There are considerably some best ways to prevent carpet mold in case that mold is one of the biggest issues in carpeting. You may find easy to treat the mold and mildew on hard surfaces yet it would be extremely difficult to get rid of it from the carpet fibers and backing.
The mold is even impossible to take out of the carpet. In most cases, mold grows on the carpet backing when it is unseen.
Most people notice it very lately when it has already been difficult to remove.
In addition to why mold can grow on the carpet, some conventional wisdoms state that moisture is the primary cause of it.
In the other words, moisture leads the carpet to face mold issue. However, it considered easy to control the growth of the carpet mold that is by controlling the moisture.
So you are wondering enough how to avoid such issue, here we come with the best ways to prevent carpet mold.
Recognizing The Different Appearance Of Carpet Mold Origin
Considering that moisture is the primary sources of mold issue, many homeowners avoid installing the carpet in the basements.
In this case, basements are one of the home areas that is actually damp place though it looks dry at the first sight.
Basements have a high moisture level, thus, not all types of carpet or other flooring will suit them well.
Even the light humidity can accumulate and build up overtime, causing issues for flooring materials including carpet. Keep in mind that humidity is not the only one factor causing mold.
Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI) has sponsored a scientific study resulting a complex description on how the mold grows in the carpet. The study also included the result about what best things to do to avoid carpet mold.
Basically, this study was conducted to evaluate the humidity factors in causing the growth of mold on carpeting.
Perhaps, you have already seen how humidity affect the basement, the below-grade installation.
Generally, there are always several conditions that leads the humidity to increase. Those are the new carpet, the dirt, the old age of the carpet and definitely the cleanliness. All of these factors will contribute much to create the various level of humidity.
Particularly, the researchers wanted to see whether or not a high humidity which is 80% or more resulted the mold or mildew along with the incubator in carpeting.
The finding of their research showed that dirt contributed to mold growth more than the humidity. Carpets that have been soiled will grow mold more than the clean carpets.
In this case, the dirt is in the same level with the moisture in attacking the carpet to grow mold.
Simply to understand, the high humidity added by the dirt will result the equal molds.
In short, either humidity or the dirt will cause the carpet to mold. Thus, one of the best ways to prevent carpet mold is to keep the carpet free form any dirt and avoid installing it on areas with the high humidity.
Clean Carpets Vs Mold
If you notice that the dirt can cause a carpet to have mold issue, what about the clean carpets?
Are they still be prone to mold?
Keep in mind that though the carpet is clean enough, it can still be more resistant to grow mold. Based on CRI study, both the high temperature and the levels of humidity will not cause a clean carpet to mold.
In this case, the humidity levels that are 80 degrees F and 80% humidity will not either cause a mold to the carpeting.
Although there have been some active spores on the carpet, they will not support the growth of mold.
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Dirt Carpet Vs. Mold
Different from clean carpets that will not potentially grow mold, the dirt carpets has two reasons why they are coming with the mold.
Firstly, the spores are already there in the dirt.
Second, the moisture is also staying in the dirt. This means that the dirt has already contains spores and moisture.
These two factors are mostly contributing to the growth of mold supported by the room humidity. Thus, the mold can grow fast on the dirty carpet in the humid area.
Unfortunately, dirt is a hygroscopic material that readily soaks up along with the existing moisture.
In the other words, dirt catch the moisture easily. Thus, when the dirt and moisture meets, the mold growth unavoidably.
Hence, you must prevent the carpet from being dirty and avoid installing it on area with the high level of moisture and humidity. Keep it clean and dry, so it seems having no mold issue.
How To Prevent Carpet Mold
Now that you have already known what things cause the carpet to mold, it’s the best time to check out the best ways to prevent carpet mold.
Particularly, if you have already installed a carpet in a basement where high humidity and moisture are there as the source of flooring issues, you can take a few simple measures to prevent the mold grow on the carpet.
In this regards, there are 4 best ways to stop the mold growing on your carpet.
Keep the Humidity Low
To maintain a mold-free carpet perfectly, you need definitely to keep the humidity low. It is usually 65% or even lower.
This way, to lower the humidity level in a contained space, you can use the portable dehumidifier.
You can also provide the space with the airflow by letting the windows and doors to be more open.
In this case, don’t open the windows or doors if you notice the humidity outdoors is high.
Keep the Temperature Low
The second best ways to prevent carpet mold is to keep the temperature low as you did with the humidity. Keep in mind that the 80 degrees F or higher temperature can cause the carpet to grow mold.
To avoid this, the use of portable or central air conditioning will be much helpful to deal with the moisture and temperature because it can basically lower the humidity.
Keep The Carpet Clean
Since the cleanliness is the most contributing factors to avoid the growth of mold in carpeting, it is much recommended to keep the carpet clean though there is no exact definition of “clean” when it comes to vacuum the carpet.
This way, most home owners are vacuuming their carpet weekly to prevent the carpet to have mold issue.
You can also keep the carpet clean by keep your foot and body clean, so when you are contacting with the carpet, the carpet will be clean, too.
Install Synthetic Carpet Materials
Though it may sound strange, installing synthetic carpet materials is considered good to prevent the growth of mold in the carpet.
It is due the fact that an organic carpet such as wool is more prone to have mold issue than an inorganic or synthetic carpet such as olefin and nylon.
Thus, for your basement, you can perfectly choose carpets with nylon or olefin so that you can minimize the problem of mold.
How To Clean A Carpet Without a Vacuum
In addition to keep the carpet clean as one of the best ways to prevent carpet mold, here we come with the tips on how to clean a carpet without a vacuum. Is it possible? Why not?
While purchasing a vacuum cleaner may be collapsing your bank account, there are still so many ways to keep the carpet clean without vacuuming.
Perhaps, cleaning the carpet manually is overwhelming but it can work best as long as you do it toughly with an intention to result a good cleanliness.
So consider some techniques below and you may also try it at home.
Broom and Dustpan
The use of broom and dustpan is best describe to be effective in loosening and lifting the dirt away from the carpets.
This way, choose a small size of dustpan with the handle to avoid the bending when you are using it.
Start cleaning the carpet from the corner of the carpet and do toward the other end so that there is no missing area.
If you notice the debris is piling up, you can use the broom and sweeping it into the dustpan before you arrive at the end of the cleaning job.
Carpet Sweeper
carpet sweeper is designed to work like a vacuum. If you cannot afford to purchase a vacuum, you can cheaply get this carpet sweeper since it has a lower cost than the vacuum.
In this case, you don’t have to connect the tool to the electricity. It doesn’t need it to work. This tool is very simple to operate. Even children can use it easily.
Thanks to the design of the sweeper allowing you to operate it similarly like you are operating an automatic vacuum.
Further, today’s carpet sweeper comes with the multiple electrostatic rollers walking around the carpet sweeping the dust, debris and even pet’s hair.
There is a bin attached to the sweeper functioning to collect the dirt. Luckily, this kind of tool can be used not only for carpet but also for hard surface floors.
Carpet and Rug Beater
In addition to the best ways to prevent carpet mold, cleaning the carpet using the rug beater is also recommendable. It is rather traditionally way on how to clean the carpet.
This way, take your carpet or rug outside. Hang it simply on the fence, porch railing, clothesline or even over heavy furniture. Beat the carpet or rug using the beater which is usually made of rattan.
Surely, the beater will remove the dirt and the debris. No worry on how to use the beater.
It is designed with the sturdy handle and wide paddle at the end, allowing you to hold it tight and beat the carpet or rug well.
Cleaning the rug or carpet using this beater can be started from the top of the carpet until you are finished with all the rest.
Make sure you beat the both sides of the carpet or rug in order to get the cleanest results.
Further, this beater can also be used to remove the dust on your cushion.
Stiff-Bristle Scrub Brush
Believe it or not, stiff-bristle scrub brush can also effectively free up the carpet from the dust and dirt.
You can do it well if you hang your carpet over a sturdy support and start rubbing from the top of the carpet. Work down until you reach all the rest of the carpet.
Make sure you brush the carpet totally including cleaning the dust and debris as well as the pet’s hair.
Carpet Sticky Roller
Cleaning the carpet completely can actually help prevent the growth of mold. One of the best ways to perform the proper cleaning is using a carpet sticky roller.
This tool is designed with the long handles to enable you clean the carpet easier than on your hands.
The sheets on the wide roller can be peeled off so that they can be coated with the dirt.
In the other words, the dirt will automatically attached to the peeled sheets. This is how you can collect the dirt and make the carpet clean.
Further, not only the dirt but also the pet’s hair that will effectively be caught up by the sticky roller.
Read Also: 8 Big Benefits Of Carpet To Ensure Your Rooms Beautiful and Clean
Shaking
If you have only small carpet or rugs, cleaning the dust and dirt can be done just by shaking them.
To completely remove the dust, dirt and debris, you can definitely beat the carpet or rug after shaking them. This will help loosen more dirt.
Wash The Carpet
The last but not least way of keeping the carpet clean as one of the best ways to prevent carpet mold is washing the carpet.
Most carpet can be washed. Even the carpets with the rubber backing can be washed as well.
To wash the carpet effectively, the use of a front-loading washer without a center agitator is much recommended.
This tool helps prevent the accumulation of dirt that might cause mold as well as help prevent the damage during the final spin.
