How to Keep Mildew Off Patio Pillows

Remove the damp pillows from the furniture. Place them outdoors in the sunlight until they dry completely. Scrub the dry cushions outdoors with a stiff scrub brush to remove the mildew.

Remove the pillow covers from the cushions if possible. Follow the care label on the pillows and launder them in the washing machine. Replace the covers while they are still wet and place the pillows in the sun to dry to keep the fabric from shrinking.

Combine 1 teaspoon of borax with 1 quart of warm water if you cannot launder the pillows. Add two to three drops of dishwashing detergent to the solution. Sponge the mixture onto the fabric and scrub with a bristled brush. Let the solution soak for up to 20 minutes, rinse the pillows with clean water and allow them to dry in the sun.

Kill the mildew on white fabric by mixing one part of chlorine bleach with four parts of water. Apply the chlorine bleach solution to the pillow with a sponge and let it soak for 10 minutes. Rinse the solution off with a garden hose and place the pillow in the sun to dry.

Remove mildew from colored pillow fabric by saturating the stain in a 1-to-4 solution of color-safe bleach and water. Rinse the bleach off the pillows with clean water and place them in the sun to dry.