Water leakage is one of the leading causes of mold damage in the house. The level of damage can be extensive if the leak isn’t detected in time, and will under most instances cause your carpets to start rotting. The leakage doesn’t necessarily be from roof leaks; it can be from a broken pipe or flooding. Mold thrives well in moist and wet areas and can cause major health concerns and allergies. Breathing mold spores’ triggers symptoms related to asthma, hay fever, and other allergies.
The best way to avoid extensive damage is by preventing the mold from spreading. Outlined below are six ways on how to prevent mold growth (on your carpets) after water damage.
1. Ensure all the flooded water is removed
A wet/dry vacuum will come in handy in removing the remaining water from the carpets and other areas. You could rent one out from professional carpet cleaners or water and smoke damage remediation companies for an effective clean and water/moisture removal.
2. Get the fans running
Fans will get air moving around the house, thus increase chances of the carpets drying up quickly. It might, however, take several days to get the job done. That said, you should leave the fans going all day every day for at least one week. You could also opt to rent a high-power drying fan from home improvement stores near you to speed up the process.
3. Use a dehumidifier
A dehumidifier is designed to extract and remove excess moisture from any space. It also lowers air temperature, thus limiting mold/mildew growth. Have the dehumidifier run for several days to extract all the excess moisture.
4. Steam clean both the floor and carpets
Steam cleaning the carpets and floor should help get rid of dirt and excess moisture. Pay particular attention to water-damaged carpet padding and have them replaced immediately. Replacing damaged carpet paddings is much cheaper than choosing to re-carpet the entire floor.
5. Sanitise baseboards and walls
Everything that came into contact with stormwater should be sanitized to remove any germs and mold spores. This includes hard-surface floors, walls, and any other household surfaces. You could use soap and water to sanitize these. Add 1.5 cups of chlorine bleach to a gallon of water to ensure a thorough clean and germ removal. Have rubber gloves on when sanitizing the surfaces.
6. Inspect Furniture
Your furniture might have been exposed to stormwater as well. Rugs underneath this furniture could still be moist paving the way for mold growth. Inspecting everything under the furniture, and ensuring the carpets are clean and free of moisture should help prevent mold damage.
Reach out to Think Maids today if you need help with a moldy carpet or just give us a call to try preventing carpet mold.