Carpets and rugs are great for making your home feel warm and cozy. Problems usually only occur with carpets and rugs if they get excessively wet. Unfortunately, 14,000 people’s homes experience water damage every day. Bad weather, leaking pipes, blocked drains, and old and faulty appliances are common causes of water damage. So, if the carpets in your home get flooded with water, what should you do?

Empty the room

First of all, don’t panic. The good news is that if the water is clean water and you’re sure of the source, your carpets and rugs can be salvaged. Gray water and black water are unsanitary. Carpets soaked with gray water can usually be cleaned by a professional. But, black water carpets should be disposed of. When clean water is the problem, quickly empty all items out of the room. Furniture can be ruined if it’s left to sit on a wet carpet. The dye used in soft furnishings can transfer to wet carpets and ruin them too. 

Dry carpets & rugs quickly

Water damaged carpets and rugs are only safe to keep if they’re dried out within 48 hours of being exposed to water. After this time, toxins, such as mold and bacteria, can form and your carpets will become a health risk. The first step is to remove as much of the water from carpets and rugs as possible with towels and a water vacuum. Next, dry the carpet quickly. You can use a combination of a fan, a dehumidifier, and a wet/dry vacuum to do this. 

Clean & disinfect

Cleaning and disinfecting water damaged carpets and rugs are crucial for removing stains and odors. Smaller rugs can be washed in a washing machine. However, if you’ve got an antique rug, you need to be more cautious. Always do a colorfast test to check for risks of bleeding. If this comes back okay, you can shampoo your vintage rug with a solution made from warm water, rug shampoo, and white vinegar. Place the rug on a flat surface to dry, making sure it’s out of direct sunlight. Cleaning a carpet is a little easier as you can steam clean it and shampoo it to get it back to its best.

Replace carpet padding

It’s best not to try and dry out carpet padding. Carpet padding is very absorbent and there will be a lot of water inside it. Putting a clean, dry carpet on top of padding that has been exposed to excess water is risky. There’s a good chance that mold will grow. In time, this will move into your carpet and ruin it. Another problem is that water will affect the quality of the padding and it’s likely to break. This means the underside of your carpet will wear more easily and could even damage it.

Flooding is a common problem in households up and down the US. As long as you act quickly and know how to recognize carpets and rugs that can be saved, you’ll save yourself a lot of money and hassle.