Mold spores can wreak havoc on your home in humid conditions. If your home has flooded, poor insulation or leaking plumbing, you can quickly have mold testing in Oakton, else you end up with a mold problem. Carpet is particularly sensitive because its absorbent fibers, and items made from wood, such as furniture, flooring, and wooden beams are also vulnerable. Use a multifaceted approach to remove mold and active spores before they spread or pose a threat to your health.

Instructions

Open every door and window near the carpet and wood affected by mold. Point high-powered fans at moldy objects and turn on the unit. This will blow moist air outside. If you have access to a powerful heater or dehumidifier, use it to dry the mold. If you can move your wood or carpet items, place them in direct sunlight for best drying results.

Sprinkle baking soda all over your carpet, wait an hour, and vacuum thoroughly to draw moisture deep into the carpet and deodorize the mold. If your carpet is completely saturated, remove excess moisture with a wet-dry vacuum, available for rental or purchase at home improvement and hardware stores.

Shampoo your carpet. Pour the carpet shampoo into a steam cleaning vacuum (also available for hire) and apply the cleaner to the entire carpet. Look for a carpet shampoo specially formulated to fight mold.

  • Vacuum wood objects with a vacuum hose extension to remove dry mold spores. Assuming you dried the object as instructed in step 1, you should see traces of powder or residue stripe representing mold spores. Vacuum the spores to remove them and immediately dispose of the vacuum bag or clean the filter.
  • After mold testing in Oakton, pour one part hydrogen peroxide (or bleach) and 3 parts water into a spray bottle and gently mist the liquid on a sponge or cloth to dampen it. You want to use just enough of the bleach to kill mold without bleaching your wood and just enough liquid to attack the spores without saturating the object. Wipe down your wood, using a second rag or sponge (moistened with hot water) to wipe off the bleach. Let the wood air dry.
  • Install a dehumidifier in your basement to keep humidity levels low. According to the Georgia Division of Public Health, humidity levels should be less than 60 percent to prevent mold growth; however, the ideal humidity level is between 30 percent and 60 percent.
  • Dry the carpet immediately if water or other liquid is spilled. Place a bath towel on the mat where the liquid is spilled and place a brick or two heavy books on top of the towel to extract the moisture. Change the towel every five minutes until the moisture is gone.
  • Vacuum the carpet where liquid has been spilled with a dry vacuum or a water safety vacuum to extract residual moisture.
  • Sprinkle 2 cups of boric acid powder on the carpet at least once a month to kill mold spores or prevent basement mold spores from adhering to carpets.

After mold testing in Oakton, allow the boric acid to sit on the mat for 45 minutes. Keep children and pets away, as boric acid can irritate the skin. Vigorously vacuum the carpet to remove boric acid.