Mold in a Basement Carpet--any way to get it out? (flooring, how much)
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
My parents have a basement which is naturally very damp and we think the flat carpet may have picked up some mold. Is there a good way to kill and remove mold in a carpet? We have a powerful Bissell carpet extractor/power steamer, but I'm wondering if there is a good chemical or cleaning formula that we could use. (We would also consider completely replacing it, but it's glued onto the concrete. Don't ask me why; it's not really my house.)
The problem with trying to apply a chemical or steam cleaning a carpet is that you either can't be reassured of the chemical's success due to many factors that can neutralize it and/or the cleaning process doesn't get to all of the manufactered parts of the floor covering. Because of these reasons and the fact that remediation can mean removal of the flooring goods, you should first attempt to identify if there is a problem. Once that has been determined, you should identify ways to remove the things causing the problem. Then you can remove the mold (if in fact it is there). I'll give you some resource materials where you can learn about water damaged and moldy environments; find professionals that can help you diagnose a situation; and find professionals (if necessary) that can help you remove the cause(s) and effects of moisture (damp) and mold indoors.
We really don't want to put much money into this. The carpet is in pretty decent condition from what I can tell but we'd like to make sure it doesn't have any mold. If worst came to worst we could probably just pull it up and replace it.
The best thing to kill mold is bleach...but it will also just eat the carpeting...
Why pull up moldy carpet to replace it with what will probably end up being more moldy carpet in the end?
fix the moisture problem first.
I agree. I would pull up the carpet, and, in a basement that is not 100% dry, go with either painted or stained concrete floors or tile. Both of those can easily be mopped with bleach-water in the future.
My husband and I have a full basement, wall to wall carpeting. This is the first year we got mold and dampness(Lived here almost 12 years) Since ripping up the carpet would be very expensive for us he consulted a professional he knows and he suggested a dehumidifier. We bought a dehumidifier, ran it for 1 week, then scrubbed the carpet with a high heat/steam carpet cleaner. Just using carpet cleaner solution. You might want to get a dehumidifier(can probably find one cheap in your local news paper or yard sale). This will only work if you do not have any water leaks. In that case the mold is probably do to high humidity and not enough air flow. Hope this helps!
According to the US Center for Disease control there is absolutely no safe nor effective way to remove mold from any porous and/or organic surfaces.
I am sorry to inform you but the carpet will have to be completely removed and discarded.
Replace it with waterproof basement flooring tiles. If you really want carpet in your basement try ThermalDry carpeted basement tiles, which are also waterproof and mold resistant.
I'd also recommend you run a dehumidifier in the basement to prevent future mold growth on other surfaces.
Here's mold information found on the Center for Disease Control
I just removed the basement carpet - the washer overflowed for an hour. Even if you tried to clean it the moisture willl just coax the mold to continue gardening in the basement. Then I used the Outdoor type of clorax bleach for all the walls and floors. Painted the floor and used a rubber back rug I could wash or hose off by the washer.
how much to remove a basement with full carpeting glued to a concrete floor ?
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
