Water and carpet do not mix. When you fail to dry out carpeting after a leak or broken pipe has flooded your home, you run the risk of developing mold and mildew which poses a significant hazard to the health and safety of everyone residing within. You may also find yourself replacing the carpet and padding underneath to remove that mold, not an inexpensive procedure to say the least.
A carpet that has developed an abundance of mold will begin to smell musty and that odor is very difficult to clean entirely. But even more pressing, the carpet is allowing that mold to grow and thrive and you can easily inhale those spores causing serious respiratory problems. That carpet is probably not going to be salvageable and you will need to remove it, along with the mold that has grown. Both of these tasks require trained professionals who charge a pretty penny to do the work.
So, let’s avoid all of that. Keeping your carpet dry is a lot easier than tearing it up and getting it out. Always hire fast drying carpet cleaning services to when you maintain your floor coverings, that will go a long way towards ensuring your carpets are in top shape. But should water get in and under your carpet for any reason, here are some steps you can take to prevent mold.
How to Dry Your Carpet
The secret to drying your carpet is proper air flow. It’s that simple. When cool dry air is moving through the fibers of your carpeting, only then will it dry completely. The best method for getting air flow is to open the windows. Fans are also a smart idea. If they can oscillate, even better. Get as much air distribution moving in the room and into the carpet itself.
One big misconception about drying carpet is that adding heat to the equation will make it dry faster. This is a definite no-no. Anytime you introduce heat into the drying process you’re actually creating more moisture in the air and the carpet. That will make the carpet dry a lot slower and increase the likelihood of mold developing.
So, skip the heat and let the cool natural air do the work for you. If you absolutely must bring in some additional equipment to feel like you’re getting the job done quicker, a dehumidifier will be extremely useful in eliminating moisture from the room.
The Aftermath
Okay, now your carpet is all dry. But you still detect a faint musty or sour aroma. That can be removed by a professional carpet cleaner because the remaining germs and bacteria caught in the carpet are the source of the smell. A professional cleaning will eliminate those germs and bacteria, making your carpet smell fresh and new once more, instead of old and musty.
But remember, you need to be sure your carpet cleaner knows how to extract water as fast as he or she introduces it into the material. Better yet, seek out a cleaner who uses dry cleaning methods.
