Water is necessary for all life. You need it for cooking and cleaning, but you don’t want it to sit on your carpets. When a water supply line in your home breaks, it can pump thousands of gallons of water into your home, all over your carpet. Soaking into the padding and encouraging the growth of mold, water can destroy your carpets. However, you can save your carpeting with fast response and the right treatments.
Removing Extra Items from the Area
Unless the water is limited to a hallway, you will probably have furniture and personal belongings that are in its path. All of these items should be removed from the area as soon as possible. This will allow your belongings to dry and it makes it easier to clean the carpet. Once the source of the flood is brought under control, your next step will be to move all furniture, shelves and other items away from the wet carpet.
Powerful Machines and Prompt Response
The water should be extracted as quickly as possible. Moving the machine slowly over the carpet, you should remove as much water as possible. Standing water that remains under the pad will mildew and start to smell, posing a health hazard. The process takes time, but it must be done to preserve the carpet. Moving over the carpet with a single cleaner will be time-consuming, but water restoration professionals will bring in multiple machines to take care of the water removal as efficiently as possible.
Fans to Dry the Surface
Ideally, you should open the windows to allow the air to naturally dry the surface of the carpet once water is extracted. However, fans will accelerate the process. They can be used even if the weather won’t allow you to open the windows and take advantage of a breeze. Place fans around the room to help dry the carpet and discourage the growth of mold.
Dehumidifiers go Deeper
Dehumidifiers are expensive, but they are incredibly effective at removing moisture from an area. A dehumidifier will pull moisture out of the air, the carpet padding and even the wood structure of your home. A necessary part of any water restoration process, dehumidifiers pull moisture out of areas that steam cleaners and fans cannot reach. Wood that has swelled with moisture will shrink back down. Carpet padding that was soaked with standing water will dry. The process takes several days, but it is preferable to replacing subfloors and buying new carpets.
Water restoration professionals have the commercial equipment necessary to effectively remove water after a flood. Their extraction machines are more powerful, and they have a collection of fans and dehumidifiers to dry the carpet and remove residual moisture from the air. With their help, you can avoid the expense of buying new carpet and ensure that your home will not fall victim to mold. When your home is affected by a flood, call in the services of professionals like High Quality Carpet Cleaning. Visit them today at http://www.highqualitycarpet.com/ to learn more about their water restoration services.