Health Risks of Carpet Mold

In the wake of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, much was written and discussed about the health effects of household mold. Because homes were under water for weeks, they experienced heavy mold growth. By the time the water had receded, so much mold was present in many homes that the air inside wasn't safe to breathe.
Those of us watching the recovery effort on television saw clean-up crews and reporters wearing respirators, and heard story after story of homes that were deemed uninhabitable thanks to large amounts of toxic mold. Although we may not have had much experience with residential mold before, we suddenly understood it to be a major threat to human health and safety.
What many of us may not understand, however, is that mold can be a problem in homes that have never been affected by flooding. Even homes that have never sustained water damage of any kind can have problems with mold. And household mold, even in small amounts, can present a very serious health hazard.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, mold can contribute to a myriad of health problems, ranging in severity from nasal congestion ("stuffiness") to serious lung infections. For many individuals, exposure to mold means irritation to the nasal passages, throat, eyes and skin. In people with compromised immune systems or underlying respiratory problems, mold exposure can lead to serious complications. In short, residential mold is not something you should ignore!
Quite simply, mold is caused by moisture, and can grow anywhere-in the air or on a surface. In homes it most commonly occurs in bathrooms, kitchens, around windows and doors, or anywhere humidity is high. One area of your home that is particularly susceptible to mold is your carpet. Mold growth in carpet is most commonly due to wet foot traffic, especially in carpeted bathrooms; or a leaky window or door that's allowing moisture to enter and flow downward to the floor.
Luckily, carpet mold can be removed by a professional carpet cleaning service. But a routine steam-clean or shampoo won't cut it - you need to pull out the big guns. While it may be tempting to take advantage of local carpet cleaning specials or coupons, ridding your carpet of mold requires a special skill set and equipment. Solid judgement and experience are key when it comes to successful carpet mold removal. It's important to hire a carpet cleaning service that offers mold and mildew removal and ask for that type of service when you book your appointment.
Brent Cone is the Owner of:Aqualux Carpet Cleaning10777 Turbeville Dr, #100 Dallas, TX 75243214-607-8562Carpet Cleaning Blog - Carpet Cleaning Dallas