Hey guys, trying to get something figured out. We occasionally come across rugs that have dark areas in the patterns from what we assume is mold/mildew (since they were water damaged, or something of that nature), and we never have a whole lot of luck with that kind of thing. Does ANYONE have some info about this they can pass on? We try protein spotter, extra cleaning, ANYTHING we can think of! No joy... I think I remember Scott W. saying once that mold and mildew tend to eat the fibers, and as such, cannot be removed, but that's a bit fuzzy. We want to try everything we can, and be sure that we haven't left a step out of the cleaning process. Any tips/suggestions? Thanks, Joseph
I wouldn't clean for liability reasons. However, it the fibers and backing is synthetic use power gel followed by HWE. If stain remains stain magic works but takes several treatments. It also can only be used on synthetic fibers. It also only works on light mold.
You need to fully wash the piece and use a product to stop the growth. The ProRestore line is full of them. Once fully washed and completely dried and returned to an environment that will not repeat the problem - you will have discoloration remaining but not have the hazard getting worse, or getting airborne. Surface cleaning with a portable or truckmount won't cut it. That is not thoroughly cleaning - as I pointed out in my latest post. POST => Why rugs are not cleaned in the home. Stripping out the root systems of the problem is like trying to pull out a discolored cavity in your tooth. The problem is IN the foundation fibers, not just on top of them. You may be able to improve the appearance some, but you are not bringing it back to pre-loss condition, not be a long shot - especially when some of the solutions to improve appearance (like bleaches) can cause even more structural harm to those fibers. You also need to be aware that if you take contaminated rugs like these, and do not do a thorough soaking and decontamination process through washing, and then return the rugs back as "completely safe" - and in fact they are still testing with bacteria and other contaminants - you open yourself up to a lot of additional litigation risks. Flooded rugs - no matter if Category 1, 2, or 3 - should be handled by rug plants trained in handling textiles affected by floods and fires. Most subcontract for other companies, so I'm sure there is one in your region that can help. Here is another post specifically on rugs and floods: POST => Rugs and Floods. What to do. Hope that helps, Lisa
