Overview
Main Problems:
Made from organic materials that provide food for mold to grow and reproduce.
Mold spores settle on the carpet.
Carpets retain moisture which can cause a mold problem.
Cleaning carpets is hard and most cleaning products don’t address mold.
Severity of Mold Risk:
Cost of Recommendation:
$400-1000
Guide
The Problems
Carpet Is Food for Mold
Carpet is unique in it’s ability to be a perfect storm for mold growth. Mold, yeast, and bacteria travel like dust and therefore collect on carpet. Carpet and carpet padding are made from organic materials that provide food for mold. Carpet is also really good at absorbing and retaining moisture and is difficult to dry. If a carpet is not properly dried after a spill, pet urination, or even cleaning, it can create an environment for mold to grow. A square inch of carpet may hold over 200,000 bacteria. That is 4,000 times more than your toilet.
The appearance of a carpet can be deceiving even with high levels of mold. If the carpet is left untreated or isn’t tested for mold, it could expose your health and lead to sickness. Eventually, it will also contaminate your environment, pets, furniture, and clothes. Sitting on the carpet or touching the carpet can transfer particles to your hands or clothes which can lead to ingestion or inhalation of toxins.
Carpets Accumulate Particles that Are Hard to Clean
Carpet has been called the largest air filter in the home and it accumulates a large amount of particles over its lifetime. Moldy carpets can weigh 8 times more than their installation weight. This is due to lack of regular cleaning but also using cleaning products that don’t address mold. Most cleaning products don’t remove mold and they use fragrances that simply mask odors caused by mold. In addition, carpet shampooing leaves moisture in the carpet which only worsens any existing mold problem.
Mold Prevention & Recommendations
How To Live With A Mold Risk Carpet
1
Vacuum Carpet Regularly
essential
Vacuum with HEPA vacuum – Consistently vacuum the carpet to keep dust and debris to a minimum. It is best to use a HEPA vacuum. If you do not have access to a HEPA vacuum, wear an N95 respirator and air out the rooms for at least one hour after vacuuming.
2
Clean Carpet & Area
essential
Use Mold Treating Carpet Shampoo – Shampoo carpet with a product that will help address mold contamination and remove all debris such as HavenClean by BioBalance, or Remedy Mold Solution by CitriSafe.
Remedy Mold Solution by CitriSafe
Dry After Shampooing – Make sure that carpets completely dry within 48 hours of shampooing. This is best accomplished by going over the carpet a second time with the shampoo machine sucking (not applying water), to retrieve as much water as possible. Then air out each room to reduce humidity and use a fan over the carpet to speed up the drying. Only place furniture back over carpet once it is completely dry.
If Possible
Maintain the area –Â Use the HavenMist Kit by BioBalance to clean any potential mold spores that travel from the carpet to other surfaces during cleaning or otherwise.
3
Address Moisture Immediately
essential
Dry Spills & Leaks –Â Any leak or spill needs to be dried within 24-48 hours. Don’t allow moisture to sit on carpet, including when cleaning.
4
Periodically Test for Mold
essential
Every 6-12 months check your indoor air in any room with carpet and tap test the carpet for mold growth with the Mold Check-Up. If your results show significant mold growth, that could be an indication of mold in your carpet.
