Dealing with a wet carpet is among the most challenging situations that most homeowners face following water damage. Although there is no procedure that is set as the standard for dealing with a house flooding situation, drying a carpet after a flood should be done immediately. Maybe you have an expensive carpet that you have an emotional attachment to and you cannot afford losing it. Perhaps, you are worried about mold problems after water intruded on your home.
Mold will start growing on a wet carpet if it is kept in a place of humid air and it stays with the water for more than 48 hours. As such, it is important to dry your carpet as quickly as possible to prevent mold growth. If only small areas of the carpet have water, drying it can be easy. However, you will need more than one drying method for large areas. Nevertheless, it is important to know how to prevent mold growth on your carpet.
How to Prevent Mold Growth on a Wet Carpet
Removing excess water will reduce the possibility of mold growth in your carpet. Here are the things that you should do to prevent mold growth in your carpet.
- Use towels to soak up the excess water. Do this by opening the towels and laying them around the sections of the carpet that are wet. Use your hands to press them down so that they can absorb water. Replace towels once they are saturated with the water from the carpet. Wring the water out of the towel or store them in a bucket to avoid dripping water around the room.
- Keep your hands dry and the wet-dry vacuum plugged in. Use it in drying the wet areas of the carpet. Move it over the damp carpet severally in straight lines slowly. Empty the canister of the vacuum when necessary.
- To ensure that there is a cross breeze in the room, keep windows open. However, if there is a humid air outside, close the windows and ensure that the air conditioner is running. You can turn your central heating system on.
- Keep the fans plugged in and in the doorway position or in the dry areas of the carpet. Also, plug in the dehumidifier so that it can suck moisture from the place where you are drying the carpet from. Keep emptying the canister of the dehumidifier when necessary.
- Apply baking soda over the carpet generously and leave it for about 30 minutes. This will absorb the odor and the remaining liquid. After this, vacuum your carpet to get rid of baking soda.
- Keep the dehumidifier and fans running throughout the night and then check your carpet the following day to find out if there are wetness signs. You can do this by pressing paper towels on the carpet to find out if there is dampness remains. Once certain that your carpeting is dry, return furniture to their positions in the room.
A wet carpet requires immediate attention because if not dried, mold will start growing on it. Once mold starts growing on your carpet, it is advisable to discard it due to health reasons. Mold poses serious respiratory problems to family members in your home or occupants of the house where the carpet is placed. Therefore, it is important to take comprehensive measures to ensure that your carpet does not get wet and when this happens, mold will not grow on your carpet.
Measures That You Should Take
There are several measures that you should take to ensure that you do not lose your carpet.
They include:
- Insuring your carpet
There are insurance companies that have insurance policies that cover carpets. It is important to ensure that you have an insurance policy that covers your carpet. This will ensure that in case your carpet is damaged by water, you get another one. Nevertheless, read the terms of the insurance policy carefully to ensure that it covers water damage to your carpet.
- Have the right products in your home
One of the most important products for dealing with wet carpet is baking soda. This helps in removing bad odor in a carpet. By applying it on a carpet and leaving it for some days, the bad odor will be gone and your carpet will be looking great without a bad smell. Cat sand is another product that you may need. This is available in most stores and it also helps in eliminating bad odor in a carpet that may have been wet.
- Minimize traffic on the wet carpet
The secondary and primary backings of your carpet are held together by latex which will be weakened by excessive traffic. However, if you minimize traffic on the carpet the latex will regain its strength after drying the carpet.
- Seal all possible water sources that may cause flooding in your house
It is important to ensure that any water source in your home is checked properly and regularly. If there are small holes in your drywall that may release some water that may be accumulated in the walls, make sure that they are sealed off on time. This will ensure that there are no possible causes of flooding in your home.
- Remove the carpet from the house immediately
If you arrive in your home and find it flooded, remove the carpet immediately and keep it in a dry place. This will ensure that only some parts of the carpet are completely soaked with water and drying it will be easy.
There are many things that you should do to ensure that you do not lose your wet carpet due to mold growth. You can visit online sources for more information. Such sources will give you tips on how to salvage a wet carpet.
When you are in need of a water damage restoration company in Jupiter, Melbourne, Port St. Lucie, Stuart, Vero Beach, West Palm Beach, Palm Beach Gardens, or Wellington FL or in Asheville, NC contact Secure Restoration.
