Whether you live in the lowland bayous of the deep south, along the gulf coast of Florida or in the desert southwest, dry carpet after flooding is something that you rarely think about but can happen quickly and have devastating consequences.
Flooding in your home can be caused by natural disasters like torrential rains or flash floods, or can just as easily be the result of a burst pipe or mainline. If you have carpet inside your home and it becomes subject to standing water, you need to deal with it as soon as possible. So how do you go about removing all the excess water to dry carpet after flooding?
Tips to Dry carpet after flooding
Stop the Flooding
Whether you have to call an Einstein Pro or can find the source on your own, the first priority is to stop the flooding. Failure to do so can cause toxic materials to contaminate your home and pose a tremendous health risk. Once this is accomplished, the process of drying your carpets begins. If you call a professional plumber and stop the flooding quickly, your carpets may not face harsh damage.
Getting Rid of Water
Whatever the amount of water on your carpets, you need to remove it quickly. If you have a shop vac handy, you’re in luck. All you need to do is plug it in and let it do its work. If you’re able to do so, lift the corners of your carpet and let the shop vac suck up any water under your pads. While getting the water off the top layer is important, there’s a good chance the surfaces below could be damaged as well.
Fans
Nothing dries out water more quickly than circulating air. Even after you’ve done your best to remove excess water, the fibers in your carpet are still going to hold substantial amounts of moisture. Gather as many fans as you can and turn them on full blast surrounding the wet areas of your carpet. Even if you have to rent industrial-size fans, the immediate cost could prove a worthy investment in the end.
Dehumidifier
In addition to fans, a dehumidifier’s job is to do exactly as its name would suggest. Whenever moisture is present in a certain area, humidity increases making it harder for the moisture to evaporate and the space to dry out. If your carpet is especially soaked, employing a powerful dehumidifier will only serve to quicken the drying process.
Sanitize the Area
Even if you just had your carpets professionally cleaned and shampooed last week, the water that’s now present could contain toxins and substances that are hazardous to your health. This is why it’s important to take every step to fully sanitize all affected areas. To begin, thoroughly clean all wet areas with heavy-duty soap and water. For the second stage, apply one cup of bleach and a gallon water to all affected areas. These quantities will depend on the size of the area that has been flooded. During the phase, make sure you wear rubber gloves and that your skin is fully covered.
Steaming
If you don’t feel your carpets are clean enough after using soap, water, and bleach, there’s always the option to steam them. When you take the extra step to steam your carpets, you could very well salvage the top layer of your carpeting. Depending on the severity of the flood, you might have to replace the padding. Not having to replace the carpet itself, however, could save you hard-earned dollars in the end.
Furniture
Wherever you have carpet in your home, you probably have furniture as well. And guess what’s harder on furniture than anything else? Water.
That’s why it’s important to remove all your furniture from the wet areas as soon as you can. Once you’ve dealt with the excess water on your carpet, take the necessary time to carefully inspect your furniture for water damage.
Floods inside your home are no joke. They can show up in a moment’s notice without any warning. The damage floods can inflict can be costly and devastating.
Even if you’re diligent about staying on top of your plumbing maintenance, preventing in-home floods is never a certainty.
If you do find yourself in this unfortunate predicament however, knowing how to quickly address the problem can go a long way.
Call a professional plumber as soon as possible if you have a water leak. Should you have any questions about home flooding or how to deal with it when it happens, make sure your first phone call is to your local Einstein Pros The Smart Choice in Oregon, Washington and Nevada.