A water damaged carpet is no laughing matter. It can breed mold, bacteria, and if you allow these things to fester and grow, could cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars to fix.

The key to avoiding all of that hassle is to get to cleaning up as soon as possible. A flooded home can happen due to any variety of reasons and if you can diagnose and eliminate the problem fast, you can start the repair process all the much quicker.

So when your carpet is stuck under a few inches of moisture here are the most effective ways to prevent water damage so that you can preserve your expensive floor coverings to ensure they last a lifetime.

A Word about Flooding

Your home could be the victim of a flood at anytime, for any reason. If you suspect that your home is in any danger of sustaining this type of peril either from inside or outside the home, be sure to check whether or not your insurance policy cover such an occurrence. Not all policies have this extent of coverage, so it’s best to know ahead of time.

In the event you do sustain this form of damage in the home, you must take as much photographic evidence of the damage to show your insurance company. If you aren’t able to repair the water damage you can file a claim with your provider.

Repairing the Damage

You’ve walked into the room and discovered that your carpet is underwater. Now what do you do? First off, don’t panic. Now, let’s focus on the important steps you need to take to repair the mess.

Shutting Down the Electricity

Standing water is extremely dangerous when there are electrical outlets nearby. So before you attempt to clean up any flood, big or small, be sure you shut down the power in your home in order to prevent electrocution.

If you even suspect a live current could be active in or near water, do not enter the room until the home’s electrical source has been shut off. Once you are sure the electricity is off, only then should you walk into that room.

Evacuating the Water

Once you’ve shut off the juice, now it’s time to remove the water. The method you select is going to be based on how much you need to evacuate. If there’s a lot, scooping it up in buckets is a great way to get started.

If you’re only dealing with a smaller amount, towels and a wet-dry vacuum can both be very effective. In fact, you could end up utilizing all three in combination together just to clear out the majority of the water.

But remember, time is of the essence. The longer you allow water to remain on and under your carpet, the more likely you are to see damage. So act quickly and work fast.

Drying the Carpet

You’ve cleaned out the water, now it’s time to start drying the carpet. This is important because any moisture allowed to remain could lead to mold and mildew and in order to remove that damage, regular carpet cleaning may not be enough.

Consistent air flow is going to be your best friend when trying to dry the carpet thoroughly. This will reduce your chances of developing mold and all you need are some fans. You can even add a dehumidifier to help get the job done quicker. Just plug it all in, switch everything on and keep the air moving until the dampness has finally subsided.

Cleaning the Affected Areas

You’ve removed and soaked up all the water. Dried up all the moisture that was left behind. Now you need to get to cleaning all of the areas that were underwater. Why? Because even though the water is gone you’re still subject to the development of potential mold and mildew and even residual germs left from the water that flooded in.

This is particularly important if that water came from the bathroom or a busted underground pipe. That water could be teeming with germs and bacteria that won’t just promote mold buildup but could make your carpet and the areas underneath extremely unhealthy to walk across or lie down on.

So be sure that the affected area is completely dry, then start to disinfect with cleansers that will wipe out all the germs. This includes anything that was in or under the water. No matter what, if it was touching water, it needs to be cleaned up.

Scrub hard and if some items can’t be saved then you will need to throw them out. If you’re not sure, it’s better to be safe than sorry. Trash it.

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