When flood accidents occur in your home there are many things you need to determine what to repair. Obviously, certain items will be permanently damaged, but some can still be salvaged. Depending on where the water is sourced from, your carpet might be salvageable. Sanitary water stems from pipes or rain, whereas contaminated or unsanitary water comes from overflowed toilets. If your floors have come into contact with black water, which comes from sewage or groundwater, you need to discard the carpet, and the carpet padding. Water damage can pose serious health concerns since this causes a breeding ground for mold and mildew bacteria. In order to restore your carpets you need to eliminate all moisture and humidity. Any type of equipment that generates heat will increase the humidity climate in your home, causing accelerated mold spore growth. It’s easy to spot mold infestations, you can typically see or smell them. Mold has a very earthy and musty odor, and mold has many color variations. The growth of mold inside your home can trigger respiratory problems. A professional carpet cleaning company will know how to handle the situation if you don’t want to attempt it by yourself. Here is the best possible process to help dry your carpet from water damage:

Begin by moving all the furniture in the designated area. First, you will need to disinfect the wet area by scrubbing it with a cleaning solution. Mix a few tablespoons of bleach in a gallon of water. Make sure to open some windows, to keep the room well-ventilated.

You will need to pry up the carpet using a box cutter, in order to reach the carpet padding. Throw out the padding underneath while keeping the surface carpet elevated. Insert brand new carpet padding underneath, and lay the carpet down from the inside, pushing outwards on the edges. Now you will need to use a strong force to adhere the carpet back down onto the tack board (along the edges near the baseboard).

Find an industrial sized fan and set it up to blow directly onto the carpet for at least 36 hours. Be cautious with the electric cords around water! It’s also beneficial to set up a de-humidifier to help quicken the process. Also, it is crucial to keep all foot-traffic off while the carpet is drying, it will help maximize the airflow to the wet areas. You need to check how dry your carpet is after 12 hours, if there is absolutely no change you will need to replace the carpet.