[Rob_Mac]

We have a monthly window cleaning customer who lives in a Lodge to a very grand old house. Big listed building that obviously is quite damp. Lots of overhanging vegetation and trees - all the outside patio and walkways very green and the conservatory roof is always green. We clean it twice per year.

Phone call from her last night asking if I knew how to get Mildew out of a carpet - she thinks it is mildew?

Also they have a car that is seldom used and this it seems has been attacked by the damp conditions around the property and is full of mildew?.

I have seen neither and cannot get down to see either till the end of next week.

I asked her whether the room that the carpet is in has good ventilation and or an air brick. It has neither so I suggested that it might be better to get ventilation into the room before the carpet is dealt with.

I have cleaned the carpet in question before - this was before the mildew? problem.

She has been told by someone else that the 'spores' need to be killed off in the room.

At this point I am out of my depth - with no knowledge and I explained that I would ask the question on here.

I presume that the answer to the carpet will be a similar one to the car.

In advance - Many thanks

Rob

[John Kelly]

The carpet and car interior can be cleaned using hot water extraction and a suitable microbiocide. However depending on how big the underlying dampness problem is you may be wasting your time. The visible fungi is only the fruiting body, the underlying mycelium (roots) are many times the size and will have penetrated the underlay, flooring etc.
Sounds like the property has a major dampness problem. The root causes of this need to be addressed rather than attempt at cleaning.

[Rob_Mac]

John

Thanks for the reply.

What sort of area of cleaning do I need to be looking at to give them a start on trying to put this right. Will this come under fire, flood & restoration?.

Rob

[John Kelly]

I think you need to advise them to obtain the services of a dampness surveyor. If you do attempt to clean the carpet be aware that there could be serious degredation of the backing or face fibres. This would manifest itself when you came to extract it by the tufts coming out leaving bare patches.

[Rob_Mac]

John

Cheers once again - I wont be attempting any cleaning, way above my level. I will pass on your comments.

Many thanks

Rob