Mildew odors within carpeting are often the direct result of water unknowingly leaking within the room. After only 24-48 hours of first settling within the carpeting, the stench of mildew can develop and take hold of the fiber and underlying fiber.
A range of household solutions exist for killing the mildew infestation and lifting the musty odor from the flooring. By using the following solutions, you can take control of your mildew problem and return freshness within the affected room.
Mildew Smell Removal Solutions For Carpeting
1 Dry & Treat Carpet Quickly
Although there may already exist some level of mildew within the carpeting, it is important to treat it quickly before it becomes much worse. Mildew has a way of continually growing with time if given the proper environment to grow. This is why it is very important to quickly remove the moisture within the carpeting in order to eliminate the source that mildew relies upon.
2 Blot & Fan Dry
In order to dry the carpeting, you will first need to blot dry the carpeting with a clean dry towel. For best results, place your full body weight being the towel to draw out as much moisture as physically possible. Once no additional moisture is being pulled from the carpeting or underlying padding by towel, it will be time to setup an area fan that will be set to be aimed at the mildew area of the carpeting. Drying the carpeting before treatment is important because smells often can go away once it has become completely dry.
3 Sprinkle Baking Soda
If drying the location has been nearly successful in eliminating the mildew odor, you can often use baking soda to get absorb any remaining odors within the carpeting fiber. Sprinkle heavy quantities of baking soda over the mildew affected area of the carpeting and provide 2-3 days for this deodorizing powder to work its magic. After this time period, return to do a smell test. If no odor remains, a vacuum cleaner can be used to suck up any and all remaining baking soda from the fiber.
4 White Vinegar
As far as household kitchen ingredients go, white vinegar can provide the best hope of killing difficult odors within carpeting and underlying padding. Mix a solution of one part white vinegar to two parts warm water and pour it over the affected location. Once you have made sure that the affected areas of the carpeting are thoroughly soaked with this solution, you can leave it be for the 24-48 hours. Once completed, blot dry any remaining deodorizing mixture from the carpeting and underlying padding and run an area fan pointed at it for 24 hours.
5 Enzyme Cleaner
If white vinegar has not been effective in removing the mildew stink, enzyme cleaning solution can have an even more powerful effect. Pour enough of this product solution onto the carpeting until it has sufficiently soaked the the fiber and underlying padding. Allow the product to sit for 24-48 hours while the active enzymes within the solution literally go to work in eating it’s way though the mildew. After this time period have passed, return to blot dry any remaining enzyme moisture and proceed to run an area fan at the location until it has dried.
6 Run Dehumidifier
In rare cases where blot drying and running a fan next to the moistened carpeting is not successful at drying the carpeting and underlying fiber, a dehumidifier can be used to pull any remaining moisture from the location. This will also help to ensure that all mildew within this dies out for lack of viable carpet moisture to propagate from.
Photo Credit: Tommi Virtanen
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