Cleaning Carpet After A Flood: Fourt Steps To Take
Having your home flood can spell disaster for your carpeting, but there are a few things you can do to salvage the carpet and restore it to its original beauty. Follow these tips to transform your waterlogged carpeting as you recover from flood damage.
Remove the Water
Blower fans can help remove the water from the carpeting quickly. Heavy-duty blower fans are available for rent at home improvement stores, and they can be set up quickly to begin drying out the carpet. Before powering the fans on, consider using some towels to soak up some of the moisture in the carpet fibers. You can also open windows and doors in the room to bring fresh air in. If you have ceiling fans, you can also run them to help cycle moisture out of the room.
Inspect the Padding
If possible, pull up a corner of the carpet to inspect the padding underneath. If the carpet is dry but the padding is still damp, you may want to consider having it professionally replaced. Just because the padding is waterlogged doesn't mean you can't salvage your carpet, so consider contacting a carpet installer to tackle this portion of your cleanup project. The installer can pull up the old carpeting and padding before placing new padding down. Once the new padding is in place, the carpet can be reinstalled.
Check for Mold Growth
Depending on how long the carpeting has been wet, there may be the start of mold growth on the carpeting or on the flooring underneath. Look for green or brown spots that might have begun forming on the carpet. If you do see signs of mold, contact a carpet cleaning service to sanitize the carpeting and remove the mold. For severe mold growth, you may need to consider replacing the carpeting.
Have the Carpets Professionally Cleaned
After your carpet is dry and your padding has been taken care of, you are ready to clean the carpets. A carpet cleaning service can perform a deep steam clean to pull up any dirt that might have settled in the fibers during the flood, and it can also treat any stained areas of the carpet to bring back the like-new look of your carpeting. Be sure to have all furniture removed from the room for this process, and use the blower fans you rented to dry out the fibers after the cleaning treatment.
Once your carpets are cleaned and sanitized, use dehumidifiers in the room to help maintain a dry environment. This can help to wick away moisture trapped inside the walls as well as the carpet, which can help prevent future mold and mildew growth. To learn more about the process, contact services like Blue Ribbon Cleaning Services.
