Your carpet will get wet when you clean it. Or, in a worse case, it can be all wet if your home is flooded. No matter what the cause is, a wet carpet is a real big problem. Apart from all that smelling and mold issues, it is really hard to dry a soaked carpet and it may take quite a long time. Still, you don’t have to get rid of your flooded carpets. It’s possible to absorb water from a carpet. So, how can you absorb water from a carpet?
If the reason for the wetness of your carpet is cleaning, you can simply hang them to dry in order to absorb the water from your carpet. However, if your home is flooded, then you will need to do a lot more than that. First of all, you need to use clean clothes and towels to absorb the water from the surface of your carpet. You should not press while performing this method, since it will cause the water to go deep into your carpet fibers. After removing the excess water on the carpet surface, then you should use a dehumidifier to remove some more water. Finally, hang your carpet outside, where there is no direct sunlight. This will completely absorb the water from your carpet.
I am first going to get into detail about how to absorb water from a carpet, or simply how to dry a wet carpet. Then, since seasonal changes have very drastic effects on the carpet drying process, I will give some information about drying carpets in winter. After that, I am going to mention some frequently encountered problems with wet carpets like molding and smell. There are also a few useful tips at the end of the article which you may use in real life.
How to Dry a Wet Carpet
If you spill some fluid on your carpet, follow these steps to dry it:
- First, absorb the fluid with the help of a dry towel or a cotton cloth. Do not rub, just put the towel on the carpet and gently wipe until the towel becomes completely wet.
- Then, use a vacuum cleaner to absorb the remaining water. By this way, you also clean the carpet if the spilled fluid was dirty.
- After that, place something beneath the wet area and lift it in order to provide better air circulation.
- Use a fan, hairdryer, or heater to accelerate the drying process. But be careful! Do not bring the fan too close to the carpet. It may cause material damage.
- You must dry not only the surface of the carpet but also the bottom of it. Unless the carpet is totally dried, it may be deformed or rot in time.
If your carpet is flooded, things get a little bit complicated.
Start absorbing all the water on the carpet with a dry cloth. Do not walk on the carpet and remove all the furniture from on top of it (any weight on a wet carpet may cause permanent deformation). Keep using clothes and towels (preferably with no patterns on them) until there is no excess water seen on the surface.
Use an air conditioner or dehumidifier to help the drying process. Use cool air in order to prevent mold formation.
For outdoor drying, move the carpet by folding or rolling it after putting dry sheets on the pile to absorb excess water. After moving it outside, open the carpet and hang it to dry. Do not expose the carpet to direct sunlight. Either hang it in the shade or turn it inside out.
Do not forget to completely dry the floor under the carpet, before laying it again.
I am going to get into extra detail about drying flooded carpets at the end of this article.
Everything aside, it is worth noting that if your carpet is woolen or silky, you should directly call a professional.
If you decide to get professional help, you can send your carpets to a carpet cleaning company. Carpet cleaning companies have specially designed drying rooms. In these rooms, carpets are properly placed, sufficiently heated, and left for drying between 8-12 hours.
Drying of Washed Carpets in Winter
Carpets are indispensable houseware for the home. They protect you from the cold as well as provide sound insulation. Due to continuous use, they need to be cleaned and disinfected regularly.
They can easily be cleaned by different methods; however, the real important part is the drying process. When they stay wet for a long time they cause a bad odor because of the moisture trapped inside. In addition to smell, moist carpets also begin to rot inside over time. Therefore, the carpets should not be left wet after washing.
If you wipe your carpet with a wet cloth when something is spilled on it, you should dry it immediately. Sometimes it may seem dry, but it is necessary to be extra careful since there might be moisture left in the bottom parts.
Drying manually washed carpets can be extremely difficult and tiring. Especially in the winter, carpet drying is twice as harder compared with any other time. When the rain and snow are combined with the low air temperature, there is a significant extension in the drying time of the carpets. Washing carpets in winter and not drying them sufficiently will cause carpets to produce more bacteria and get dirty more quickly.
If you wash your carpets manually, you should hang them up to dry. However, it will take a really long time in winter. In such cases, you should try to wash them on sunny days. Drying carpets by rolling or folding is inconvenient. It will also be useful to sweep the dried carpet one last time.
In winter conditions, carpet drying is extremely difficult and takes a long time. Therefore, getting help from carpet cleaning companies is more advantageous in winter. Heated drying rooms of the companies are useful for preventing time loss and bacterial growth.
The most important points to take into account about carpet drying are: to provide a warm environment and to rest the carpet for a while after washing.
How Can You Stop a Wet Carpet from Smelling
In homes, workplaces, and many other places, it is preferable to use a carpet for softer and warmer floors as well as for visual beauty. Carpets, which are very common to use both indoor and outdoor, are exposed to many external agents such as dirt and moisture during the day and they start to smell bad in time. Malodors caused by dirt and moisture from accidental wetting has become the nightmare of the people. For many, to get rid of this rather nauseating smell is a very demanding situation.
In case of accidental spills or drying problems after washing, malodors may occur in the carpets. One of the most natural and simple methods is to sunbathe smelly carpets if possible and if there is enough space available. However, you should expose the back face of the carpet when sunbathing to prevent the color from fading.
You can also pour some carbonate on the smelly carpet and then sweep with a vacuum cleaner after a waiting period of at least half an hour. This simple method is actually quite effective to get rid of malodors. It is not always possible to sunbathe the smelly carpets. For example, it is almost impossible to carry wall-to-wall (or fitted) carpets. Therefore, you may only open the doors and windows and let the carpet dry. Of course, the weather conditions are an important factor in this practice. Choosing sunny weather will be a better decision for the ventilation method.
With the help of wet-dry vacuum cleaners, you can vacuum the wet part of your carpet to dry faster and prevent odor formation. You can also prepare a mixture of two glasses of water, a cup of white vinegar, and two cups of carbonate and pour it on the smelly part. However, it is better not to pour too much liquid, since it may cause more malodor. If you don’t have time to clean your dirty and stinking carpets, you can call carpet cleaning companies as a practical method. By sending your carpets to the cleaning company at least once a year, you can easily get rid of their bad smells and dirt.
Arm & Hammer Carpet Odor Eliminator, Fresh Breeze 30 oz.
This works great to dry the liquid and you are able to sweep most of it up. It has a great scent. The scent is very powerful, and still pretty potent after being vacuumed. It’s a nice scent once aired out. This stuff works really well at refreshing the carpet. The area also looks fresh and fluffy. While not priced as good as the brick and mortar stores, buying in bulk here monthly has saved you many trips to the store and spending extra dollars from frivolous shopping for other things you don’t need. It does a fantastic job to eliminate the mildew odor from your carpets after a hot and wet summer.
Nature’s Miracle Stain & Odor Remover Trigger Spray
This product is meant for animals but works on human odors also. It begins to break down and remove stains immediately on contact. Continues working as long as any bio-based mess is still present. Fast-acting formula clings to surfaces to break down and remove embedded dirt and debris.
How Do You Keep Mold out of Wet Carpet
Mold is a substance that no one likes to see or hear, but it can still occur in everyone’s carpets somehow. There are many factors that determine where mold develops. Carpets are really hard to dry when they get wet. To prevent molding, in particular, the spilled and splashed liquids on the carpet should be wiped as soon as possible with a dry and clean paper towel, cloth, or sponge.
Wet carpets carry the highest risk for mold formation. Even if the carpets are dry, dark and humid environments may cause mold formation as well. Mold stains on the carpet not only cause a bad smell but also cause the color of the carpet to fade (or even cause the carpet to rot). In addition, getting professional support for carpets containing multiple fibers or special dyes will be useful for stubborn stains such as mold stains.
If you want to remove the mold by yourself, follow the steps below:
- Remove the mold on the carpet as much as possible by brushing. Then vacuum the mold on the carpet with a vacuum cleaner. After removing the mold from the carpet with the vacuum cleaner, immediately get rid of the bag of the cleaner.
- Add one tablespoon of bleach-free detergent to a glass of water and stir until the detergent is foamed (you can also use soap instead of detergent). Absorb the prepared mixture with a clean, pattern-free, white paper towel, cloth or sponge and wipe the area where there are mold stains. Using a fungicide disinfectant will be helpful to prevent further mold growth.
- Then rinse the carpet with as little water as possible. Dry the wet area on the carpet with a dry, clean cotton cloth or paper towel.
- If you have a fan or if the carpet is under direct sunlight, you can accelerate the drying of the carpet. If you do not get the mold stains from the carpet after this process, you can get help from carpet cleaning services.
North Woods Skidew – Mold & Mildew Remover – No Scrub Black Mold Stain Remover Spray
This works perfectly. The product takes the mold off the water hoses in the head easily, the mold on the shore power cords effortlessly. Skidew attacks mold and mildew at its source. It removes tough black stains from showers, basement walls, canvas, refrigerators, and any other damp areas. Due to its powerful mold stain-fighting formula – always pretest in an inconspicuous area first. Skidew ends mold and mildew odors as it combats unsightly stains. Safety precautions recommended: Wear protective gloves/protective clothing/eye protection/face protection. Wash face, hands, and any exposed skin thoroughly after handling.
Star Brite Mildew Stain Blocker with Nano-Tech Barrier
Star brite’s Mildew Stain Remover does have an odor when you apply it, but it dissipates very quickly. Its strength is its effectiveness in preventing re-staining. Some stains have required harsher cleaning, such as bleach. Tip: wear gloves when using them. Spray the product on the seat, let it sit but keep the product wet for about 5 minutes, scrub lightly, rinse with water. You have a brand new seat again!
How Do You Dry a Flooded Carpet
Anyone who is unlucky to witness his/her home being flooded knows how scary it can be. Carpets are particularly sensitive to damage as they absorb water. A flooded carpet becomes a heavy, stinky thing that needs attention immediately. If a carpet is exposed to still water for more than a few days, there is a very good chance that it should be completely discarded. Fast-drying carpets have a better chance of getting saved.
If you want to dry a flooded carpet, you should follow these steps:
Blow-dry air into the room through box fans placed in windows and ceiling. In rooms without windows move them on the surface of carpets.
Open all of the curtains to allow the sun to enter the room.
Run a strong wet/dry vacuum cleaner on the carpet. Empty the water and vacuum again. Continue the process until the vacuum begins to absorb water.
Run the fans until the carpet gets moist state from wet state.
Apply shampoo to the carpet when it is still slightly moist.
If you are particularly concerned about mold growth, apply 2 tablespoons of bleach solution to each gallon of water. Test the solution in a small section of the carpet to ensure that the colors are not faded. If the colors remain the same, apply the bleach/water solution to the whole carpet.
Keep the fans running and expose the carpet to as much sunlight as possible. Operate a dehumidifier in the room. Allow the carpet to dry completely and give as much time as necessary.
How to Remove Dog Pee Smell from the Carpet
There is a substance in dog pee that will leave a yellowish stain on the carpet. Due to the substance’s structure, it is not possible to remove it by means of normal cleaning methods. In addition, dog urine contains a very large amount of uric acid. This substance causes a serious smell. For this reason, even if you clean the area, it will make you feel uncomfortable for a long time.
Even if you ventilate the room, a serious odor due to uric acid will permanently disturb you. Air fresheners will only work on a temporary basis. If your dog pees on the carpet, you should intervene immediately. When the urine is dry, it’s harder to remove.
After removal of the urine on the carpet with a paper towel or cloth, you should first fill some warm water into a bowl and add some gel laundry detergent. It must be mixed and foamed. After that, you should put the sponge into the mixture and wipe the carpet before urine penetrates into the fibers.
OUT! Advanced Stain and Odor Remover | Pet Stain and Odor Remover
This stuff really works. It truly works on stains even set old difficult ones (cat vomit stain on the carpeted cat tower) disappear without a trace. The smell is pleasant and once dried didn’t leave discoloration or “shadow” on your carpet. If you have a puppy, or a cat prone to hairballs, it is suggested to give this product a try. It even dissolves poo and neutralizes odors. You can use it along with a spot cleaning machine.
