Dealing with Mold

Fungi are wonderful things when we are talking mushrooms or cheese. Fungi in your home, however, are a completely different story.

An infestation of mold often brings an unpleasant look and odor, not to mention health hazards for allergy and asthma sufferers. Where you see a spot of mold, there’s usually more lurking nearby, out of sight. Mold thrives in dark areas that have decent amounts of humidity and other sources of moisture. It also needs a food source. Places like bathrooms, insulation, poorly ventilated areas, and even within the cracks of a concrete foundation are common places to see mold.

Your carpet is not immune, either. If you have a leaky pipe or roof that’s dripping on your carpet, or standing water that isn’t removed, mold eventually develops. Most carpet backings have a measure of latex used in their manufacture. Since latex is an organic material, mold consumes the latex, deteriorating your carpet as it feeds and spreads. Basically, if you see mold on your carpet, there’s undoubtedly much more underneath – and probably in nearby walls. When left unchecked, some molds become a considerable health risk as its spores permeate the breathing zone in your home.

What Can Be Done?

We recommend that any mold infestation be analyzed by a professional to determine its level of risk. Depending on how pronounced the mold is, as well as what kind it is, removing and replacing the carpet might be the best option. Because of the resilience of mold when it’s embedded in carpet, many professional carpet cleaners recommend cutting your losses by removing and replacing the infected areas, or the entire carpet itself, instead of attempting to clean or remediate the carpet.

Thankfully, Preferred Carpet Care is approved by the Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC), and we adhere to the guidelines written by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for mold removal. We have experience, technology, and certification to treat mold infestations safely. Since many infestations are a potential health risk, we often give a higher priority to these cases and promptly address them. After the mold is treated, do your best to remove the sources.

• Increase ventilation in the affected rooms. Increasing air flow with a fan or leaving windows open for an hour or two helps to evaporate any moisture and lower humidity.
• If you’re not comfortable with leaving the windows open, or you live in an area with high humidity, run a dehumidifier during the night to remove airborne water sources.
• Keep up with regular vacuuming to remove any dust or mold spores trapped in your carpet. After all, your carpet is one of the largest filters and dust traps in your home. It will likely catch plenty of mold spores – especially during winter months. Get those spores out before they take root by using a strong vacuum, preferably one with HEPA filtration.
• Consider increasing the amount of light in problem areas, since mold prefers the dark. Average fluorescent light is typically enough to deter growth, although there are special UV-C lights to help detect and kill mold spores.
• If you have any spots or spills, address them quickly before any mold finds it. If the area is permitted to stay moist for an extended period, even after it’s cleaned, mold might find a home – your home.

And finally, schedule professional carpet cleaning sessions with Preferred Carpet Care. If you haven’t already, give us a call or schedule an appointment online.  Let our expertise, equipment, and skilled technicians work for you, making sure that mold doesn’t threaten your carpet.