Wool is extremely absorbent. And because of that, you need to watch out for mold in your rugs. Even synthetic rugs can face challenges with pesky mold that you don’t know about until it’s too late and your rug has suffered severe damage.
A minor accident in your home can lead to mold in your rugs. For example, a plumbing leak, a toppled potted plant or a spilled glass of water can all have a tragic end for your rug when mold starts to build up.
What happens when your rug is exposed to moisture long term is that the mold begins to spread throughout the rug. Then, it rots the foundation of your rug. And if left untreated, the mold can even rot away your floors, walls or furniture.
Mold is not just a threat in your home because of its ability to rot away a surface. It’s also dangerous for your health. Mold can cause you to feel sick. So when you find mold in your home, call in an expert cleaning team to make sure it is fully eradicated.
In this blog, we offer practical tips for avoiding mold growth and what to do if you find mold in your home.
Spotting Moisture in Your Rugs
It might sound silly, but you might not know when you have moisture trapped in your rug. Moisture can get there from a child or a pet accident that you aren’t aware of. And your rug might not feel damp to the touch if the spill has been there for a few hours.
One of the easiest ways to know you have moisture trapped in a rug is through smell.
As mold starts to form, it will emit an odor and you’ll know that something isn’t quite right in your home. If you don’t treat the affected area, the smell will grow and permeate your entire home. You might only notice the smell if you leave your home for a bit and then come back.
The smell might be a slightly musty odor. And it won’t disappear or even weaken with vacuuming the rug. Another way you can spot moisture in your rugs is if you or a loved one starts suffering from constant illness or allergy symptoms. This can be a big tip-off that something isn’t right with your home.
Finally, monitor the look of your rug. If you notice discoloration, this can be a big sign of moisture in your rug.
Preventing Spills and Moist Rugs
You can take some preventative actions to avoid moisture in your rug. The goal is to provide conditions that are not conducive to mold buildup within your home.
- Monitor your indoor humidity and keep it at 30-60 percent. When mold spores don’t have water, they are unable to grow. Keeping the moisture level low in the air will help prevent mold from growing.
- Keep your rug out of moist areas. Don’t place rugs in areas of your home with high moisture, such as primary walkways or bathrooms. Strategically place your nicer rugs in safe, dry areas where they’re less likely to be damaged.
- Get a high-quality rug pad that prevents mold. A good rug pad can move moisture away from your rug to prevent mold from growing. Look for rug pads that are anti-mold or offer mold prevention.
- Attend to spills immediately. When a spill takes place near a rug, spring into action with towels and cleaning supplies. Dry the rug on top and underneath. Don’t forget to dry the rug pad as well and even under the rug pad. The more thorough you are, the less likely you’ll be to have continued moisture and mold problems.
- Avoid using moist chemicals when cleaning. Never shampoo your rugs without a professional. You can mistakenly trap moisture within your rugs as part of your cleaning process. It’s best to clean rugs with dry substances to avoid any issues.
How to Dry a Wet Rug to Prevent Mold
When a spill happens on a rug, you need to act quickly to save your rug and prevent mold from growing in your home. Here are the steps you should take immediately following a spill.
- Remove the moisture from your rug. First, stop the flow of moisture to your rug. Get towels to stop the spill from soaking your rug further. Get in the path of the spill as quickly as possible. If you have a wet vacuum, you can use it to pull the moisture out of the rug. If not, sop up the water with towels, and don’t forget the underside of the rug and the rug pad as you dry everything.
- If you have furniture on the rug, remove it to ensure the rug can dry fully. And while you’re moving your furniture, assess the furniture to see if it suffered any dampness from the spill. If it did, thoroughly dry the furniture as well to prevent mold from growing and spreading to other areas of your home.
- Open windows or place a fan in the room to create airflow to help the affected areas dry completely. Direct a fan toward the affected area of your rug specifically to help air it out. While high-powered fans are best, small ones will still aid in the process of drying things out.
- Place baking soda on the affected area. Leave the baking soda there for 24-48 hours to soak up any remaining moisture. While you might find the baking soda a nuisance on your rug for a few days, it really works to pull away any leftover dampness!
- Steam clean your rugs regularly. During steam cleaning, the heat kills toxins and mold spores before they cause trouble in your home. It’s a good idea to get your rugs professionally cleaned annually to kill off those mold spores and prevent issues from ever starting within your rugs.
Can a Rug with Mold Be Saved?
If you detect mold early on, you can save your rug. The key is to ensure that you don’t let the mold grow for too long as this will damage the fibers of your rug severely with time. Professional rug cleaning sanitizes and disinfects your rugs to remove mold spores.
Saving your rug on your own will be very difficult. It’s important that you call in professionals for help. Placing your rug in sunlight can also be helpful in killing the mold spores using UV light.
When you get your rugs cleaned professionally, the team generally does an inspection of your rug as well to look for damage and suggest necessary repairs. This can be helpful if you had mold you didn’t know about that caused damage to your rug.
The key to saving a rug after a mold situation is acting quickly and calling in the experts.
Professional Rug Cleaning in Everett, Washington
A Advanced Rug Care offers professional rug cleaning and repair. Regardless of whether your rug has suffered a spill or a tear, we’ll be there to restore your rug to its original beauty. Request a free quote online to get started with your professional rug cleaning in Everett, Washington.
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