There are few things worse than experiencing flooding or water damage in your home. Whether it is from a plumbing issue, a leaky appliance, or a sewage backup, it can be costly to fix. If you have water damage in your home and your carpet gets wet, it is important to address this immediately so that the carpet does not become affected by mold.

Materials such as carpeting that become affected by water or flooding are vulnerable to mold growth. Mold grows in areas where there is an abundance of moisture, and it feeds on organic materials found in carpet fibers. If given enough time, mold can cause severe, permanent damage to the carpeting. In addition to damaging your carpet, the mold could spread to the rest of your home and cause additional damage. The presence of mold is also a threat to your health which makes it crucial to address mold in your carpet right away.

Removing Mold from Your Carpet

It is important to remove mold from your carpet to limit the damage and prevent it from spreading to other areas of your home. While you may be able to remove small amounts of mold from your carpeting, you should call a mold remediation professional for situations you can’t handle yourself.

Here are the steps you should follow to remove mold from your carpet:

• Ventilate the room:

To get the smell and moisture out of the room, open all windows and remove any items that are wet such as carpets and furniture and put them in a safe place so they can dry out. Always make sure you are using protective equipment such as gloves, facemask, and eye protection.

• Pick up the carpet:

If your carpet is affected by a small amount of mold, you can attempt to clean it yourself. It is easier to cut the carpet out and replace it than it is to clean it.

• Use baking soda:

You can use baking soda to clean mold as it will soak up bad odors as well as moisture. The following day, add vinegar to the mold spots and scrub vigorously with a brush on the front and back of the carpet.

• Use a HEPA vacuum to vacuum up leftovers:

You should use a vacuum with HEPA filter very carefully. Always make sure to empty out any leftovers that you vacuum up into a trash bag so that you can keep mold spores out of the air.

• Open windows and use a fan and a dehumidifier:

After your carpet has been flooded, you should make sure to open all of the windows, set up a fan, and get a commercial grade dehumidifier to dry out the areas.

• Anti-fungal spray can be used on carpet:

An anti-fungal spray is safe for carpeting and is a safer way to remove mold than using chemicals such as bleach. To use the anti-fungal spray, you will need to spray the area and let it sit for at least an hour. Then you can use a dehumidifier to dry out the air. Next, you can use a scrub brush with warm and soapy water to remove any staining. Once the carpet has fully dried, make sure to spray it again and repeat the process of letting it sit and scrubbing the area. Finally, you will need to use a clean rag to blot the area and a dehumidifier to dry the area. You should keep checking the carpet every 2 weeks to make sure the mold has not come back.

• Use a steam cleaner:

A steam cleaner is a great way to clean mold from the carpet. The heat from the steam will help loosen the mold and remove it from the fibers.

Preventing Mold in Your Home

Although mold can be cleaned from carpeting if you act quickly enough and use effective methods, the best thing you can do is prevent mold from appearing in the first place. These tips will help you protect your home from mold:

• If you have potted plants, make sure to have a mat between the bottom of the potted plant and your carpet to help avoid mold.
• If you use firewood, make sure you have a moisture barrier between firewood and carpet.
• It is important to have a dehumidifier if your home is generally humid. This will help eliminate moisture in the air. The humidity level in your home should always be less than 60%. Running your air conditioner can also help lower the humidity.
• By using an air purifier, you are able to clean the air and get rid of mold spores. This is especially great for those that are sensitive to mold.
• Try to run your air conditioning on the “auto” setting as opposed to the “on” setting which will allow your home to have lower humidity.

Simple Home Maintenance to Prevent Mold

It is crucially important to perform simple maintenance to prevent mold from forming in your home. Here is some home maintenance you can do to prevent mold:

• Make sure you replace your air filter in your home every 3 months. Your filter should be made to filter out mold and dust.
• You should vacuum your carpet often to avoid mold spores from getting into the carpet.
• Your home should regularly be painted on the outside with quality paint to prevent mold.
• Maintain your roof by regularly checking if you have missing shingles and that your gutters are clean.

If you’ve noticed mold on your carpet and the area is larger than 10 square feet, you need to get it cleaned by a professional. Getting mold removed right away is very important to prevent it from spreading and causing more damage to your home or your health. Mold remediation professionals can help you clean mold quickly and efficiently and make sure it does not come back.

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.