5 Tips to Remove Mildew from Carpets

20 Feb 5 Tips to Remove Mildew from Carpets

Five Steps to Removing Mold and Mildew

Mold and mildew can make your house smell bad. They’re also unhealthy. If you live in an area with high humidity or close to a body of water, your house might be at risk for attracting mildew. That can be a health hazard as well as a nuisance. Follow these steps to get the nasty stuff out.

1. Air Them Out

The first thing to do is to make sure that the carpet and rugs are dry. If they’ve been wet, it’s important to dry them. If the weather permits, hang the area rugs outdoors. That will help deodorize them while they dry.

For installed carpet, use paper towels to blot up any visible wet spots. Open the windows, turn on ceiling fans and add a room fan to help the carpet dry. Wetness encourages the growth of mold and mildew, so the first step is to get everything as dry as you can.

2. Vacuum Clean

Use a vacuum cleaner to lift up any loose dirt. Vacuuming removes mold spores and lifts out loose dirt that might attract mildew. Vacuum cleaning isn’t enough to kill mold and mildew, but it is an important first step.

3. Use a Homemade Solution

Use a homemade solution to kill the mold spores that cause odors and illness. This is safer for your family and for your carpet fibers, which can be damaged by the household carpet cleaner.

Mix a solution of one part vinegar and two parts of warm water in a spray bottle. Spray this mixture onto the carpet. Vinegar is a natural disinfectant and deodorizer.

Leave this solution overnight. In the morning, sprinkle baking soda all over the treated area. Let it sit for a few minutes and then vacuum.

4. Get the Odors Out

Even if you remove mold and mildew, you may have leftover smells in your house. If you’re troubled by smells that you can’t identify, it might be mildew or it might be something else. Once you identify the source of the odor, you can find a solution for it. Trapped smells are difficult to remove without professionally cleaned carpet cleaning.

5. Hire Professional Cleaners

Despite your best efforts, you probably won’t be able to get all the mold and mildew out of your area rugs and carpet. You can remove most of it, but the deeply embedded spores and mildew spots will remain. There’s no easy way to release those stains from the carpet fibers without professional steam cleaning.

At Carpet Keepers, our patented, nontoxic PureScience method:

• Is guaranteed to destroy mold and mildew.
• Removes odors, including set-in odors.
• Contains no harsh chemicals.
• Eradicates dust mites and allergens.
• Leaves your whole home fresh and healthy.

If you’re having trouble with mold, mildew or another carpet odor, call Carpet Keepers today.