How to Prevent Mold On Shoes In The Closet

Last Updated on September 16, 2023 by Martina McKeough

Have you ever placed your shoes in your closet and when you have taken them out at a later date found that they were covered in mold? Learning how to prevent mold on shoes in the closet is important because those mold spores can spread and impact your belongings and your health as well.

Mold growth whether it be on your clothes, bags or shoes tells you that you have a problem that needs to be urgently fixed. We hopefully have some ideas to help you with mold prevention as well as solving issues such as the humid environment which will help to stop mold developing in the first place.

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Why is Mold Growing On My Shoes In My Closet?

If you find mold growing on the shoes in your closet then you need to eliminate the following possibilities.

That your shoes were wet when you placed them in your closet.
You have a damp closet caused by a plumbing leak or damp.
That you have inadequate in your closet.
That you live in a location with humid air which can cause mold growth.

Discovering the underlying cause of your problem is the only way to properly prevent mold in the future. If you don’t discover why you have mold developing and address the wrong problem it will continue.

What Prevents Mold In Closet?

In order to prevent mold on shoes in the closet you need to take some basic shoe storage and maintenance steps and also address any problems that could be leading to a damp environment in your closet.

In most cases eliminating excess moisture and being scrupulous with your cleaning and storage should be enough to resolve your problem.

Doing a little detective work to understand the cause of your moldy shoes can prevent further problems in the future. Burying your head in the sand isn’t a great solution as mold can spread rapidly and start to impact your other belongings and impact the rest of your room with its musty pungent smell. Long term exposure to mold can also cause problems to your physical health.

Dealing with Wet Shoes

If you want to prevent mold on shoes the first step that you can take is to make sure that your shoes are dry before you try and store them in your closet.

Mold thrives in moist, wet and damp environments. That means if you have picked up mold spores from outside or have a damp closet then you are more likely to have a problem.

So if you come into your home and your footwear is wet you need to let your shoes dry completely before you even think about storing them in a closed closet. You also need to consider sweaty shoes as part of this equation as that can also create mold growth.

Keep your shoes dry by using a newspaper, a fan or even a shoe dryer to make sure you have removed any excess moisture from your shoes. Paper can help to absorb the moisture whilst a fan or shoe dryer can cause the water to evaporate into the air until they are completely dry.

Make Sure Your Shoes Are Clean Before Storage

To prevent mold growth on your shoes you need to be meticulous with your cleaning. If you have been outside or in certain damp environments you can pick up mold spores that stick to your shoes.

Making sure you have clean shoes before storing them in your closet means that you are going to remove spores before they are stored behind closet doors.

This means removing any dirt, grime or mud and cleaning them with a soft cloth to make sure they are mold-free. Only when they are dry and clean should they be placed in your closet.

Make Sure Your Closet is Clean

If you want to know how to prevent mold on shoes in the closet then your next step is to make sure that it is clean in the first place.

Mold is something that can spread and relatively rapidly. If left unchecked mold can easily spread to a large area very quickly. That means if you have a small amount of mold growth in your closet you need to address the problem as quickly as possible.

Firstly clean your closet thoroughly to remove any visible mold growth. Then find ways to control moisture in the area to prevent further growth. This means creating proper ventilation, and preventing mold and moist air so the conditions in which it can develop in the first place.

If There is Mold On Shoes in Your Closet Use Silica Gel Packs

Learning to store your shoes correctly is important if you want to prevent mold growth. We know that excessive moisture is a problem but even a small amount can still be enough to create mold on shoes in the right conditions.

To stop mold from developing and to keep your closets dry using silica gel can help. A simple way to do this is to purchase silica gel packs to place in your leather shoes as they can help absorb small amounts of moisture.

Silica gel packs are often found inside packaging on new products to prevent them from going moldy in transit. They can also be used as a standalone product to absorb moisture from sweat from shoes and trap moisture.

If you feel you need a little extra help from silica gel products you can purchase moisture absorber boxes that contain more of the product. These are designed to help keep your closet dry as well as areas such as bathrooms, basements and caravans.

Storing Your Shoes To Prevent Mold

As closet mold grows on walls and on damp floors keeping your shoes away from these damp corners or areas means that you are less likely to experience the problem.

Placing your leather shoes on racks or wooden shelves keeps them off the closet floor which minimizes your chances of experiencing mold problems.

Also when putting shoes in the closet trying to make sure that you store them so that they are getting some fresh air is important. That means storing them in plastic bags or containers is not a great idea as air is unable to circulate.

When shoes are trapped in plastic you are creating an ideal breeding ground for closet mold. Open shoe racks make much more sense if you don’t want to ruin your shoes.

Keeping Moisture Out of Your Closet By Checking for Leaks

Leaky plumbing can create havoc in your home and create problems that are not immediately obvious. A hidden drip from a pipe can cause significant damage but may not be picked up until weeks or even months later because it can be hidden beneath floorboards or behind boxing on the walls.

If you feel that the mold appearing on your shoes seems unexplained then start investigating the pipework in your shoe closet and the surrounding rooms to see if there are hidden problems that could be causing damp areas and mold growth.

White Mold On Shoes Means You Need to Check For Damp

Preventing mold growth also means paying attention to dampness in your home. Problems with dampness are usually caused by structural problems in your home that you need to address. Home maintenance can sometimes be overlooked but it has repercussions and eventually missed repairs can cause issues.

Damp can be caused by problems with leaky gutters, burst pipes, rising damp from the ground as well as high humidity levels and condensation. Identifying any causes of damp around your home and rectifying them is the only way to make your home mold-free.

If you war unable to understand why you might be getting mold on shoes and are unable to identify the reasons then hiring a professional can help. Damp professionals are experts in identifying problems that homeowners can’t so if you are finding difficulty resolving your problems this may be the next step you need to take.

Create Adequate Ventilation in Your Closet

Remember that closet doors are usually closed for the majority of the time which means that if you do have damp issues the moisture has nowhere to escape.

When closed doors are closed the moisture will build, you may experience a musty odor and the chances of mold developing will increase.

Opening your closet doors can help or having louvred doors to allow airflow can help. If you need additional ventilation then installing a vent or a humidistat fan can help to remove humid air and replace it with fresh air.

Use a Dehumidifier to Prevent Shoe Mold

If a humidistat is not a possible option to prevent mold on shoes then consider purchasing a dehumidifier instead to help.

Dehumidifiers come in all shapes and sizes and can be either be placed behind your shoe closet doors or in the room where the shoes are stored. Economical dehumidifiers don’t cost much to run and bring down the general humidity in a room which can help prevent mold growth. They can also be useful if you suffer from asthma attacks and allergies as they prevent the conditions that make dust mites thrive.

This small dehumidifier would be perfect to use behind closed closet doors to keep the air at the right level of humidity.

Use Waxes and Leather Conditioners

Finally if you want to know how to prevent mold on shoes in the closet consider protecting your leather shoes with products that create a barrier to mold.

Leather conditioner and waxes not only help to nourish the leather on your shoes but also help to prevent mold growth. Simple protection won’t work for certain shoes or in really poor conditions but may do enough to prevent mold in less challenging environments.

As leather conditioners and waxes are relatively cheap a small effort can prevent expensive problems such as mold on shoes.