Mildew and mold in basement?

Question

I have a rug in the basement along with furniture, how can I rid my basement of mold and mildew, I need an inexpensive way to do this. Thank You.

Answer 1

I now for years people have said to use bleach, but actually we discovered after hurricaine katrina that bleach can sometimes stimulate mold/mildew growth, so please consult with a restoration professional and have them properly remediate the problem, the dehumidifier is a must for your basement though.  If the area is smaller than 10 square feet you can use dial soap and water and that is in accordance to the S520 mold remdiation guide from the IICRC.  If you absolutely want to take care of the issue yourself, you would have a better chance of heating up the basement above 118 degrees, that is the heat tolerance for common molds.  Good Luck!!!

Answer 2

Mildew comes from moisture.  Use the others' ideas to clean it, then consider how to minimize moisture.

Answer 3

Check out the remarkable research on toxic mold removal done by environmental expert Dr Ed Close. Simply diffusing a therapeutic-grade essential oil regularly will likely result in an environment very hostel to mold.

http://www.secretofthieves.com/mold.cfm

You can use the same household cleaner (which works wonderfully as a carpet cleaner too), oil and diffuser that Dr Close recommends to his remediation clients.

Cost: Maybe $250.

Answer 4

if its toxic mold its going to make you very very sick for life, bleach will not kill the toxins. throw away what you can.

Answer 5

Vinegar is also a great mildew killer (I make my own daily shower spray with the main ingredient of vinegar and it works great).  Try 1 gallon vinegar and 1 cup baking soda mixture for cleaning--this is also what is use in the wash to get the mildew smell out of towels.

Like the first poster said, you will then have to keep it dry with a dehumidifier for long term affect.

Answer 6

Take out all of the furniture and rug...wash the walls and floor with a mixture of 1 cup bleach to 1 gallon of water. let it dry...If you can afford a dehumidifier, that will keep the moisture out...after all is dry, replace your rug, etc...