How to Remove Mildew From a Flooded Carpet
Flood carpet damage in any home can be frustrating and devastating for anyone. Mildew can grow on the carpet and can ruin it, so it must be removed. Once you are able to get rid of most of the water from the flood you can work at getting rid of the mildew and keep it from spreading.
Things you'll need:
- Plastic scrub brush
- Wet/dry vacuum
- Spray nozzle
- Hose
- Tarp
- Bleach
- Bucket
- Remove the carpet if at all possible. This will make it a lot easier to remove the mildew from the flooded carpet. If you are able to remove you the carpet, roll it up and take it outside to your driveway.
- Use a powerful nozzle on your spray hose to completely rinse the entire carpet. As you rinse the carpet wet it enough to allow the water to drain through to the other side of the carpet. This will help get rid of some of the debris as well as some of the mildew.
- Turn the carpet over on the underside. Rinse the exact same way with the hose as before.
- Make the cleaning solution with 3/4 cup of bleach into a bucket with a gallon of water. This cleaning mixture will help remove the mildew from the carpet.
- Saturate small mildew areas at time with the cleaning solution. Let the solution soak on the flooded carpet for at least five minutes.
- Scrub the carpet with a plastic scrub brush to get rid of the mildew in the carpet with the cleaning solution. Scrub both sides of the carpet where the mildew is to make sure to remove all the mildew.
- Rinse the top of the carpet as well as underneath it with the powerful spray nozzle hose.
- Use a wet/dray vacuum to remove as much moisture as possible from the carpet. Let the carpet dry completely while it is still outside.