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Even the CDC says: "Molds are found in virtually every environment and can be detected, both indoors and outdoors, year round." Also, there are over 100,000 different kinds of molds.
If you exist, you are exposed to mold, in other words. Even if you have no carpet at all.
Yeah, this whole mold thing is way overblown. Most mold and mold levels are not a danger.
I agree that carpeting can be quite disgusting. In any house I bought with older or stained carpeting, the carpeting came out even before I moved in. If the carpeting looked reasonably new and visually clean, I just had it professionally cleaned instead. Not that I think the latter eliminates all. I'm sure it doesn't and I'm also reasonably sure the carpeting was still quite gross. I just try not to think about it much. Having it "look clean" helps.
It's the same with eating most food. If I think about it too much, it's rather disgusting. Most of us have read various reports of how many ppm of insects, rodent hairs, etc. are allowed in different products. (If you haven't and your stomach is starting to turn, you may want to eliminate peanut butter from your diet, for starters.)
I did not know anyone did that. To me is seems really disgusting. Even when we were renting we requried the landlord to replace the carpeting (or in one case, we did it becuase he refused and the rent was cheap and we loved the house). Carpeting in general is pretty disgusting, but it is nice to lie on the floor on. However I would not want to touch carpeting that has had unknown things done to it or on it over an unknown period of years by unknown people. The only thing I think think of that is worse is buying used underwear. Except at least you can clean underwear. Carpeting cannot be fully cleaned.
On the other hand, old carpeting makes a wonderful drop cloth if you are going to repaint walls refinish moldings and the like.
Let me take a WILD guess here, you/your family seems to get a LOT of "colds".
Forced the landlord to spend thousands in order to rent to you?? HAHA right.
As somebody who has worked at a carpet store, I have something to say regarding this.
Some of our customers bought new houses and had the carpet replaced. We usually really liked those customers, as they brought in a lot of money.
Doing one or two rooms with especially bad or worn carpet (or other flooring) is one thing, doing a whole house is another. Depending on the size of the house and what quality of flooring you went with, you were looking at $3,000 - $10,000+, and that was a few years ago.
Other customers switched their carpet out before they sold their house, but often in only a few rooms. Again, flooring is expensive.
As for the houses themselves, I spent a few weeks regularly doing "tear out and haul away", as we called it. All I can say from that experience is if you want carpet that lasts, DO NOT get cats. Some dogs are fine. But cats are almost always a problem.
As for me, if the carpet was clean, I'd keep it. If the family before me had cats, or was into heavy indoor smoking / drug use, than I most likely would have it torn out.
As somebody who has worked at a carpet store, I have something to say regarding this.
Some of our customers bought new houses and had the carpet replaced. We usually really liked those customers, as they brought in a lot of money.
Doing one or two rooms with especially bad or worn carpet (or other flooring) is one thing, doing a whole house is another. Depending on the size of the house and what quality of flooring you went with, you were looking at $3,000 - $10,000+, and that was a few years ago.
Other customers switched their carpet out before they sold their house, but often in only a few rooms. Again, flooring is expensive.
As for the houses themselves, I spent a few weeks regularly doing "tear out and haul away", as we called it. All I can say from that experience is if you want carpet that lasts, DO NOT get cats. Some dogs are fine. But cats are almost always a problem.
As for me, if the carpet was clean, I'd keep it. If the family before me had cats, or was into heavy indoor smoking / drug use, than I most likely would have it torn out.
I've been a landlord for (ugh) over 30 years with as many as 15 carpeted rentals. I've never had a tenant ask to have the carpet replaced because it was used. (Worn, yes. I've replaced many, but not because someone didn't want used carpet!)
I've also bought a couple "used" homes and rented 7 different apartments before my first home purchase and never asked a landlord to replace the carpet nor replaced good carpet in my homes. I don't figure someone else's dirt is any different than my own. It settles from dust in the air and is tracked in. Carpet pads crumble. So what?
It bothers me less than sleeping on a mattress in a hotel room that's used by someone different every night -- usually with unwashed blankets. And that's one reason we prefer pulling our camper along with us when we travel. We sleep in our own bed.
My cats, well one of them, trashed our carpet! She clawed the stairs, and under the doors trying to get into rooms. We are currently saving up for hardwoods.
I'm surprised that some people worry more about the dirt, germs and mold in old carpet than they do about the toxic fumes in new carpet that can last for months.
My cats never ruined a carpet. They don't do anything but walk and lay on it, and I know how to vacuum so it hasn't been a problem. They don't pee on it, they do that in their box or outside. Right now my carpet is about 12 years old and it's only been professionally cleaned once, although I'm going to do it again soon. I've had 7 cats and raised two kids on this carpet. Some areas are starting to show signs of wear but other areas still look new. It's really been an amazing carpet.
I'm surprised that some people worry more about the dirt, germs and mold in old carpet than they do about the toxic fumes in new carpet that can last for months.
That's a very good point.
They do sell a sealer, which supposedly prevents outgassing of the chemicals in the backing, but I didn't investigate to see if it's a gimmick or something that really works.
Another option is to buy a carpet that is untreated and all wool. If the claim in this video is correct and you need an untreated carpet due to health reasons, (and have physician documentation), you may be able to write it off as a medical expense.
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