How to Remove Mold and Mildew from Carpeting and Rugs

Areas of mildew found on your rugs and carpets are actually the result of mold spores. Whether mold or mildew, the problem is unpleasant and potentially dangerous. The more you allow mildew to fester, the more unpleasant it can be come so you want to make the effort to rid yourself of this common problem quickly. Those who live in regions of the country that experience high humidity can expect to deal with a greater load of mildew problems that occur more frequently. Humidity is the devil in your home due to the ability of the mold to munch away at the nutritious bits inside the carpet fibers that the heat makes more available than the cold. Taking care of your mold and mildew problems are still a task to consider even if you do live in cold areas.

Begin mildew and mold control at the beginning. That means get the offending carpeting or rug out of the house. This may not be possible, of course, but if it can be done it should be done. Or, as Ramses would say sounding very much like Yul Brynner: so let it be written, so let it be done. Whether you can or cannot get the rug or carpet out of the house, grab hold of the nearest broom and sweep it as clean as possible.

The sweeping is done to loosen up the mold that has taken possession of your carpet or rug. Once that mildewy mixture has been loosened, you should bring out the vacuum cleaner and go to town. Try to vacuum as long as it takes to fill up the bag if you have such a vacuum. Take the entire vacuum cleaner out of the house and then remove the bag. Empty the contents of the vacuum cleaner's bag directly into the garbage can or a garbage bag. If you have been able to take the rug or carpet outdoors, then you need to make sure you don't bring the vacuum cleaner back into the house with the contents of the bag still in place.

Now, it's time to give that rug or carpet a good scrubbing. Get out the bucket and run some water into it while pouring in enough liquid dishwashing detergent to create a bubbly potion. The next step can be done with a simple rag or old shirt, but a high quality sponge will work best. Use the sponge to scrub the areas of the carpet that is showing mildew the longest, but be sure to give the entire surface area a cleaning. Once you have finished, you can then rely on the rag or old shirt to clean away the suds that are left on the rug. For a moldy rug that has been taken outside, you can let the sun do its magic and dry the carpeting thoroughly. If you have not been able to take the rug outdoors, then turn on all the lights in the room. You may be tempted to get a ceiling fan in on the drying action, but resist with all your might. The fact is that the air circulated courtesy of an overhead fan may only succeed in scattering the mold spores still present.