5 Tips To Dry A Wet Carpet Efficiently

Have you ever had to dry a wet carpet? Homeowners have encountered their fair share of water damage nightmares. From leaking pipes to flooding after a bad storm, water damage can result from various things that are only inevitable for any household. But despite how it’s only a matter of time, dealing with water damage is still a massive headache, considering water gets everywhere. And the longer the water stays inside the house, the more it could ruin your possessions.

Although some homeowners only have them in the house for aesthetic value, carpets come with different perks, from improving air quality to boosting comfort during cold seasons. However, given they’re typically placed on the floor, it makes them more susceptible to water damage. On top of that, having water-damaged carpets often result in mold. Since mold causes many health problems, leaving the carpets wet for a long time is less than ideal, even if it’s only damp after washing. Here are some ways to dry wet carpets quickly yet thoroughly:

Determine The Damage

Even though you’re supposed to dry your carpets quickly, know the extent of the water damage. Determine if a carpet is only wet in patches or if the entire thing is thoroughly wet. That way, you can identify how to dry it best down. Because despite getting the job done, going overboard would do you more harm than good when it often demands more resources than needed.   

Soak Up Excess Moisture

Before going straight to the drying process, ensure that you get the excess water out. Otherwise, you’re likely to find some water trapped inside the carpet, even long after performing the specific drying method. When that happens, it is inconvenient to re-dry the carpet and an opportunity to turn into a breeding ground for mold growth. 

Spread clean rags or spare towels over the wet areas and press them down. Avoid rubbing them into the moist sections. Because instead of drying them, you’re ruining the fabric, especially carpets, with delicate materials. When your cleaning equipment gets too wet, replace it with more until those wet areas are dry enough. If there aren’t any spares, consider having a bucket by your side to wring out your towel or rag.

Check Underneath

When you browse this website, you’ll find out how cleaning experts can dry water-damaged objects, even carpets. Raising the carpet out of the way to see what’s going on underneath is one of the most vital. Because aside from growing between plant fibers, water can even hide inside the carpet itself, especially big ones. 

Most carpets have padding that can only be seen after lifting the carpet. After all, paddings are often made out of fabric, making them susceptible to mold and wear. But as urgent as you are to rush drying, specific requirements must be met for the padding to dry completely. Because without it, carpets lose their best features.

Carpets stuck to the flooring using tack strips are difficult to remove. Hence, many homeowners would instead hire cleaning services to deal with it. Otherwise, you may handle the job if you have the right tools. Pair pliers can pull carpet fibers at the corners to peel the carpet back. Although you might hear a tearing sound, maintain a gentle yet firm pulling motion since you’re only ripping the tack strip.  

Use Proper Equipment 

Consider using drying equipment for a thorough job for heavily water-damaged carpets. Wet vacuums are solely designed to remove moisture from carpet fibers since they have excellent suction power. Because of this feature, regular vacuums will fail to remove water. Once you’ve removed most of the moisture, renting a carpet dryer will blow dry your carpets, especially larger ones. 

Take Advantage Of The Outdoors

Although having the appropriate drying equipment in your arsenal is extremely useful, there’s no harm in trying out other simpler methods. After all, opening the windows for your wet carpet is greatly helpful. With wind currents having different directions, they’re bound to come inside the house to dry out your carpet. However, it’s risky since this method only depends on whether or not the weather is fine. 

Aside from the winds, use sunlight to your advantage, especially if there are only sunny days in summer. On top of how it’s an effective alternative for blow-drying wet carpets, sunlight possesses ultraviolet (UV) rays that are harmful to people but are extremely helpful for carpets since they deter mold growth while drying them out.

Takeaway

Handling wet carpets is headache-inducing. Because not only is it tedious, but it requires a delicate touch that fabric carpets would be thankful for. Otherwise, it might ruin their quality. Fortunately, various drying methods are available—and it doesn’t hurt how quick some of them are. From using specific drying equipment to leaving them to hang outside, these solutions could help recover water-damaged carpets and even prolong their lifespan efficiently.

Photo by Stefania C. on Unsplash