Drying a Wet Carpet. Carpets can get soaked in a variety of ways. The way you treat the spillage depends upon several things, including the amount of water and whether the carpet can be removed.
If a small area of carpet is wet and it is a removable rug, then the best thing is to take it up and hang it outside on a line until completely dry.
This may not be feasible, depending upon the size of the rug, the availability of a line to dry it on and simply if the weather is bad!
If you need to dry the carpet in situ, again, dealing with the problem can depend upon the extent of the spillage. If this is not too large, spread towels upon the area of wet carpet. Walk back and forth over the toweled area until the towels are completely saturated. Take those towels away and replace them with dry towels in the same area. Keep doing this until the area of the carpet is dry. You will still need to check underneath the carpet to make sure the carpet padding and the floor aren’t sopping wet, as well, even if this involves pulling fitted carpet from the stretchers at the edges.
For bigger spills, drying a wet carpet, you will need a vacuum. Do not do this with a regular home vacuum. You need a vacuum that is made to soak up water. Most vacuum cleaner sold for home use are for dry cleaning only and are extremely dangerous if used on wet carpets. Do not use your household vacuum cleaner unless it is approved for wet vacuuming. These can be rented, or alternatively you may want to call in the professionals, who already have this equipment to hand and are experienced in using it. For carpet cleaning in Twickenham, call John at Masterclean.
Encourage the moisture to evaporate. The professional equipment will usually leave the carpet dry or nearly dry. If you are doing the job yourself, you should do this along with the other two options because it takes some time to achieve. Grab some ceiling fans, hairdryers, household fans, even a dehumidifier, if you have one, to help the process. Again, you’ll need to check underneath the carpet to make sure that the floor and carpet padding are not still soaking wet. You could also rent air movers and professional dehumidifiers from a tool rental company or a supermarket. If the weather is warm, open neighbouring windows to allow the humidity to escape.
Any damp left in the carpet encourages mould, which is bad for your health, and bad for the health of any pets. It can be useful to spread baking soda on the carpet, particularly in corners, to help with moisture extraction. This has the added advantage of removing odours. When cleaning your carpet with baking soda, let it sit for at least 15 minutes. The longer the baking soda stays on the rug, the more odour, dirt, and oil it can absorb making a more thorough clean. Try leaving baking soda on the carpet overnight and vacuuming in the morning. Baking soda will help freshen up both appearance and smell, and it doesn’t contain any harmful chemicals – so you can feel good about your own well-being, your carpets, and the environment