Help! Mildew on favourite baby garments!

[ReshapeWhileDamp]

I stuck all of DS's overgrown baby clothes in the loft, packed into his old Moses basket. The basket is probably past it and smells musty - no great loss, it was a cheapy one - but some of our favourite baby gros and vests are stained with grey and yellow mildew!

How do I get it out? I know it's notorious to shift. Any specific stain removers? What about home remedies? And is there any chance that the rest of the clothes, which aren't mildewed, will lose the musty smell after a good machine wash? Would adding tea tree oil to the washing powder help?

Tea tree's good for smells i'm not sure about stains but a soak in hot water and white vinegar would do it for all problems.

Thanks! Ok, I'll try white vinegar - is it likely to bleach out colours and patterns on the cloth? One of the babygros is dark red and the one with patterns has dark printing. (Tis a Cath Kidston cowboys vest that my mother got DS and I don't care how twee it is, I love it!)

Buy borax powder from hardware shop. Mix 1 cup with 1/2 cup just boiled water and stir to dissolve. Mix with as much vinegar as possible and soak in bucket for a few hours (White vinegar from hardware shop is best or order from summer naturals online - borax also available). Drain and wash in machine with normal detergent. Hang in sun to remove stubborn stains. This will work without bleaching garments. Repeat if necessary and if stains remain, dry clean.

Reshape I've used on navy blue stuff it is fab for any colours and enhances and softens IMO. I've never used borax Egypt. i find vinegar effective on own. Is it good for bathroom cleaning?

Yes, it's good for bathroom cleaning as long as you rinse - it should not be ingested. I learned about the borax + vinegar combo after serious damage to plaster and garments here - it is recommended on sites relating to cleaning after floods. Works super well, much better than vinegar on its own IME.