Well, when you do things right, carpet can still grow mold on it and that is because you cannot see deep within the fibers of it.
When you wash it and even dry it, some humidity captures between the fibers, and over time, it promotes the growth of mold. When you carry out your routine cleaning, you often do not carry out deep cleaning procedures.
In addition, what happens if you do not clean the mop? It will not only stink up the room and ruin the carpet completely, but you will also be compromising on your health.
So, when you know the mold is breeding silently, how do you remove the carpet mold? Which is the best carpet mold cleaner? Can vacuum help cleaning mold carpet? Here is all you need to know!
How to Clean Mold from Carpet?
Mold is a fungus that breeds in humid environments, and yes, is very natural. However, when it grows inside the house, it can affect your health adversely.
If you have recently been experiencing allergy-like symptoms, why do not you check your carpet for mold?
The fungus can grow quietly inside the padding of the carpet, which makes it hard to detect, and hence, if not cleaned on time, it will affect your health and damage your carpet completely.
In addition, when you have successfully found the place of mold growth, you should immediately rush to think of ways to remove it.
Thus, if you are wondering of ways to remove mold carpet, here is what you need to do:
1. Check Your Carpet
As we already said, finding mold can be tricky let alone getting rid of it. Hence, the first step towards the removal of mold carpet is to identify it.
Look under the carpet, between the fibers, and in the padding for it. If you see a dark patch somewhere in the carpet, know that it is nothing else but mold growing there.
Once you have identified that, it is time to move on to the next steps.
2. Ventilate
Mold loves places with humidity and darkness. Thus, when you see mold growing on the carpet, make sure you open every window in the house to increase ventilation.
The air crossing will reduce humidity and stop the growth of mold in any corner of the house, be it the carpet or the walls. Molds often grow if you steam clean your carpets regularly.
It is important to keep in view the right and safe ways to steam clean the mop. Choosing the right ways will help the prevention of molds.
Hence, before you start cleaning it away, make sure you ventilate the house to stop its growth.
3. Use Baking Soda
Once you have made sure to ventilate the house fully, what should be the next step?
Next, you need to look for ways to remove humidity from the carpet, and hence, nothing can do it better than baking soda.
Baking soda is one ingredient present in every homeowner’s kitchen so, sprinkle a generous amount of it on the carpet and leave it overnight.
The soda will quickly absorb all humidity from within the fibers, reducing the chances of future mold growth. Moreover, it will also kill odor that may arise as a result of the “moldy” situation.
Thus, when you wake up the next morning, use a vacuum to clean the baking soda from the carpet.
In addition, if you do not have one, use a fresh piece of cloth, brush, or wet wipes to clean it.
4. Vinegar for Finishing
We are not just finished yet. Fill a bottle with white vinegar and spray all over the carpet.
Rub it and air dryer it under the fan. Remember, vinegar is great for removing stains and deodorizers, so it is a win-win for all.
We would suggest to go for natural cleaners rather than the ones available in the market because with carpets, you need to be extra careful while using chemicals on it.
Natural ingredients also provide the perfect cleaning as well. Remember, different types of carpets are cleaned in different ways and you should never use bleach-based cleaners on it or else it will damage the fibers completely.
But if natural, homemade solutions do not work for you then go for a good carpet mold cleaners out there.
Other 3 Ways of Cleaning Mold from Carpet
Baking soda and vinegar are used universally for cleaning purposes. Nevertheless, what if you fail to remove mold completely using this homemade solution? Is there any other way of mold removal in the carpet?
Here are some other popular alternatives that promise to help you remove mold from the carpet:
1. Dishwashing Liquid and Water
If you are out of baking soda and vinegar, no problem at all. Mix some dishwashing liquid with water and pour it over the mold. Then take a brush to gently rub off the mold and rinse it with cold water.
Throughout these steps, you need to ensure the proper cleaning as water is the breading ground for the molds and if you are not absolutely perfect in terms of complete cleaning, the mold problem will be persistent.
Hence, let it dry. However, if you feel, the mold is still there; repeat the process until it is all gone.
2. Lysol and Water
Lysol is a great disinfectant and can easily be used to clean carpets. Mix it with some water and pour it over the rug.
Let it sit for some time and rub the mold using a soft brush. Then rinse it water and dry it under the fans.
3. Carpet Mold Cleaner
If you do not have faith in homemade cleaning solutions, grab a good carpet mold cleaner from the nearest store and use it to get rid of the mold right away.
How to Avoid Growth of Mold on the Carpet
Once you have thoroughly cleaned the carpet and gotten rid of the mold, next your major concern will be to avoid it in the future. With all the effort that went into removing the mold, you would not want to risk it again.
So, what can you do to avoid the growth of mold on the carpet in the future? Is it even possible? Here are some tips that will help you prevent mold growth:
Make sure no wet items come in contact with the carpet
Occasionally open the windows for increased ventilation
Clean stains quickly
If you spill water or any liquid on the carpet, make you dry it thoroughly
Do not put wet towels or similar things on the carpets
Avoid carpeting bathroom and kitchen floors
Make sure you keep the carpets as clean and dry as possible because only a humid environment breeds mold.
If you have not been able to remove mold from the carpet at home, we would suggest sending it to the professionals for dry cleaning.
Or maybe if you have an open area outside the house, or a big roof, hang some wires there and put your molded carpet under the sun to get rid of it naturally.
Ideally, make sure you just keep it dry, vacuum it regularly, and maintain high levels of ventilation in the house.
John Wesley is passionate about cleaning industry especially vacuum cleaners. He is having more than a decade of experience in repairing and selling vacuum cleaners from a well known retail shop. When he’s not testing and reviewing latest vacuum cleaners for this site, he likes to spend time with his partner, 2 kids, and doing house projects.
