Carpet Cleaning London
In the unfortunate event that your carpet suffers a flood you may think that it’s completely unsavable, this may not be the case. If treated and cleaned up as soon as possible you can save the carpet and dodge a pricey replacement. We are here to help with the solutions that work and some that may not.
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The best way to handle wet carpets
Although an unusual situation to find yourself in you will be surprised to find out that it happens more often than you may think, you arrive home from a weekend away or a busy day at work, you walk through the front door and step straight into a soggy, cold wet puddle in the middle of the hallway carpet or living room. You think it might just be a spillage but then you realise it’s actually a larger portion of the carpet that is soaking wet. A leak, but don’t panic, we are going to go through how to tackle this unfortunate situation as well as some measures you can take to help avoid the situation recurring in the future.
So to begin with it’s NOT advised to leave the carpet to dry on its own, usually with a leak the carpet will be soaked through, this means that the underlay will also be soaked through, if left this will simply remain wet and damp for a number of days, even weeks. Damp that is left for this period of time will end up making the entire property smelly and the likeness of mould growth is greatly increased.
The first steps to take is to remove as much furniture as possible from the affected room and open as many windows as possible to allow air to circulate through the room. If the carpet is soaked you may need to pull it up to allow the underlay to also get some attention. Grab dry clean towels, paper towels will also work. Start blotting the wet area with the clean dry towels pushing down onto the carpet fibres to ensure that as much moisture is soaked up as possible, You can even purchase some cat litter (Not the clumping kind) and sprinkle that onto the carpet. Cat litter is great for absorbing liquids. Another option would be to hire a carpet cleaner that would suck up a lot of the water and help speed up the drying process. Once these steps have been completed and the area is fully dry you can relay the underlay and carpet.
Things to consider before going away especially is check any pipework that can be checked for any leaks or perishing, if and joints look like they may need some attention be sure to hire a professional to sort the issue as quickly as possible, regulate vacuuming and professional cleaning will help you maintain the carpet and help it to be at its best should a leak spring and cause soaking. The most important thing to remove is if you do have flooding , tend to it as quickly as possible.
Can water damage ruin a carpet?
Water damage can cause a lot more damage than you may think, not just to the carpets either. The base flooring, appliances and any flooring that it comes into contact with can be destroyed in a matter of minutes. Not only that if not treated as quickly as possible water can cause damp and damp causes mold. This can affect furnishings and even walls. For example if the flooding has been settled for over 72 hours unfortunately the carpets are not worth saving, this is because mould would have begun to grow and settle into the fibres. The safest thing would be to rip the carpets up and get everything left in the room dry as soon as possible. If however the water has only been there for a couple of hours everything still has a good chance of being saved. Mop up the flooding and get everything as dry as possible as quickly as possible.
Does a dehumidifier take water out of the carpet?
Yes, a dehumidifier will indeed aid in removing as much water as possible from the carpets fibers. To ensure that you achieve maximum effect you will need to close the door this will force the water to rise from the carpet fibers then allowing the dehumidifier to soak the moisture out of the air. The longer you keep the door shut the quicker the water will be drawn out of the fibres.
How long does it take for a wet carpet to dry?
A soaking wet carpet will take anything between 6 hours and 48 hours to completely dry, this solely depends on many factors including the carpet material synthetic or natural fibres, air flow in the room. You can speed up the process by opening as many windows as possible and for as long as possible. The better the air flow in the room the faster the carpet will dry.
How to clean wet, stinky carpet?
To clean the carpet no need using chemicals. The most important thing to do before trying to remove odors from a soaked carpet is to ensure it’s completely dry. The best natural way to remove odors is to then sprinkle a generous amount of baking soda onto the dry carpet and leave overnight. Vacuum up the next day this will soak up any stinky odors. Another way is to apply equal parts of water and white vinegar, leave for a few hours then repeat the baking soda process.
Can I leave vinegar on the carpet overnight?
No, you should never leave vinegar on your carpets overnight. Because of its acidity if left for a long period of time it can discolor the carpet and can cause lasting fibre damage. Typically vinegar is only left on the carpet for a few hours then it is blotted up and the baking soda process is completed.
Is it okay to vacuum damp carpet?
No This can be extremely dangerous, regular vacuum cleaners are not made to suck up water or moisture. If you do vacuum up moisture this can cause the vacuum to short circuit and could cause motor damage. It can also cause a mold build up to form inside of the vacuum, this can then be spread throughout your home.
What’s the quickest way to dry a carpet?
The fastest way to dry a soaking carpet is to hire or purchase a wet/dry vacuum, these are designed to suck out as much moisture as possible in a short period of time, paired with a dehumidifier that will absorb any leftover moisture from the carpet’s fibers.
Why is my carpet soaking wet?
Most common causes for a soaking wet carpet is a leak from a busted pipe, broken appliances or poor drainage from the roof causing water to seep through the brickwork into the property. Other causes could be a blocked drainage hole or if children are present left on tap. To rectify you must first find the source of the leak. Then book a professional to come and fix the issue as soon as possible. The sooner it is fixed the more chances you have of saving the carpet.
