Superstratum is a Los Angeles company whose listing describes protection for fabrics and surfaces against mold, mildew and bacteria. It names clothing, furniture, equipment and home goods as items covered.

Listed since 09/27/2021

Mold and fabrics in Los Angeles

Los Angeles is dry for most of the year. Rain falls mainly from December through March, and summer rain almost never comes. Relative humidity averages around 50 percent in November and 65 percent in June, and coastal mornings sit under the marine layer in late spring. Mold on clothing, upholstery and stored goods here is therefore usually the result of a moisture event, such as a roof leak in a winter storm, a flooded room or boxes kept against a damp wall, rather than of the climate itself.

The EPA's guidance is that porous materials such as carpet, upholstery and fabrics that stay wet for more than 24 to 48 hours might need to be discarded, and that hard surfaces can be cleaned with detergent and water and dried completely. Protection begins with getting things dry.

What fabric mold protection involves

A protective treatment is prevention. It is applied to items that are clean and dry, and it does not repair goods that have already soaked through or grown mold; those have to be laundered, professionally cleaned or thrown out.

Ask what the product is and what it is approved to go on, for the safety data sheet, what testing supports its claims, how long it lasts and whether it must be reapplied. Test a hidden spot for color or feel changes first. If stored goods were wet in a water loss, see our guide to mold after water damage before treating anything.