Flooding or leaking is possibly one of the most problematic things that could happen on a carpeted floor. Moist is the no. 1 thing that carpet-owners avoid at all cost and a total flood brings such in the worst way possible. An accidentally wet carpet is quite a nightmare for homeowners. But do know that it can be easily faced if you exactly know what to do. You’re here because you’re probably clueless and gee have we got you covered! It’s safe to relax now because we’ll tell you everything you need to know to deal with the situation. Read on and duly apply!
Step-by-step Guide on Drying Out Carpet after a Flood or a Leak Step-by-step
Step 1: Remain calm. Do not panic.
The worst thing that you could do in any situation is to panic. Panic will not help you at all. It will only double your stress and waste precious time that can instead be used to effectively solve and face the problem. Relax. Your carpet just got wet. It’s not the end of the world. If it’s hard for you to calm down and find peace, try deeply breathing in and breathing out for five minutes. Deeply breathing will ground your body and allow you to remove all the unnecessary panic and noise. Once fully calm and centered, you may then effectively proceed to the next step.
Step 2: Absorb, absorb, absorb.
This should be done as soon as possible but it’s best to do it when you’re fully calm, centered, and aware. This shouldn’t be done in panic as you may just end up causing more damage to your carpet and even yourself. Experts just want you to keep this in mind: in case of any flooding or liquid-related accident on your carpet, the most important thing to immediately do is to opt for absorption. You must immediately reach for an item that can absorb the liquid that got on your carpet. In case of a flood or major water leak, simply do the following:
- Get large thick towels
- Place such towels on the wet areas
- Walk over such towels to boost absorption
- Have the towels in the same place for at least 30 minutes
- Once soaked, have them replaced with new thick towels
- Do this for at least two hours or for as long as necessary until complete water absorption is achieved
You can also use a wet vacuum. You can rent one or simply opt to contact expert carpet cleaners to do the work for you.
Step 3: Ventilate.
While you’re allowing towels to absorb all the liquid that got through your carpet, you should also duly ventilate. For optimized ventilation, simply do the following:
- turn on your ceiling fans
- turn on your standing fans
- turn on your air-conditioning units
- open your windows
Do everything possible to improve the airflow in your room. Doing this will ensure that your carpeted room won’t smell musty.
Step 4: Dehumidify.
You should also dehumidify your room with the use of a dehumidifier. You can opt to buy one or rent one. You should invest in a dehumidifier if you live in an area with a climate that is prone to mould growth and moisture. You should also invest in a dehumidifier if you live in a flood-prone area. A dehumidifier is ideal for such areas as it will remove excess moisture from your living space. Such will avoid the build-up of mould and a musty smell.
Step 5: Steam-clean.
A flooded carpet should also undergo a deep steam-clean process. Such a cleaning process involves the use of extremely high temperatures that can kill all kinds of toxins and bacteria in your carpet. This is important because a regular clean is not enough to ensure that a flooded carpet is 100% safe. Bacteria can very well still be around stuck in your carpet’s fibres. To ensure that you don’t suffer from any allergies, headaches, and irritation, you should schedule a deep steam-cleaning process for your carpet.
Step 6: Baking soda will help.
Baking soda is perfect for minimal liquid accidents on carpets. Use one by doing the following steps:
- Absorb the wet area with towels or tissue
- Sprinkle baking soda over the wet area
- Leave the baking soda for at least 30 minutes
- Vacuum the remaining baking soda off your carpet
This home remedy will ensure that all moisture is removed from your carpet. The baking soda will also prevent any musty smell build up. Using baking soda on your carpet will make it smell fresh. Take note that this remedy should only be done to carpets that did not get soaked in flood or water.
Step 7: Ask experts.
You won’t need to ask for professional help as a flooded carpet is something that any homeowner can easily handle. However, you will need to contact one if a flood has saturated your carpet and its padding is already damaged. You will also need to contact an expert if you find it hard to assess if there has been damage in the first place. An expert carpet cleaner can easily assess if your carpet padding is still in good condition. You should be careful when it comes to dealing with carpet padding as leaving them wet for long periods can lead to mould growth and unsanitary air quality. Such can cause allergy attacks, headaches, and sickness.