’s time to throw that one away. Please get a new mattress pad.

There is very little spots on the mattress protector. It's not like throughout it at least I don't think.

Can others here tell me if this is mold or mildew or something else? Someone else mention this isn't mold and is just dirty?

I went to the supermarket here and noticed they have lysol disinfectant cleaner. They also have a few version of persil detergent.

From what I read online, persil as a detergent could get rid of mold? It seems to be liquid persil... not sure if they have persil powder. So is that better alternative than buying oxiclean or bleach?

You mean you haven't cleaned it yet?!?

No I haven't because I'm concerned I will mess it up by doing it wrong after going to the laundromat. I am planning to go very soon for this. The little bit of mold/mildew is still there and I notice one area of it is stained yellow... pretty sure that is a sweat stain.

I went to the supermarket where I'm located and there seems to be Persil Universal and Persil Vivid Colors. From what I read online, Persil Univeral would remove mold/mildew? Can I buy this and that would work? I would buy the powder and not liquid. Could I just use this on the public laundromat and that would work? If so, I will buy this and not use the FOCA powder detergent I have.

https://www.amazon.com.mx/Persil-PERSIL-UNIVERSAL-Universal-4-5kg/dp/B095KVGKCK

https://www.amazon.com.mx/Persil-Soluci%C3%B3n-Completa-Calidad-Presentaci%C3%B3n/dp/B07QPW2M5C/ref=sr_1_5?crid=4KPMEMUDJ3S3&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.idrpduwMGQYf1Y_uXbBpHN-sZ2FEFhIpwTNAk46iZI_F94mezdx5X42Xm-xxu_TfdGa2MKYyzRjI5mh9Uik0WxPxKCkzu7AVvAL5srueeiAfMA18l2tKhvBUNwS7P592zEL9kg8_to1P5xAAIjIxz577MnZdcn0TRb5t3OehYY8copwZ-Au2sH-F_7itiPQpIX5VDMnkIEtA9ZzYSA8poyquLggrkK5LU41l4csMuvH1NELJCXHVr5vHBmfE5kDtGUYUFp8xMxPgyslRd7EG5MPITtJBdzJIzs-mCWwe_k1v5mqBz0S8z7LJKtMRgjkfITdpXMlnA5KcMPU13-SL8R2wpEJFnh5Mw3aTDNnw0l6qlEjliaXnkLssXgNLtwVV7WWGp6xLhIUyY2eGGMHYUu-K1U6Nf9Hx5ONXHI0_sR-EZBbIB7D5s6cUE23rubIK.J8EoBppLRvosMrWYFeHDv6nGfVE9m6MMKJn44lXDky8&dib_tag=se&keywords=persil+colores+vivos&qid=1737873392&sprefix=persil+colo%2Caps%2C264&sr=8-5

23 days and that disgust is still there. Nasty! Nasty! Nasty!

I suggest, you toss them now, because, its unlikely they will become clean enough to use after this length of time. Its ridiculous, you should have had them in the washer one hour after you discovered it.

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph.