Wet carpeting is an ideal mold breeding ground if it is not dried immediately. Carpeting can dry quickly if you have a low relative humidity air around it. If the surrounding air has high relative humidity, it won't dry. In as little as 24 to 48 hours, mold spores become active.
According to the EPA, "The key to mold control is moisture control." Any wet-process carpet cleaning will always leave enough moisture in the carpet to grow mold. An effective drying process is necessary.
Effective drying can be accomplished with several methods:
One method is by "natural" drying. If the outside air is warm and dry, open the windows. Moisture equalizes quite readily.
A second method is by adding heat. If the outside air is cold (below 50F), ventilating and heating the air quickly will dry the carpet.
By properly using the air conditioning unit...I the weather is hot, the A/C unit cools the air and removes some water. When the A/C shuts off (because the temperature is satisfied), an increase in heat must trigger the A/C to operate again. If the A/C unit is constantly providing low RH to the space, the carpet will dry. But..beware... improper use of the A/C, can create ideal conditions for mold growth!
A last resort and a sure-fire method to work is by using a de-humidifier to provide the dry air necessary to guarantee carpet drying .
In each case, use fans to speed up the drying process.
Simply lowering the thermostat to make the A/C operate, can actually create condensation and increase moisture. For example, if the dew point of the outdoor air is 70°F, cooling surfaces below 70°F will cause condensation. To avoid this problem of "over cooling", an A/C unit requires 'reheat."
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