No one wants to see mold on their carpet. Mold can be very difficult to clean and can even be a health hazard. Oftentimes the best thing to do when you spot mold on your carpet is to contact a mold remediation specialist and have them take care of it. Dealing with mold can be dangerous, and since it is difficult to clean, you may even miss some mold and allow it to spread further. However, in some cases, mold can be safely cleaned if proper care is taken.
If you want to try and clean mold from your carpet yourself, be sure to wear a mask and goggles as well as protective gloves. This is important since mold can easily irritate your nose, eyes, or throat as well as cause allergic reactions in some cases.
Here are some methods for cleaning mild cases of mold. Although even if you use these methods, you’ll want to keep an eye out for the spread of mold because you may still need to contact a mold remediation company.
Vinegar and Baking Soda
Vinegar and baking soda can help slow the growth of mold and help remove its harmful odors as well. This method may take a bit of time to use, but it doesn’t cost much or use harsh chemicals. You’ll need to apply vinegar generously to the area and let it soak for approximately an hour before rinsing the vinegar out. Be sure to use hot water when rinsing the vinegar out of the carpet. After you finish removing the vinegar, make a paste with some baking soda and warm water and then apply this to the carpet. Next, you can use a shop-vac or a brush to clean the paste from the carpet. This will hopefully have removed the mold. However, there are other methods you can try.
Grapefruit Seed Oil or Tea Tree Oil
Both of these oils are useful for cleaning and have anti-bacterial and antifungal properties. To use one of these oils for cleaning mold, place either ten drops of grapefruit oil or a teaspoon of tea tree oil in a spray bottle with a cup of hot water. Then, spray the moldy area of the carpet with the solution and let it sit for about 15 minutes. After this, you can vacuum the area with a shop-vac to try and remove the mold.
Lysol and Water
Like the previous method, using Lysol and water is an easy way to try and clean mold from a carpet. You simply place a cup of water and a cup of Lysol in a spray bottle and apply this to the moldy area of the carpet. Allow this mixture to remain on the moldy area of the carpet for about ½ hour. At the end of this time, use a shop vac to vacuum the carpet. This should remove the mold from the carpet.
Dish Washing Soap and Water
This method is convenient since almost everyone has dish soap around. Furthermore, it is often quite effective for mild cases of mold contamination. First, sweep the moldy area of the carpet with a broom to loosen the mold, outside if possible . Next, vacuum the carpet and empty the vacuum bag. After this, mix some hot water and dish soap in a bucket and scrub the moldy area. If it’s an area rug, you may want to let it dry outside. Otherwise, pat it dry with a cloth. Be sure not to dry the area with a fan as it could spread the mold spores.
Final Thoughts
Mold on your carpets is not only unattractive but can also be a dangerous health hazard. Without quick treatment, this mold can spread and become untreatable, requiring the carpet to simply be disposed of. So make sure you follow these steps and deal with the issue quickly or call a professional for more severe cases.
Contact Us
For experienced and professional mold remediation, contact ABH Services Inc. Our professionally trained remediation experts can often treat even severe cases of mold infestation without requiring costly disposal and replacement of your existing carpet. Call today at (781) 941-2422 and connect with us on Facebook.