Mildew on Lanai Draperies?
 

We have purchased a pre-owned home which has 4, 10-12 foot, cabana type draperies on the lanai which are beautiful, but, they have mildew on them. They are made of a canvas/Waverly type fabric and less than a year old. I took the tiebacks off and soaked them in BIZ for several hours as a test, but that didn't work. There is may too much fabric to scrub with rubbing alcohol like I have read might work. Can anyone offer any advice?

Clorox II in washer???

Have them professionally cleaned perhaps?

Tub and Tile mildew remover? Spray it on scrub it off.

Are they roll up type or push to one side type? Either way they have probably got very wet at some point and been left either rolled or in folds. My suggestion would be to get them out into the bright sunshine for several days to thoroughly dry them and then try one of the spray cleaners on them. They must be dried out or they will rot.

How to Remove Mildew Stains From Outdoor Cushions | eHow

This procedure might also work just as well on your drapes.....GOOD LUCK.

Keep scrolling all the way down for lots of tips on removing mildew, etc..........

Check this out. How to Clean Mold Without Bleach | Home Guides | SF Gate

How to remove mold without bleach. Bleach will probably bleach out the color of the drapes.

Now that is really an excellent article. Thanks for sharing.

Vinegar is good for so many things........

It was the old fashioned original cleaning "potion" for absolutely everything.

Thanks for all the responses Village friends!

The drapes are dry and have been since we purchased this home. However, it is rather obvious that at some point they got really wet, were kept tied back and not dried out. They are really stained. I talked with a friend back in PA that owned a dry cleaning business. At first she said dry cleaning would probably remove the stains, she has removed mildew stains on fabric before. However, when I told her what the fabric is, she said more than likely not. And, it would also be very expensive because of the length of the fabric. So, I will try some of your suggestions and hope for the best!

Check to see if they are sunbrella material. If not there isn't much you can do. I think if you do treat the drapes if they are sunbrella they will mold even quicker.
GOOD LUCK

How to Clean Sunbrella Fabric | eHow

This is information on sunbrella fabric and how to clean it. Hope it helps.

whoa. there could be mildew in places besides those curtains. I'm sorry to say this, but little mold spores fly all over and wreak havoc. I'd suggest research into mold and mildew. you might have a place that was vacant with the ac set too low? dig deeper on this...
lifetime Floridian...
best to you,
Kitty

These draperies were OUTSIDE, this is not an enclosed lanai. They were hung to create a cabana look. But thanks for your concern.