Eliminate the Mold from Carpet – Proven Advance 3 Method, Pro Tips and Techniques

Method 1: Baking Soda and Vinegar

While this method requires a few different steps, it’s the most effective way to get rid of mold in your carpet. You’ll want to use this method on a bright and sunny day. Keep reading to see how to remove mold from carpet with vinegar.

Step 1: Check the carpet. Before you use this method to kill carpet mold, you’ll want to inspect the carpet. You can do a quick visual inspection of the surface to see how far the mold grew.

When you insert the paint scraper along the edge of the carpet, you can also lift it and check the bottom of the carpet. If you find that the mold spread through the carpet, you may want to hire professionals to replace it.

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Pro Tip: You can use a craft or utility knife to gently pry up the carpet to get a look at the bottom too.

Step 2: Increase airflow. As long as it’s a nice day outside, you can use the natural heat of the sun to kill mold and increase airflow. Open the windows in the room to let in as much sunlight and fresh air as possible.

You can also set up box fans or circular fans to keep the air moving around the room. That warm air will reduce the humidity level in the room and create a space that is less inviting for mold.

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Pro Tip: As the fans can cause the spores to move around the room, you should wear protective gear while working.

Step 3: Apply baking soda. Baking soda is one of the best products for eliminating and killing mold. You’ll want to evenly sprinkle the baking soda across the mold and on any areas where you see the spores. After letting the baking soda sit on the carpet overnight, vacuum the powder.

Pro Tip: If you do not have baking soda, you can use baby powder or cat litter. We only recommend kitty litter as a last resort because it may damage the vacuum.

Step 4: Add vinegar. Ordinary distilled white vinegar is an effective mold killer. You can apply straight vinegar on the carpet and use a scrub brush to scrub it into the carpet.

This ensures that it reaches below the surface of the mold. If you worry about the vinegar staining or discoloring the carpet, you can dilute it with an equal ratio of water and pour the mixture in a spray bottle.

This lets you spray the mixture across the carpet without damaging or staining the material.

Pro Tip: Apple cider vinegar works just as well if you do not have distilled white vinegar on hand.

Step 5: Dry the carpet. Drying the carpet is an important step in mold removal because a damp carpet creates a welcoming environment for mold.

We recommend using a blow dryer that you aim at the wet spots on the carpet. You can also use a heat gun, but you’ll want to keep the gun at least six inches away from the carpet.

The heat produced by the gun can melt or otherwise damage the carpet. If you need to know how to get mold out of a mattress, you can follow these same tips.

Pro Tip: It’s helpful to limit access to the room until the carpet dries.

Method 2: Anti-fungal Spray

This Old House recommends using an antifungal or anti-mold spray for carpet when you see mold. We’ll go over how you can use these sprays to eliminate mold.

Step 1: Clean the surface. Before applying the anti-mold spray, clean the surface of the carpet with a stiff brush. Scrub the carpet while it is still dry and make sure that you remove all the mold visible with the naked eye. With the broom and dustpan, carefully sweep the mold particles into a trash bag.

Pro Tip: Wear gloves on your hands and a mask over your mouth to reduce your contact with the mold and to prevent the spores from entering your mouth and lungs.

Step 2: Apply the spray. Anti-fungal sprays can use chemicals or natural ingredients to treat mold before it spreads from your carpets to other areas. Read the instructions on the back of the bottle carefully as some products require that you shake the bottle first.

You can then spray the liquid on the carpet, making sure that you spray an area at least six inches around the mold. This will take care of any spores or patches that you can’t see.

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Pro Tip: For area rugs and other small rugs, you can flip them over and apply the spray to the back too.

Step 3: Get rid of the excess. You must get rid of any excess liquid on your carpet, especially if you have kids or pets because the products aren’t safe to use around them.

You can do this with a rag that you place on the carpet. When you press down, the rag will soak up the excess liquid. If you have access to a dehumidifier, you can let it run in the room too.

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Pro Tips: Do not use a fan until the carpet fully dries. The circulation of the fan can spread the spores into neighboring rooms.

Consider wearing old clothing when cleaning the carpet. You can toss those garments later without worrying about carrying the mold to other rooms.

Step 4: Repeat the process. One application of a mold killing spray won’t kill all the mold in your carpet. You will want to apply a second coat of the spray, blot the excess and let it dry. It may take several applications before you completely remove all the mold.

Pro Tips: Use a different disposable rag each time that you blot the carpet to make sure that the spores on the rag do not transfer back onto the carpet.

If you have a dehumidifier, let it run for at least 48 hours after using the spray. Not only will this help the liquid dry faster, but it will also create a dry space to repel mold.

Method 3: Steam Cleaner and Bleach

If you need to know how to get rid of mold smell or stains out of carpet, the steam cleaning method might be your best choice. While the steam cleaner removes black mold on carpet, the addition of bleach will kill the lingering odor left behind.

Step 1: Steam clean the carpet. With steam cleaners, you can add liquids designed to kill mold and use that product as you treat the floor.

You’ll want to run the steam cleaner over both the areas where you see mold and the areas that look clean. Steam cleaners produce a lot of heat and steam that will kill those spores.

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Pro Tip: If you don’t want to invest in a steam cleaner, you can rent one. Many grocery and home improvement stores now offer these machines in different sizes. Some even come with attachments that can help you remove a mold smell in the car.

Step 2: Mix bleach and water. Bleach is an effective product for getting rid of mold, which is why some call it the best bleach killer. You can use an ordinary bucket to mix one gallon of cold water with one cup of household bleach.

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Pro Tip: Whenever you work with bleach, you want to work in a space with lots of ventilation and wear a mask over your nose and mouth.

You can use a paint stirrer to mix the bleach and water combo without getting the liquid on your hands.

Step 3: Apply the mixture. To apply the bleach and water mixture, you can dip a stiff brush into the mixture while wearing gloves and then scrub the solution into the carpet. It’s best to let the mixture sit on the carpet for at least 15 minutes, though you may want to let it sit overnight.

Pro Tip: You can use a spray bottle to apply the mixture to your carpet too. The bottle lets you control where the liquid goes and keeps you from spraying furniture and other items that the bleach can discolor.

Step 4: Dry the carpet. The best way to dry the carpet is with a steam cleaner. Leave the tank on the machine empty as you use the cleaner and the attachments to suck up any of the bleach and water mixture left on the floor. The carpet will still feel slightly damp to the touch when you finish.

Pro Tip: Old rags will work well at absorbing the bleach and water from the carpet. You will want to press the rags firmly onto the carpet and replace it with a new one when the original becomes damp.