Response to "Mold Alert" Comment

Bethany Richmond

If you have mold, it's because you have a constant source of water leakage. In which case, you will have mold no matter what type of flooring you put down. A synthetic carpet will not grow mold on its own - it must be wet and dirty. I am also allergic to mold - I understand your problems. I use a good vacuum and keep my carpets dry.


Be Well My Friends

Trust me, a carpet doesn't have to be dirty to grow mold.  My carpet is definitely not dirty. I may not keep my carpet as immaculate as my friend does [the one mentioned in the "Mold Alert" article], but I do take meticulous care of my carpet. I don't even allow shoes on my carpet to avoid additional dirt.

Wet, however, was a problem for both of us. My friend occasionally gave her carpet a professional cleaning. It is possible that the cleaners did not dry the carpet thoroughly enough in some places. This is the only reason she could have possibly had mold in her carpet. As for me, on top of the fact that I gave my carpet a wall to wall cleaning when I first moved here, we also discovered two leaks not long after moving in; one in the bedroom (rainwater leaked in from outside) and one in the hall (coming from the shower). There was evident mold in the bedroom because we were out of town when it rained pretty heavily. The water just sat in the carpet until there was growth both in the carpet AND on the walls (it was pretty horrible). We saw it as soon as we came home. Both leaks were fixed very soon after discovery and I scrubbed my walls and carpet (with a carpet cleaner and herbal mold killers) as best I could; but I believe it's possible that there was still enough moisture to give me trouble even after it was cleaned.

If you are allergic to mold, getting rid of your carpet would be a very wise move. Carpet can hold mold, dirt, toxins and dust mites even if you are as meticulous as my friend and me. Mold and bugs both HATE cork which is why my husband and I are considering cork floors. Plus, if there IS a leak, it is MUCH easier to mop the water off of cork than it is to clean carpet and mold is NOT likely to grow from cork.