What To Do If Water Flooded Carpet

By the diy experts of the family handyman magazine.
What to do if water flooded carpet. The best way to dry wet carpet is by using a wet dry vacuum if you don t have one you can rent one from a local hardware store. It s important to act. If you have standing water such as in a flooded basement use wet dry vacuums or pumps to remove as much as you can. If you have standing water use pumps to get the water out.
Ways to dry carpet after a flood. The most important part is first stopping water from flowing into the problem area. If your carpet is glued down. Here s what you need to know to dry out wet carpet.
The wet vacuum cleaner removes water from the carpet itself but it may not be able to remove it from the padding if the water has wicked through the carpet backing or soaked in under the edges. If the area is smaller you can use large towels to soak up water from carpet as well. The first step to drying out carpet padding and carpeting post flood is actually removing the water. Wet carpet can be a perfect breeding ground for mold especially if the air is humid and the water remains in place longer than 48 hours.
If your home has recently flooded this is most likely the reason for the unpleasant odor. Remove water using a shop vac or the water extractor on a carpet cleaning machine suck as much water as possible out of the wet carpets. Cleaning water soaked carpets and floors is difficult under any conditions but in the aftermath of a storm or flood contamination by mud silt sewage and mildew can compound the problem. When a carpet smells musty or smells like mildew it can be a result of humidity or spills that fell onto the carpet.
The institute for inspection cleaning and restoration certification recommends that in such cases a certified mold restoration service provider should. Remove as much water manually as you possibly can. Buy or rent if necessary and speed is essential here as standing water will affect not just carpet but wallboard and everything else it contacts. Even if it s only water a funny odor can accumulate over time.
Once you ve identified and stopped the leak that caused the flooding follow these steps to save your carpets. How to keep wet carpet from molding. If you don t own a wet dry vac you can usually rent one from a local hardware store. Use a wet vac to carefully and thoroughly remove as much water as.
Keep an eye on the fill tank and make sure you dump it before hitting overflow. Seven expert tips for drying a wet carpet. When moisture gets underneath the carpet a musty odor will form. Follow these steps for drying your carpet properly and preventing the spread of moisture and mildew.