Many people want to know how to clean wet carpet. Wet carpet can happen from a variety of accidents – your house can flood, a sink can overflow, your shower or bathtub can have a leak… the list goes on and on. However, if this happens you need to take immediate action! Mildew or mold can grow on wet carpet, which can cause other problems.

To begin, you need to assess the situation. If it’s only a small amount of water, you may be able to handle it on your own. You must remove furniture, area rugs or other items that are wet and take them outside. If the carpet in your home is not glued or stapled down, move it outside to lay in your lanai to dry in the sun. Make sure that it is completely dry before you return the carpet to your floor.

If you can’t remove your carpet, you need to open your windows and turn on your fans. Having air blow across the wet carpet will help it to dry out. If it’s a very small area that is soaked, use towels to soak up the water. You can step on the towels to help them absorb the moisture. Repeat this process until the area is dry. If it’s a larger area you will need to get a wet vacuum and use it to remove as much moisture as possible. If you don’t have access to a wet vac but you have a carpet shampoo machine you can try using that, without any additional water, to remove water from the carpet.

Next you need to check your carpet pad. If the carpet pad has absorbed lots of water and it’s spongy, you will need to have it replaced. If it’s completely waterlogged, you may even have to cut it into small pieces and then remove it. Before replacing it, you will need to clean the floor with bleach to kill any molds or mildew. Let the floor dry completely. Then you can install new padding.

If you have a lot of carpet wet, you will need a professional. If it is a large amount of water, you will want a professional because wet carpet and the pads underneath can lead to hidden mildew and mold issues. Give us a call! We’re here 24/7.