These vacuums generally are available from rental agencies and hardware and grocery stores. If the musty mildew odor remains present in the padding, it is best to replace it. Do not reinstall the flooded padding with the notion that the odor will disappear over time. Carpet placed over musty-smelling padding will only get worse because the moisture cannot readily escape. After mold and mildew is removed, affected areas must be disinfected.
Disinfectants kill mold growing on hard surfaces, such as walls and hard floors.
Products that claim to be disinfectants must be registered with the Environmental Protection Agency and have an EPA registration number on the product label. Before you apply bleach to any surface, read the label and use only bleach with 5.25 percent sodium hypochlorite. A mild bleach solution should be applied to hard, clean surfaces only after those surfaces have been thoroughly cleaned with a detergent solution. The area must be kept wet with bleach for 10 minutes to 15 fifteen minutes to kill mold. If the surface is porous, the bleach solution may need to be reapplied to keep the surface wet for the required time.