I've got mold under carpet in basement from the storm...anyone ever cleaned this before?

[matmar]

basement got wet from Irene and now I have mold growing under the carpeting. Starting to smell too.

Anyone have experience cleaning this stuff. I'm going to attempt it myself tomorrow.

[Cleita]

1. I'm sure I'm not going to be a big help here but the only

thing I have found that kills mold is bleach. I'm afraid your carpet is done and you should get rid of it before you make your family sick with the mold.

[matmar]

2. yeah. I plan on cutting and rolling it up then into the trash.

I've read up on what to do. I was just wondering if anyone could give me some tips..

[virgogal]

13. Keep a small piece of the carpet for the ins. co.for quality purposes.

[MattBaggins]

41. if it hasn't ruined the carpet

rent a steam cleaner and use 20 mule team.

if you really want to go with the king of mold killers go with spor klenz
http://www.amazon.com/Spor-Klenz-Disenfectant-3-2L-Pour-Bottle/dp/B0018EO56C

[AnnieBW]

3. Take pictures first

Then call your insurance company. You might be able to get reimbursed.

[matmar]

4. thanks. Will do.

[SoCalNative]

27. Mike Holmes

says you shouldn't use bleach to clean up mold. Liquid soap is his solution, as it is with the professionals he brings in to remove it.

[WCGreen]

42. Mold isn't as dangerous as they made it out to be...

But it also should not be taken lightly.

Home Depot or Loews or your local hardware store should have a solution that will kill all common molds.

[hobbit709]

45. I wouldn't take Stachybotrys lightly at all.

Especially for anyone with severe allergies or weakened immune systems.

[matmar]

30. I'll use soap and water first, then go back with a bleach

I'll do both.

[snagglepuss]

43. I confronted mold with bleach but then I did some research and found out

that white vinegar is better then bleach for killing mold. If you google vinegar and mold there are sites that explain why vinegar is better in detail.

[pitohui]

5. well ask your insurance adjuster first but...

assuming it's not covered by homeowners because the basement was not insured, you should remove and discard the carpet, then clean with chlorine bleach dilute with some water, then use fans to blow out the area until it's dead dry

wear old clothes, the chlorine will ruin them (makes spots)

i would not replace carpet in a basement, leave the cement underflooring or if you need good flooring there because it's a rec room as well as storage, then put in something like quarry tile -- you can rent a tile cutter from home depot and put the tile in over a day or so

don't let moldy carpet go too long, mold is bad for your lungs

chlorine kills the mold just fine but do take care to air out the place dead dry with fans before you close off the basement or put down more flooring

this is a few years ago so if i've forgotten a step i hope someone will remind me

[matmar]

8. thanks for the advice.

carpet for the basement is a no go from now on.

[nadinbrzezinski]

21. If you can, wear a respirator

if this is a really enclosed place chorine is not good for lungs either.

We used to do this with ambulances to disinfect them, and left the doors open for a couple hours to dry off (when we could, at times we still had to run calls, with all windows open)

[matmar]

24. I bought som N95 masks from Lowes...

[csziggy]

29. Tile is not a really good idea, either

Mold can grow in the mortar and grout and be completely undetectable by normal means. Think of all the times Mike Holmes has had to deal with mold problems in tiled bathrooms and found mold growing behind the tile.

It would be a good idea to check out solutions to the wet basement problem before worrying about what kind of decorative flooring to put in. Anything put down before the dampness is eliminated will just cover up the problem and have to be replaced eventually.

[ashling]

6. In answer to your question, No I have never cleaned your basement before

but its a sure bet that you are going to have to tear out that carpet.

[Oceansaway]

7. straight bleach, don't dilute it...

and yes, take pics....good luck...

[matmar]

9. straight bleach? Websites say to dilute 1/2 cup bleach per 1 gallon of water...

[Oceansaway]

17. mold is bad crap....when we had the

problem, we we're told not to dilute it...but it's your call.

[matmar]

25. okay. Maybe I'll go straight bleach. No messing around.

[in_cog_ni_to]

10. OZONE GENERATOR! It will destroy mold and mildew.

I just had water in my basement and mold and mildew under our carpet (indoor/outdoor...no padding) and bought an Ozone generator. Ran it for a day and all the odor is GONE. Best thing ever except you need to vacate the room and air it out for an hour before going back in.

[matmar]

16. where did you buy it and how much?

[OxQQme]

26. Indoor grow shops

stock ozone generators. Works wonders to kill mold.

[in_cog_ni_to]

28. I bought it on Amazon for $189..4G/ Hour Ozone Generator by CleanAir

It worked fantastic. No mold at all and ALL odor is gone.

[madinmaryland]

11. Welcome to DU. I can't help you with your mold problem, though.

:hi:

[PoliticAverse]

12. Rule # 1 - all basements flood, it's just a matter of time.

Rule # 2. Never put a carpet in the basement.

Remove it, dispose of it, get as much air into the basement as possible,
scrub concrete floor with water/bleach solution.

[DURHAM D]

14. Do you have flood insurance?

[matmar]

18. no

[DURHAM D]

19. Without flood insurance I don't think you need to worry

about talking to your agent. Just go ahead with removal.

[obxhead]

15. How deep did the water get?

If it got more than a few inches deep you'll likely need to replace any insulation as well.

[matmar]

20. only enough to wet some areas of the basement floor.

not deep really. Just enough water to get the indoor/outdoor carpet wet in some areas. Not wet everywhere. The mold is my concern. Will be ripping up and cleaning with soap, water and bleach.

[tabasco]

22. Of course, carpet has to go.

I think carpet in basements is generally a bad idea.

Remove all traces of carpet/glue from floor. Get one of those scrub brushes with a long handle and scrub your floor with soap and water and 5% bleach. Use a fan & dehumidifier to dry it out completely for a few days. Spray the walls with Lysol.

Mold hates dry so maybe keep the dehumidifier down there permanently and don't re-install carpet. Unpadded vinyl might be good or just paint the floor.

[matmar]

23. thanks

[Betsy Ross]

31. There are solution specifically for killing mold.

Check your local hardware or paint store.

[Renew Deal]

32. You should probably throw it out.

But other people know more about this stuff than me.

[moondust]

33. Be careful about breathing that mold.

http://www.google.com/search?q=breathe+mold

[matmar]

35. I'm using N95 masks as per EPA's website suggestion

[LeftyMom]

34. The carpet's a loss. The pad's a loss. What's under that?

I don't know what you're supposed to do for wood (I'm guessing it's probably expensive...) but for a concrete slab just let it dry, clean it with bleach, and if all else fails roll a layer of Kilz on it.

[matmar]

36. concrete floor. Gonna use soap+water for the initial clean up

then go back with a bleach solution.

[LeftyMom]

37. Good plan. Get some big fans and dry the room out as well as you can.

Normally you can rent those (and the ozone machine mentioned upthread, which won't kill mold but does neutralize odors) from a carpet cleaning company, but I'm sure they'll all be booked solid in effected areas. So just grab a few high-powered fans and really air the room out. Let them run for a few days once the carpet's up and the floor's clean before you put anything new down. A week if you can.

[matmar]

38. thanks..

[MattBaggins]

39. 20 mule team

Borate is a fungicide. Don't really need to go with anything overly harsh.

[Warpy]

40. Not all mold is the bad kind and not everybody reacts badly to it

but the only way I know of to clean it out of carpet on cement is to tear up the carpet, clean everything under it with soap and water and elbow grease, follow with a bleach spray to kill anything you missed plus spores, and then lay new carpet, hopefully the kind with a mildew killer built in.

The only experience I've had was back before they knew mildew was bad for you but you really did want to get that stink out ASAP.

[mdmc]

44. ..