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How To Get Mold Out Of Carpet
How to get mold out of carpet?
Mold is a type of bacteria that the world needs outside your windows, but it can become a dangerous occupant once it gets through your front door. Mold has a variety of names. Indoor types of mold commonly found in the home can be in different colors, such as brown, red, blue, black, orange, white, purple, and yellow.
Inside: Learn How To Get Mold Out Of Carpet, Including:
- How do you get black mold out of carpet,
- Causes of carpet mold,
- How prevent carpet mold from returning, and
- Products to use to remove mold from carpets.
How To Detect Mold In Carpet
- Wet Carpet: Mold will likely grow on carpet that has been wet for more than a day. Whenever your carpet is damp, there may be a leak under it. Mold is typically found in basements, but it can also grow on carpet when drinks are accidentally spilled. If this happens, you’ll need to dry up the water right away.
- Showing Allergies: Carpet mold can cause allergies, bronchitis, and asthma. Mold will need to be removed from your carpet if any of your family members suffer from these conditions. Mold exposure, though, is not necessarily a problem for everyone.
- Color Patches: You may notice discolored patches in your carpet when mold growth reaches its advanced stage. The spots are usually white, black or green in color. You should be aware that the area underneath your carpet may discolor much before the carpet itself.
- Mold Testing Kit: A mold testing kit is one of the most reliable methods for detecting mold growth in carpets. Airflow across the carpet is tested with these kits. Whenever mold spores land on your carpet, the kit will calculate and show you what the mold spores are.
How To Remove Mold From Carpet
It may take time to study how to remove mold out of the carpet. You should know that spores from mold can renew themselves. The spores spread from your home to other areas if they are airborne. Below are 6 ways “how to get mold out of carpet naturally”.
1. Expose To Sunlight
The ideal way to begin cleaning mildew and mold from your rug is to expose it to direct sunlight. The sun can kill the mold, and then you can clean it up. It is also good to take it outside to clean it with a brush because by taking it out, you prevent mold from spreading inside your house.
If you choose to remove mold without removing the carpet, it will probably work just fine.
2. Carpet Cleaner
Cleaning the carpet with a carpet cleaner or steamer is the best way to do it without removing the carpet. These two elements will allow you to remove any excess moisture that may be in the carpet. A carpet cleaner is a great tool for removing mold. Be sure to use a cleaning solution with your carpet cleaner to disinfect the carpet and kill the fungus that causes mold to grow.
Once you have cleaned your carpets with a carpet cleaner, you should keep it on your carpets to ensure that mold does not grow back.
3. Detergent / Lysol
The cleaning process to remove rug mold is the next step you have to take. For small molding jobs, place a mixture of detergent in a steam cleaner with clean water. To remove mold from your carpet, you will need to wet the area to vacuum up the water. If the water is still unclear after you remove it, you’ll need to repeat the process.
If a regular detergent and water cleaner don’t do the trick, try mixing raw Lysol into the water. Make sure you’re not allergic to Lysol.
4. Grapefruit Seed & Tea tree Oil
Natural oils from tea and grapefruit seed have outstanding cleaning elements as they include antibacterial and antifungal ingredients.
Use a spray bottle or a mug to fill with a cup of hot water and ten drops of any oils. Apply the mixture to the mold areas of the rug and leave it to work for 15 minutes. After that, either vacuum or rub out the contaminants using a towel/cloth.
5. Baking Soda And Vinegar
Vinegar and baking soda have double benefits in rug cleaning. These two household items help slow down the growth of the mold, but they also work in removing foul smell from the carpet.
First, sprinkle the infected spot with vinegar for 45-60 minutes. Check if it requires some more time or vinegar to kill the mold completely. Then rinse out with hot water. Blend in baking soda and water to form a thick paste and apply it over the carpet for one hour.
Use a vacuum or a brush to wipe out the baking soda paste and done.
6. Bleach
When you’re still struggling to get rid of mold from your carpet, you may need to take some drastic steps to clean mold from your carpet. You will need to obtain a disinfectant in the form of hypochlorite or ordinary bleach. Add some bleach to the water to form a solution.
Helpful Advice
After removing this moisture, you can clean the carpets with rubbing alcohol or vinegar. Both of these cleaning solutions should work well for eliminating mold build-up on your carpet. Never overdose on bleach to get rid of mold, because too much bleach can damage your carpet. Make sure whatever caused mold growth there is taken care of at all times.
Best Mold Carpet Cleaner Products
Dishwashing Detergent
Lysol
Vinegar
Baking soda
Tea tree oil
Mold Testing Kit
Is Mold On Carpet Harmful?
Mold is a severe issue in your home as it can live and continue to grow throughout the year, especially if the region you reside in has a humid or hot temperature. If there is mold, it is easily noticeable as you will find a mottled shape or an odd spot on the carpet surface. Mold in this area will begin to give off a musty smell.
Health Risks!
Mold, which typically is a fungus, grows and thrive in damp, or wet areas. It is easy to find mold on the forest floor because it gets nourished by the decaying leaves that fall from trees. Anything eaten by mold can be digested very easily, which will help the mold grow more. For this reason, you can find mold in your home, and it will cause damage wreaking havoc and may even cause respiratory problems for a resident.
How To Get Mold Stains Out Of Carpet
After the mold is out from your area rug or carpet, the next question arises: how to get mold smell out of carpet.
- Well, to remove mold stain from the carpet, you can simply prepare a mixture by mixing lemon juice and salt.
- For 20 minutes, apply it to the stained area. Lemon is acidic and helps uproot the stain from the carpet fiber.
- Create another mixture by adding half a cup of white vinegar to three cups of warm water.
- Use one teaspoon of unscented dish soap.
- Wash the stain thoroughly and gently with a brush.
- Clean the area with a clean cloth, then gently pat it dry.
- In case of a stain, repeat the process.
- Next, allow it to dry fully.
How To Prevent Mold From Coming Back
- Before you learn how to eliminate this bacteria from your home, you must first know how to prevent it from forming. You can easily avoid moldy or mildew rugs growing on your walls or under appliances like a refrigerator or dishwasher. To fight carpet mold and other types of bacteria, you need to make sure your home is consistently 30-60% humid. Otherwise, you can fix this problem by buying a dehumidifier.
- If an area is still wet or damp, avoid placing rugs in that area. Use tile instead of carpet for your bathroom floors. Your floor is likely to be wet often when someone showers or hoses down the toilet. If any part of your home gets flooded with water, do your best to dry it up immediately. Leaving the moisture in place will allow the environmental mold it needs to grow and survive.
- A leak in the roof of your house could also be the cause. Always wear gloves and eye protection when cleaning mold and mildew. If you suspect mold, try to find damp areas like a flooded part of your home or a leak in your plumbing.
- Ventilation, such as air conditioners and vents, can spread bacteria and cause them to become airborne, so check all ducts before proceeding. Measure the size of the moldy area. You’ll want to make sure this is a small enough problem that you can fix it. If mold areas are large, seek professional help to prevent mold from spreading.
How To Clean Mold In Carpet From Water Damage
If you want to do the task yourself, here are some helpful tips and tricks for cleaning a water-damaged carpet.
- If water continues to flood the carpet, you need to know where it is coming from and turn off the power. All power supplies that may come into contact with water need to be turned off.
- All objects and furniture that are on the carpet should be removed.
- Rent a vacuum pump that sucks as much water as possible from the carpet. Once you have finished sucking all the water out of the carpet, only then turn off the pump.
- Take the rug and place it in another dry place. Here you should assess the damage to the carpet and decide whether or not it is worth cleaning or if a new carpet is needed.
- If the water source is dirty water, you should clean the carpet according to the recommended washing instructions for the type of carpet (fiber).
- Let the carpet dry completely. If you are inside, open all doors and windows. Also, use dehumidifiers and heaters, as this will help ensure constant airflow and keep humidity out.
- Only when the rug is completely dry should you consider putting it back into the room with the newly purchased padding.
- Remember to have cleaned and dried the area under the carpet; this includes baseboards. Putting your dry carpet in a damp area will only encourage mold in the long run. You may not notice any mold as it will be under your carpet.
- If you have to throw away your carpet due to too much damage, check your insurance policies, as most homeowners cover water damage.
Helpful Tips How To Get Rid Of Mold On The Carpet
1. Find The Source Of Moisture
Mold thrives in moisture, so an important tip to remember is to find the source of the moisture and then fix it immediately. If you remove the mold without really understanding and fixing the source of the moisture, the mold will come back, and you will have to treat it repeatedly. Find the source of moisture and correct it so that you can permanently solve your mold problem at home.
2. Evaluate The Amount Of Mold You Have On The Carpet
Another important tip to remember is to assess the mold problem you have on your carpet. Decide how big the affected area is on your rug or carpet. This is essential because you should see if you can fix the problem yourself. If you are facing a widespread mold problem, you may need professional help.
3. Use A Carpet Disinfectant
Once you can remove mold from your carpet, you shouldn’t think that everything is already fine. You need to make sure that your carpet is completely free from germs and fungi, which could remain on the carpet fibres. Use a carpet sanitizer to kill and completely remove germs, bacteria, and fungi to make sure your carpet is clean and hygienic.
4. Get Professional Help If Needed
Speaking of professional help, it is always wise to call a professional cleaner immediately if you determine that you are unable or unqualified to handle the problem independently. Get a carpet cleaner as soon as possible to minimize the negative effects of mold. Quick action will help remove it immediately and restore your carpet to normal.