When a carpet is exposed to dampness, it can grow mold in little time. Find out how to get mold off your carpet with the tutorial given below!
Mold is a living, growing organism that spreads rapidly and can break out nastily if you leave untreated dampness on your carpet. This might be caused by a leak, plant drainage, or even an untrained puppy. Mold appears as green to grey patches and has a foul odor. If left untreated, this can result in sickness or even bronchitis. Get rid of it when you spot it!
If you see a mold patch that has grown beyond the dreaded 5 feet mark, you might need to call in the professionals. A patchy mold occurrence is treatable at home.
How To Get Mold Off Your Carpet With Homely Supplies:
What You Need
- Facemask
- Bristle Brush
- Eye Protection
- Rubber Gloves
- Baking Soda
- Trash Bag
- Dustpan
- Disposable Cloth
- Dehumidifier
- Antifungal Spray
Procedure
1. Ventilation
You need proper ventilation to treat mold; otherwise, the spores might keep spreading to the same area. If you can take out the rug to be treated outside, it’s the best, but if not, try keeping the windows open. Some molds may not be health hazards, but you should still exercise caution and wear protective gear – eye protection, facemask, and rubber gloves.
2. Baking Soda
Lift the rug to expose the underside of the mold. If you see the mold has grown more than a few feet, you might need to replace the carpet. You could even opt to cut off the affected moldy area and replace it with a section of newer carpet. You need not replace the whole thing, just take a 12-inch margin and cut off the affected carpet. While if the mold has grown beneath the rug, you need to replace the portion that it has affected underneath the rug as well. Finally, apply Baking Soda to the affected areas to absorb excess moisture and prepare the area for the next step.
3. Scrub with Bristle Brush
Scrub off the mold spores with a bristle brush into a dustpan and discard into trash bags. Vacuuming these spores is not recommended as the vacuum might help the spores travel to other unaffected areas of your living space. Scrub both the front side of the affected area and the backside to get rid of maximum spore growth.
4. Anti-fungal Spray
Use an anti-fungal spray on the affected areas, which should also have a mold-prevention feature. Spray it on both front and back of the affected area if possible, and the part of the floor that the mold was in contact with. Let it sit for an hour.
5. Dehumidifier
Dab the sprayed area after an hour with a clean and disposable cloth piece to soak up the excess. Do not rinse the area. Let the anti-fungal spray dry off itself, as it will keep working on the areas till it has dried off on its own. Do not turn the fan on to help it dry, as it just helps in the spores flying off everywhere. Rather, use a dehumidifier in the room, and let the carpet dry naturally for at least 24 hours. Likewise, avoid walking in the area at this time.
6. Clean the Tools
Clean your bristle brush and dustpan with a warm mix of soap and water, which will get spores off of the tools. You might also want to use anti-fungal spray on the brush and dustpan, to kill off any chance of them acquiring live mold. Dispose of the dirty cloth piece and the rubber gloves.
7. Repeat!
Repeat steps 4, 5, and 6, for the next few days until your carpet is mold-free. Mold can come back until a month after it has been cleaned, so stay vigilant.
Mold Prevention Tips
- Never keep potted plants on the carpet. These drip water onto the floor, leading to the dampness that mold loves.
- Also, never stack firewood onto the carpet directly, as the wood has natural moisture in it that might encourage mold growth.
- If your pet recurringly pees on the carpet in a particular area, there are deterrent sprays that make the area unappealing for your pet to “go” in.
- Invest in a good dehumidifier. This keeps moisture to a minimum, so spores do not get their environmental pick to grow in. This protects your artwork and hardwood flooring along with the carpeting.
Conclusion
We hope you have found what you were looking for from this article and understood the steps to thoroughly clean your carpet of that fungal mold growth. Consequently, if you know of any other methods on how to get mold off carpet, leave them in the comments below! We love hearing from our readers.