Having mold in your carpet is not good for you, your family or your pets. It is a naturally growing fungus in the environment. What it does is it feeds and grows in areas that are damp and moist. For example, leaves on the forest ground are the perfect place for mold to grow. This also holds true for carpeting that is wet. Outside mold is not harmful at all but when it gets in our homes it can be a danger.
The first thing you need to do is to prevent the mold from occurring in the first place. You can do this by using a home humidifier since this reduces the humidity in your home by at least 30%. You do not want carpeting in rooms where there is a great deal of humidity such as the bathroom. When you are doing carpet cleaning, be sure the carpet gets completely dry in a timely manner or this can allow mold to grow.
If you have a wet carpet that is already moldy, there are some things you can do to eliminate the mold. If your carpet gets wet because of a flood or other reason, you need to get it dried within 48 hours. The reason is that the longer it sits there, the more chance that mold will grow on it. You should always wear protective items when working with mold. You never want to touch mold with your bare hands. Also wear gloves that go up to your elbows. Use goggles to protect your eyes so mold spores cannot get into your eyes.
The first thing you need to do to clean a wet carpet is to find out where the water is coming from. Check the roof for leaks and then check the plumbing to see if there are leaks coming from there. There may be flood damage from a previous storm or leak that has not been completely cleaned and ended up being moldy. Another source of moisture are the air ducts in your home. This is a great way that mold can spread throughout the house. These ducts may need to be cleaned before you can proceed any further.
Next you should determine if the area of mold is easy enough for you to clean up yourself or if the problem is just too large that you may need to call in a professional. A good rule of thumb to make a decision is that if the area is more the 10 square feet, call in the experts. When you are searching for a professional, be sure they are specialized in removing mold and mold issues.