Getting Your Carpets Washed? Look Out for Mold!

Mold can grow anywhere. Thicker fabrics and hidden corners are especially prone to mold growth. This makes both carpets and floors underneath the carpet, ideal habitats for mold growth.

However, while mold can be easily removed from the floors under the carpet, it can be very difficult to remove it from the carpet itself. Let’s see why:

Why is it Difficult to Remove Mold from Carpets?

Mold spores are so small they are almost invisible. Their small size allows them to hide under and between the threads of carpet. These small mold spores don’t come out on scrubbing the carpet either, as the carpets are scrubbed above and below surfaces while the mold spores are hidden under it.

Moreover, washing carpets doesn’t remove these spores either. Water dampens the carpet fibers, which further promotes mold growth within the carpet threads. Even when carpets are dried afterward, the mold spores can continue growing and expanding within the carpet fibers.

When continued to grow, mold appears as circular stains on the carpet in green, black, or brown color. These stains make the carpet look old, dirty, and worn out. They also smell sour or funky. Hence, the presence of moldy carpet in a room makes that room smell bad. However, the foul smell and stained look of moldy carpet aren’t the most concerning about it. Here’s why you need to treat moldy carpet as soon as possible:

Why Should You Be Concerned About Moldy Carpet?

Moldy carpet indicates mold growth in the home. Mold growth leads to mold exposure which can cause various serious health concerns. In certain people, mold exposure can cause flu-like symptoms such as sneezing and coughing, leading to mold allergy. Symptoms of mold allergy can vary from coughing and difficulty breathing to irritation of skin and eyes.

Since there isn’t much awareness about mold allergy, it goes untreated among many people and ultimately leads to mold poisoning. Mold poisoning can severely affect the lungs and cause breathing difficulty. It can also impact the brain and nervous system and cause migraines, brain fog, and reduced cognitive function. Some people can also experience fatigue or depression from mold exposure. If it goes untreated, mold exposure can prove to be fatal.

While the fatality rate for mold exposure in humans is very low, it can also affect pets. For the well-being of yourself and your family, you must keep your home mold-free. If you find mold growth in your home’s carpets, here’s how you can clean them:

How to Remove Mold from Carpets?

If the carpet is too moldy, it is best to dispose of it. Cleaning it will only risk exposing other items in your home to mold. However, if the mold growth is limited, you can attempt to clean the carpet by following these steps:

Firstly, remove the carpet from the living space and bring it close to the exit of the house. Before bringing the carpet near the home’s entrance, cover the floors and other items with large plastic sheets. Ideally, you should remove all other items in the room where you will clean the mold. You don’t want to remove mold spores from the carpet, only for them to attach to other items in your home. Keep the entrance door and windows of the room open. Lay the carpet in a way that you scrub it in the direction of the open door.

Next, gear up by wearing a PPE suit, face mask, and goggles. You’re likely to get exposed to mold while cleaning it, and hence you should prioritize your safety.

Take a stiff brush and scrub the mold with it. Continue brushing until all mold is removed. Collect the mold from over the plastic sheet into a heavy-duty plastic bag and tie it tightly.

Take any good-quality mold cleaner that works for your carpet type. Carpets can be made of different materials, and one mold cleaner might not be as effective on all carpets. Apply the cleaner generously over the affected parts of the carpet and scrub again until all mold is removed. Collect all mold and dispose of it properly.

At this stage, you can either steam clean the carpet, clean it with vinegar and baking soda, or with bleach. All three methods can greatly help in removing any remaining mold spores from the carpet fibers. Once you have cleaned the carpet at this stage, apply an antifungal coating and let it dry completely.

You can use a heavy-duty vacuum before applying an antifungal coating, but it may cause further spread of mold spores through the vacuum.

You can regularly run a dehumidifier in your home to inhibit mold growth. Since mold grows in damp places, removing moisture from your home’s structural elements, furniture, and other items will leave no ideal habitat for mold growth in your home.

However, mold growth on carpet may sometimes indicate mold growth in other areas of your home. In such a case, cleaning the carpet will not prove helpful, and you will need to get your home thoroughly cleaned by restoration services. Many restoration services in Lansing, such as the 911 Restoration of Lansing, provide complete mold removal services for personal and commercial properties.