I read suggestions on mildew removal and read that mildew is mold. If I treat the carpet area, (vinegar, baking soda, and antibacterial gel,) and the smell goes away, does that mean I am safe? Have I only deodorized or is the mold really gone? No smell, no worries?
By Jeff
I recommend spraying the carpet thoroughly with spray disinfectant letting dry & repeating. (If it's an area rug, bring it outside in the sunshine to dry, as sunshine kills mold, too...)
I recommend spraying the carpet thoroughly with spray disinfectant letting dry & repeating. (If it's an area rug, bring it outside in the sunshine to dry, as sunshine kills mold, too...)
To be sure if just cleaning the carpet alone will be enough you need to first pull the carpet and padding back and look at the subfloor. Is there any type of moldy spots on the subfloor? How moldy is the padding? If you have floor moulding you might want to take off a piece of that and see if there is mold on the wall behind the moulding just to be safe too because mold spreads even to dry areas.
If there is alot of mold on the carpet backing or mold on the padding or mold on the subfloor or mold behind the moulding on the wall you really should consider contacting professional mold removers in your area to see what you should do to be safe.
I don't know about the thoroughness of mildew removal in a rug. However, if you are using vinegar, baking soda , and antibacterial gel, none of these should be used at the same time. Vinegar and baking soda will neutralize each other if used together. And I have no idea what effect they would have on the antibacterial gel, but I wouldn't use them at the same time as it either. When I clean mildew off a shower curtain, for example, I just wash it in hot water and detergent.
I also think that Deeli's suggestions about checking the floor and underlay are wise. If there is only mildew on the surface, shampooing might do the job on its own. Then I would go for the disinfectant. Either vinegar OR baking soda are good deodorizers.
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