Moldy carpet

BonitaBaby

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Help, please, if you know anything about whether it should be okay for me to mix a little bleach with water to spray on the horrid, cheap, moldy carpet at my parents' apt to try to get rid of the mold before moving to my parents.

I was worried about my cat baby disliking the horrid carpet since she loves to roll around on carpet. I found great rugs to fix the problem in the small bedroom she'll be sequestered in while we have to live there temporarily for 6 months or so, but I want to get rid of the mold in the carpet that was caused by a leaky roof.

I read online that you can mix bleach with water to spray the carpet to get rid of the mold and then vacuum up the dirt. Thoughts? Please share any experience or knowledge you have about this. I'm worried about the bleach residue on any small areas that won't be covered by the rugs, but the bleach water should be dried and that mold might be worse and could spread to the rugs (one big, one small).
 
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red top rescue

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I would not suggest bleach.  You could start with a good steam cleaning using one of  those rental steam cleaners.  It doesn't hurt to keep the house heat on a little high while drying the carpet either.  Keep animals off the carpet until it is totally dry. The solutions they provide are pet safe.  You will then need to dry the carpet thoroughly so mold (mildew) doesn't grow.  Electric radiators used for space heating are great for that, or you can do a sweep of the room with a hair dryer once the carpet FEELS dry.  You just keep moving them around until the carpet is totally dry around the heater, then move it somewhere else. 

For maintenance, baking soda is an easy and all-natural deodorizer that can be used to freshen up carpets or rugs, and it contains no perfume (most cats don't like any perfumes -- it's best to get unscented litter also.)  Lightly sprinkle them with baking soda, let it settle in for 15 to 30 minutes, and vacuum up.  You can also sprinkle baking soda in your litter to help control odors.  Yes, you scoop twice a day, but without that perfume, you may need to give the litter a little spruce up with baking soda.  One of the Arm & Hammer litters actually is loaded with baking soda.
 
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BonitaBaby

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red top rescue red top rescue Thanks for your advice. I should post a picture of the ridiculous carpet. It's not carpet that belongs in a residential place. There's almost no height. It's industrial carpeting that the cheap landlord had installed. It really needs to be replaced because of the mold problem, but I don't think I can make that happen.

I just Googled again and read that white vinegar can possibly work. I'm going to try that online suggestion with the blowdryer followed by baking soda. The "carpet" is really ridiculous and is thinner than carpet padding. Brushing it with a sweeper is the best way to clean it instead of a vacuum. The landlord is close to being a slum landlord, but my parents wouldn't move. I feel terrible bringing my cat baby there but she'll help motivate me to find a new job and a new place to live. She'll still get her sunning and love and daily worship.
 
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red top rescue

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Clean that carpet and then put rugs on it.  Dont use vinegar and baking soda together, they neutralize each other.  In my opinion, vinegar stinks, so that's why I didn't suggest it.  I'm trying to come up with a clean neutral smell here.  I am very sensitive to all smells myself, and bleach, pine sol and vinegar all make me nauseous.
 

grrr cat

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Oil of cloves kills mold spores..  Check out Shannon lush

http://www.lifestyle.com.au/diy/cleaning-benefits-of-oil-of-cloves.aspx

once the spores are dead you might want to get carpet cleaned because oil cloves might be toxic to cats.

Mould causes health problems to everyone, the carpets should probably be removed.

I had a bad mould outbreak on my walls a couple of years ago. I used oil of clovers and fixed the part of the problem. Most mould is caused by foundation or structural problems.
 
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BonitaBaby

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Thanks. I think I'll try the white wine vinegar because that's supposed to be safe for cats. If it's not, please let me know.

I was worried for my parents living with moldy carpets, but I don't think I could get the landlord to replace the carpets. The landlord is extremely cheap and the neighborhood's kind of bad, so the rent is cheap so the apt is not in a good condition. I was hoping to move my parents, but now that plan will have to be delayed.
 
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