Replace it to prevent the main carpet from becoming saturated with mold.
Wet carpet pad mold.
Steam cleaning wet carpet removes any toxins and deodorizes it.
Once you have the pad pulled up dispose of it immediately.
Carpeting in basements below grade level is especially at.
Additionally if the carpet has been wet for more than 48 hours the floor and padding beneath the carpet probably have mold as well.
Here is some information on what a pro might do when remediating mold in your property.
It s important to act.
Since wet carpets cause mold to grow in as little as 24 to 48 hours you need an action plan.
Once carpet water damage mold has taken hold there s often no cleaning it up.
We ve outlined the two do it yourself methods for the fastest way to dry wet carpet.
Now lay the carpeting back down flat so that it doesn t dry bunched up.
If padding beneath the carpet has become wet for any reason or has become moist from condensation the padding as well as the carpet on top are at risk for mold growth.
Mold remediation is a relatively long process that you can do yourself but we recommend getting in touch with a professional by calling the number on our website.
Carpet padding is like a sponge and will absorb a lot of water but it will not dry out.
While the carpet is drying check the condition of the wall insulation.
If you don t have insulation and you dry out the basement quickly you don t have to replace the drywall.
And mold which can appear as green gray or white patches on carpet and add a strong musty odor to a room can lead to chronic allergies asthma even bronchitis.
You can shampoo your carpet but that won t remove all the mold.
In most cases where water has saturated your carpet your carpet padding is a goner.
While you may be able to.
Wet carpet can be a perfect breeding ground for mold especially if the air is humid and the water remains in place longer than 48 hours.
How to keep wet carpet from molding.
The padding may need to be replaced as will the carpet in some cases.
Wet padding beneath carpet.
Especially very porous materials carpet carpet pad and insulation that s in walls prevent mold growth by drying water damage quickly the sooner you start cleaning up after water damage the sooner you can stop mold from growing under your carpet.
Snap a chalk line cut the drywall with a recip saw and toss the wet stuff.
But if the insulation is wet it s gotta go wet insulation cannot be saved.
You can do this yourself or call a professional for help.
So if you were to reuse the padding it will be damp and begin to mildew grow mold and smell under the carpeting.