Tips for Cleaning Water Damaged Carpets

For peoples living in areas that are prone to flooding, owning a carpet can be a massive ache in the neck, especially if floodwaters somehow manage to get inside the house and drench the carpet in muddy water and sewage.

While most carpet owners would favor to throw out water smashed carpets, there are various who would want to save them, particularly if the carpet is a family heirloom or a precious antique.

If your carpet has been water damaged, you might do with to do a lot of things in order to save it. Not appropriately fixing the problem can end result in carpets emitting a stinking, musty smell or, worse, ends up becoming a growth bed for molds and mildew.

Before you start an effort on your carpet, you need to clear up on what form of water has soaked into it. If the water damage has been caused by “clean” water, such as that coming from a leaking faucet or a spilling over a bathtub, you don’t have to be anxious about contaminants. You simply have to remove the water with a pump or shop-vac and let it dried out.

On the other hand, if your carpet was spoilt by gray, russet or even black floodwaters, it may have been badly contaminated. Rather than have it become a health hazard in your home, it is more advisable to throw it away.

If your carpet had been damaged by floodwaters but not so extensive, here is what you need to do…

1. Get as much water out of the carpet as you can with the help of a shop-vac or pump.

2. Inspect the padding of the carpet. If it has been ruined by the floodwaters, throw it out.

3. Wash the carpet using mild wool detergent until the water runs clear.

4. Once you have finished washing it, carry it outside and let it dry in the air. Make sure that your carpet is lying flat.

5. Once the carpet is dry, inspect it carefully again. If there are still stains or there is a stinking smell coming off from carpet, you might need to go over the above steps or, better yet, take it to a specialized Southport carpet cleaner for more meticulous cleaning.

6. If you were forced to remove the ruined carpet padding and throw it away, take the carpet to a carpet repair shop and have new padding placed.

7. Before re-installing your carpet, make sure that the floor is totally clean and dry.