Mold in your home can lead to disaster if it’s not taken care of right away. Once you find mold in your home, it’s time to get rid of mold in your home. Get started with these steps right away, or call your Minneapolis carpet cleaners to eliminate the mold and keep it away for a long time.

How mold grows

In order to be effective at cleaning mold, it is important to know how it got there. Mold grows when there is excess moisture in an area. For carpets, there could be a leak of water or a high level of humidity in the air. The spores grow by absorbing warmth, oxygen, and moisture in darker places. You can prevent mold growth by keeping your home well ventilated, reducing the humidity, drying spills or flooding quickly, and keeping areas warmer to prevent condensation. Even with preventative measures, mold might still find a place to grow. In that case, clean it carefully to prevent further growth.

Identify the source

Getting rid of mold on your carpet won’t help if the source of the mold is from somewhere else. In some cases, mold comes from the floor beneath it. If the source is not taken care of, it will only grow back on your carpet. Mold can grow on most surfaces, but it is common to find them on drywall and wood. Be sure to check these areas before cleaning the carpet to prevent the mold from coming back. If you are able to lift up the carpet, check the bottom for more mold growth. More than a few feet of mold growth on the back is harder to get rid of and should be replaced rather than cleaned.

Protect yourself

When dealing with mold, always make sure that you are protected with a mask gloves and long clothing. Mold spores irritate the nose, mouth and lungs and can cause serious reactions for people with allergies or asthma. Severe reactions include fever and shortness of breath, which could lead to an infection in the lungs or airways. Covering your nose and mouth will protect you from those reactions, while covering the rest of your body will prevent the transfer of mold onto other surfaces.

Vacuum the area

Some mold growth can be picked up from the vacuum cleaner. You will want to make sure the area is as dry as possible before continuing to clean because the mold grows on damp surfaces. It is important to clean the vacuum cleaner after you are done as the spores can cling onto the vacuum cleaner and be transferred to other areas of your carpet. If you choose not to vacuum, you can use a bristle brush and dustpan to remove loose mold before continuing to clean. An option for cleaning while vacuuming is to rent a steam vacuum or carpet cleaning vacuum that is high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) certified to clean and remove mold in your carpet.

Apply cleaner

There are many homemade and store-bought options for mold cleaner. One of the most common solutions is a white wine vinegar and water solution followed by baking soda. However, we recommend a cleaner specifically for cleaning mold. It is more effective and will keep the mold away longer. Remember to not apply too much cleaner, as the leftover moisture from the cleaner can help the mold grow back.

Dry the area

Use towels to dry the area as much as possible. If the spot is not dry enough, the mold will be able to grow back. Fans are not recommended to use for drying because the air could pick up and move mold spores to a different area to grow. If the carpet is able to be moved, hang it outside on a sunny day to dry. Natural sunlight and ventilation are great ways to completely dry out the carpet and get rid of mold.

Vacuum the area again

With a clean vacuum cleaner, vacuum the area once again to remove the mold that was deeper in the carpet. Regularly vacuumed carpets have a smaller chance of mold growth as it dries out the carpet and keeps it clean. 

Professional cleaning

For expert advice on the mold growth on your carpets, call your professional carpet cleaners at Lucas Family Carpet Cleaning. Professional carpet cleaners have the resources to get rid of any mold on your carpet with ease. They can also evaluate your situation to decide whether or not your carpets should be replaced to prevent mold growth in the future. 

If you are concerned about mold growth on your carpets, call Lucas Family Carpet Cleaning to schedule an appointment with our carpet cleaning professionals. Our low-moisture (encapsulation) technology is more effective at cleaning away mold and keeping it away. We aim to keep your family happy and healthy with healthy carpets.