Although hardwood floors bring back a certain timeless appeal, and tile provides a cool, tough as nails elegance, carpet is still the number one floor covering in America. There’s nothing like taking your shoes and off and just letting your toes feel the softness.
Unless, of course, you end up stepping in a puddle of water. Wet socks are one thing – a leaking dishwasher, laundry machine, or flooded bathroom is much more than an annoyance. First, it could mean spending money on a new appliance or to run down the plumbing problem. Second, if you don’t act fast, you may be paying for new carpeting too.
It can be a race to try to get your furniture and other belongings off the ground, so the water does not damage them. And it doesn’t take much more than a few gallons of water pooling overnight to cause long-lasting damage to the carpet pad and flooring underneath.
Ways To Dry a Carpet
Whether it is a leaky basement wall that seeps outside rainwater inside, a burst pipe, or a faulty appliance that caused a significant leak, water can cause serious damage to your home. But the real patience comes when you are waiting for the oversaturated carpet to dry.
Will you be able to get every last drop of water out of the carpet? Probably not. But you will be able to get enough of it to prevent real problems. And any amount of liquid out of wet carpeting will go a long way to mitigating the growth of mold and mildew.
Here are some tips on drying your carpet after an unfortunate water disaster.
Get rid of the water
This will take time – especially if there is standing water or it is a fully soaked carpet. Use wet-dry vacuums, buckets, or pumps to get rid of the water as best as you can. Once you have most of the water removed, keep using the vacuum over the damp carpet to extract as much as of the excess water as possible.
Clear the room and dry it
If you haven’t already, remove any water-damaged furniture. Then, get the fans and dehumidifiers ready to go. They should be used continuously to help bolster airflow and help speed up the drying process. If you can, open windows and doors, too.
Once the carpet is completely dried, make sure you have a professional carpet cleaner come in and finish the job. Professional carpet cleaning will help rejuvenate the carpeting as well as remove existing carpet mold, dirt, and grime. Steam cleaning and deodorizing will extend the life of your carpet and remove any “flood” smells too.
Further Investigation
If the soap and water from the steam cleaning didn’t help the smell, there may be more water damage than just a soaked carpet. Unfortunately, the water may have seeped into and been absorbed by the subfloor. This can happen if the wet area was allowed to sit for awhile – perhaps while you were away on a long weekend.
If that’s the case, you may need to call on a water damage restoration outfit to investigate. You may be able to rip the carpet out yourself, but if there is any damage to the flooring or the joists underneath, it could be a bigger job than you’re prepared for.
Fix The Problem With A Pro
If you are having issues with your plumbing, our experienced team of professionals at Meticulous Plumbing can help. We specialize in a variety of plumbing services including leak and plumbing repair, so you don’t have to worry about another plumbing problem that could cause more damage to your carpet. Contact us today for all your plumbing needs!
