Green Mold on Wool Carpet

[truckmount girl]

A friend in Paris, France left on vacation and forgot to run the dehumidifier in her basement while gone.

Upon her return she found green mold on her wool carpeting.

Ideas?

Take care,
Lisa

 

[Desk Jockey]

Lisa
A lot depends on how big an area and what's it feeding on.

It it's just on the tips of the fibers, feeding on the soil in the carpet it would be less of an issue. Clean and apply a disinfectant.

If it is more severe and has a root system and is digesting the carpet it might not be worth saving.

Another thing to consider is the age of your friend and if she has any children. Both age groups could be a concern due to their immune system, should she decides to keep the carpet.

 

[The Great Oz]

Wool isn't particularly susceptible to mold, so if the fiber hasn't been stained by the growth it should clean up well. Just have to clean a section and see. A lot of wool carpet uses jute in the backing, so it might be worth pulling a corner to see if there is further damage.

 

[truckmount girl]

She said they opened up and dried down the room, it was just damp, not wet, and she says the green stain remains on the carpet. I'm no wool expert, so I thought y'all might have some suggestions for her. I plan on suggesting she consider an olefin berber construction in the future if dampness is an issue there.

Take care,
Lisa

 

[Desk Jockey]

She might test clean it as Oz suggests. It could just be spores shading the carpet and it might not be discolored and it may clean out. ?


We had a few rooms at schools this summer that the staff cleaned the carpet, but neglected to turn on the AC unit and it developed significant mold growth over a weekend.

It was olefin and we recommended they replace it but due to time constraints they chose for us to clean it and and they will deal with it at break.

We did have them sign a sign off....for what ever little that is worth.

 

[The Great Oz]

If they already had the carpet cleaned (using HWE) and there is still a discoloration the damage is done. They can replace the carpet with plastic, but the wool isn't the problem. Wool is used on boats all the time and will be less likely to sustain mold than the plastic backside of the seat cushions.

There's probably lots of mold in places she can't see, which is a part of life in many areas of Europe. The dehumidifier should be automated.

 

[sweendogg]

Wool will also act as a natural dehumdifier/ humidifier to maintain humidity levels year round. It will absorb excess moisture and release it during dryer seasons.