For those beginners who want to know how to clean water damaged carpet, you should check out this quick and easy step guide. It’ll only take six steps for the maintenance of your carpet.
This article will also mention some guidelines that you should remember when you encounter specific scenarios with your water damaged carpet, so stay in touch until the end of this worthwhile read!
Materials Needed
Before you proceed to the procedure below, make sure that you have the following materials. If you have the complete set, you’re good to go!
- Blowers, fan, or dehumidifiers
- Gloves
- Carpet padding
- Disinfectants
- Steam cleaner
- Antimicrobial sanitizer
Cleaning Your Water Damaged Carpet
Step #1. Safety first
Before anything else, ensure that all electrical devices scattered in your work area are away from your carpet, especially from any form of water. Also, move any items of furniture that will be a dangerous hazard during your process.
Step #2. Assess the situation
Observe your carpet and try to assess the situation first. It should answer the following questions:
- What is the extent of the carpet’s damage?
- Does the water contain any contaminated materials that might put me in danger?
- Is my carpet new and has not yet been damaged?
- Did the mold affect my carpet severely?
Step #3. Dry out the damaged carpet
Having a water-damaged carpet can cause molding, and it grows fast. That is why this process must get some speed while doing this procedure.
The carpet can be restored if you fully dry the material within 24 hours. To dry out the carpet, you can use the following materials:
- Wet or dry vacuum – This can help pull out the water from your carpet. This method is inexpensive, but this will save you time when you try to clean your damaged material.
- Blower, fans, or dehumidifiers – These materials can help you dry out your carpet even faster by setting up a tool that can give proper air circulation.
- The heat of the sun – If weather permits your progress, you can open your window or doors to help to dry it up. Still, this process usually takes time, so it would be best if you also include any blower, fan, or dehumidifiers for faster progress.
Step #4. Check the carpet padding
You’ll need to check your carpet’s padding. If it’s made out of urethane foam, this material is the frequent victim of water damage. When it is severely affected, it’ll give you a difficult time to dry it out since there will still be water in the padding.
If you have any padding from your carpet, you’ll need to pull it up the carpet and remove the padding under the material. We suggest that you wear gloves during this process and when you remove everything, include the gloves you used for this step.
When you’re done, you have to lay the carpet flat and continue with the drying process. Once the floor’s dried, disinfect it with the disinfectant solution and wait again to dry out completely.
Note: It is needed to check for signs of buckling and warping. If there are parts that are damaged, replace the materials.
Step #5. Reinstall your carpet
When everything’s dry, you may get a new set of carpet pads and lay it on the carpet back in place.
Note: When reinstalling is too challenging to deal with, if it’s necessary, call for professional help to ensure the installment is correct. Also, they can give insurance coverage in case there would be problems again.
Step #6. Clean water damaged carpet
Make sure that there are no contaminants, dirt, or germs that may linger around your carpet. Never make the same mistake again.
You can use a steam cleaner or any carpet cleaning system. If you have none of these, you can hire a professional at this point.
Is it possible to restore carpet padding?
Yes! Carpet paddings can be restored when it’s clean from water for less than 48 hours.
Can I reuse the dirty water from the carpet?
The short answer is no. Since the water is filled with dirt and debris, you should get rid of it right away.
Should I clean rugs that are contaminated with flood water?
Do not attempt to wash rugs or carpets until you know for sure that it is not contaminated. You will need to remove your furniture that will possibly be damaged or cause stains in the house. It will be an additional crisis if this problem happens, mainly if that doesn’t include in your insurance budget.
Conclusion
We are glad that you reached this helpful article on how to clean water damaged carpet. The steps given will help save your precious carpet.
If you follow the rules correctly, you don’t have to waste too much money! However, in some cases, it would be best to leave it to the professionals if it is severely damaged.