Inheriting a basement full of moist carpet is not easy, but it can be dealt with. The first step to identify where the mold is coming from. For me, it was a moldy carpet pad my landlord had never properly dealt with. I demanded a health inspector walk through, as he was a new landlord and hadn’t had one for this property in ages. They helped me to convince the landlord that the carpet could not be cleaned–it had to be removed entirely. So that was step on taken care of–source eliminated. However, since I didn’t know where the leak had come from, I needed to be prepared in case there was mold hiding elsewhere. The way mold happens is through moist air and lack of airflow. It spreads through the breeding spores, which attach anywhere they find moisture and begin to grow and reproduce. Even with the source gone, you can still have spores in the air, especially in a room with poor indoor air quality. So, step two is an air purifier. The air purification system needs to be of a high enough level of filtration to trap mold spores. Not all air purifiers will, so be sure to purchase that meets this need. Finally, you need to make this space inhospitable to future mold invasions. This means purchasing a dehumidifier; you want to be sure to purchase one that can effectively manage the square footage of the space. The dehumidifier will work to dry out the space, making unsuitable for mold to grow. Only with these steps can you be sure to eradicate mold for good and avoid a repeat invasion.