How to Remove Mildew and Musty Smell from Carpet in 7 Steps

No matter how much you try to ignore it, a musty carpet filled with mildew can be hard to ignore. But this isn’t only a distraction, it’s a safety hazard for you and everyone on the property that can trigger significant health issues. Prolonging the cleaning process will also result in the spread of damage, possibly even causing the carpet to become irreplaceable.

On the bright side, getting a musty smell out of a carpet is relatively simple. Especially if the area was flooded, getting rid of the odor should be a walk in the park. This article gives helpful tips to remove the musty smell from carpets.

What Causes Mildew and Musty Smells in Carpets?

The most common cause of mildew and musty smells in carpet is moisture being trapped in the carpet fibers. This can be a result of high humidity, spills, or not thoroughly drying the area after cleaning. With the presence of moisture, mold spores, and bacteria are likely to multiply beneath the surface. Addressing moisture issues early and keeping your carpet clean and dry is key to preventing mildew and the associated musty smells from becoming a bigger problem.

How Can I Tell if Mold or Mildew is Growing?

Identifying mold or mildew underneath the carpet can be difficult as it often occurs out of sight.

However, there are a few signs that homeowners can keep an eye out for:

• Musty Odor
• Discoloration
• Damp Carpet
• Health Issues
• Increased Humidity
• Previous Water Damage

If you identify any of these signs, it is essential to take immediate action to remove the mold and prevent further damage. Although mold can be difficult to identify, professional mold remediation specialists are available to help you identify if there is mold growth. Mold under the carpet can spread quickly and cause serious health and structural issues if not addressed.

7 Steps to Remove the Musty Smell from Carpet

1. Dry the area

Musty, earthy, or dank smells – whatever you want to call it – are the result of excess moisture. So the area was wet before the smell started. If there is lingering water damage in the area, dry out the area as best you can or call a professional water damage mitigation company. But keep in mind they may inform you that the carpet will need to be replaced if the carpet was heavily flooded.

2. Vacuum out the area

As soon as the carpet is completely dry, remove the remaining debris by vacuuming the area. A larger vacuum should be able to pick up more dust.

3. Apply vinegar water mixture to the carpet

Vinegar is a great home remedy for absorbing stubborn odors. Depending on the amount of mildew on the carpet, mix one cup of white vinegar for every two cups of water. Add the mixture to a spray bottle and spritz the carpet, creating a light, misty layer. Just keep in mind that too much of the mixture can trigger additional mold growth.

4. Add lots of baking soda

One of the numerous amazing features of baking soda is that it is one of the best odor neutralizers. You can also trust that it won’t damage the carpet or cause harm to your pets.

5. Wait

Allow the baking soda to mix with the vinegar and water mixture for at least a few hours; the longer you wait, the better. It is recommended to let it sit overnight.

6. Using hydrogen peroxide as an alternative

If you still have mildew and the musty smell on your carpet, try using a mixture of water and hydrogen peroxide. For every part of hydrogen peroxide used, use five parts of water. This is also a great remedy to remove the mold spores and eliminate the musty odor.

7. Using foam carpet shampoo as an alternative

The cool thing about removing mold, mildew, and musty odors is that there are many solutions that can be applied. If both the baking soda and hydrogen peroxide fail to do the job, pick up a bottle of foam carpet shampoo from the store.

Add a good amount of the shampoo to the affected area, rubbing it in with a sponge. Then let the shampoo soak in for at least 20 minutes – you do want it to dry. Afterwards, vacuum the shampoo and the remaining debris.

How Can I Prevent Musty Odors from Returning?

To prevent musty odors from returning to your carpet, it requires a combination of maintaining a clean and dry environment, regular upkeep, and proper ventilation. Keep an eye out for leaks or spills that could encourage the mold to begin growing once again.  Carpet cleaning should be done regularly to prevent the buildup of dirt, dust, and other organic materials that can trap moisture and encourage mold growth. Incorporating preventative measures is important for stopping and preventing mold growth.

For Extra Stubborn Odors: Call the Professionals

While many stains, mold damage, and musty odors can be removed with products at home, others will need some extra effort.

If you feel that you have exhausted all efforts, or just don’t want to deal with it, you can call on mold remediation professionals. These technicians will apply commercial grade products, using personal protection equipment (PPE) to get rid of the mildew and musty smell from the carpet once and for all.

They will also use a truck-mounted system to clean the carpets professionally, removing the embedded mold spores and debris to restore a like-new look to the carpet. Finally, they can provide the peace of mind of not having to worry about the threat of mildew returning to bring back that musty smell.

About Vince Sandri

Vince Sandri is a content writer and blogger with more than 12 years of experience. His expertise is in creating content related to disaster restoration, including information about preventing and reacting to natural disasters like flooding, water damage, fire and smoke damage, mold growth, storm damage and more.
Vince has been the main contributor to RestorationMasterFinder.com since 2014. Over that time, he has written numerous service pages and blogs for disaster restoration providers featured on RestorationMasterFinder.com. Vince has done extensive research and covered a wide range of topics relating to disaster restoration to help homeowners, business owners, and property managers better protect their property. He understands the problems that disasters like flooding, fire, smoke, and mold can cause as well as the best ways to respond to these issues to limit the damage.
Vince completed his Bachelor of Arts degree at Aurora University and his master’s degree at DePaul University. He has been writing SEO website pages, blogs, and press releases since 2012. Vince is also a musician and can be seen playing in the Chicago, IL area.