How to Dry Water Damaged Carpets After a Flood

Contrary to popular belief, exposure to water won't ruin a carpet. After all, people always shampoo their carpets (a process that involves lots of water). And while shampooing is one of the most problemtic ways to clean a carpet, the carpets somehow survive. It shouldn't be a big surprise that carpets can survive flooding. Although flood water is typically nasty, and the carpeting is usually completely submerged for hours or more, saving the carpet from permanent water damage has to be done correctly. In this post, the Steve's Carpet Care team looks at how to dry flood-damaged carpets.

Saving Your Carpets After Flooding

If your home has been flooded, you'll have many things on your mind. But to save your carpets, you must put other things aside and address the carpet issue immediately. Here is what you'll need to do when the water subsides.

• Remove any remaining water using a wet vac or a pump.
• Get as much air moving as possible to help dry things out. That means opening windows, setting up fans, and doing anything else.
• If possible, lift the carpet and put something under it to get air circulating underneath.

Remember that drying the carpet out as quickly as possible is imperative to fend off mold growth. So, you need to select equipment that will do the best to remove moisture and facilitate drying.

Remember that drying the carpet out as quickly as possible is imperative to fend off mold growth. So, you need to select equipment that will do the best to remove moisture and facilitate drying.

How Long Will It Take to Dry Carpeting After Flooding?

On average, it will take 3-5 days for the carpet to dry completely after flooding. However, the exact time depends on the carpet material, your ability to create air movement in the affected space, and the equipment you use to remove the water from the carpeting. The faster you can dry the carpet out the better.

Is Mold Inevitable on a Flooded Carpet?

All this is not to imply other things are not important. There will probably be things you must deal with after a flood that is more important than saving the carpet. But if you can put aside some time right after the water subsides and use the right equipment, there's a good chance you can prevent mold growth and save the carpet.

The Health and Safety Risks of Dealing with Carpeting After a Flood

Just about any environment will pose health and safety risks in the aftermath of a flood, and that's certainly the case for homes. Before you start the process of drying out the carpet, take the time to assess the situation carefully.

Beware of electrical hazards

Electrical hazards are present in an area that has been flooded, so make sure that you turn off the power for the part of the house that contains the carpet you want to save. This will help prevent the chance of receiving severe shocks.

Be mindful of contaminated water

Contaminated water is another serious health risk in an area that's been flooded. While most of the water in the house may have subsided, there's bound to be some standing water around, and it could contain some very nasty bacteria from the local sewer system. So always remember to wear rubber gloves, masks, and, if possible, rubbers or galoshes over your shoes.

Be aware there may be structural damage to the house.

The Most Effective Way to Speed Dry Your Carpets

At Steve's Carpet Care, we employ a truck-mounted steam cleaning machine to clean carpets as it uses an absolute minimum amount of water to get the job done. This truck-mounted system is also one of the best ways to remove water from a carpet after a flooding incident. The truck-mounted system has many advantages over a standard wet vac:

• It's far more powerful — The truck-mounted carpet cleaning system is far more powerful than a standard wet vac and will extract significantly more water in less time.
• It facilitates drying — Because the truck-mounted system removes water so quickly, it speeds up the overall drying process, reducing the chance of water damage and the need for carpet repair.
• It won't damage the carpet — Our truck-mounted steam cleaning machine is designed for carpeting so you can rest easy knowing it won't damage your carpet while removing flood water.
• It helps fend off mold formation — The faster your carpet is dried after flooding, the lower the odds it will develop mold. And the truck-mounted system will dry your carpet far quicker than a wet vac or fans.
• It helps prevent odors — By fending off mold development, the truck-mounted system also helps prevent the growth of unpleasant smells.
• It's convenient — Most of the truck-mounted system is contained within the truck outside, which is much more convenient than having to struggle with moving equipment around while trying to dry the carpet.

You'll want to augment the work of the truck-mounted steam cleaning machine with fans and anything else that will facilitate drying, not only of the carpet but of the surrounding area as well.

For Expert Carpet Repair and Cleaning Call Steve's Carpet Care

Arvada and the surrounding area is not immune to flooding. If the time comes when you need to try and rescue your carpeting in the aftermath of a flood, call Steve's. We're also the company that calls for expert carpet cleaning and carpet repair. So give us a call at (303) 530-4900.