Can wet carpets be saved after flood damage?

The word carpet is derived from an Old French word “Carpite,” which means “heavy decorated cloth carpet.” The carpet industry was started in the United States of America in 1791. Flood is the one type of disaster, escaping which is next to impossible. You might be able to evacuate in time, but it is almost guaranteed that your property will be damaged.

There has been a shift in the time that floods tend to occur and they are also becoming more and more common.

Carpets and floods

Carpets come in different price ranges and are made of different materials. But, the one thing that all carpets have in common is that they beautify the look of the room.

They add that extra touch of homeliness to your place.

It can be devastating to have your property damaged. The first thought that people have with incidences like a flood or water seepage is whether they could save any of the damaged goods.

When it comes to carpets, there is good news and bad news.

Whether or not your carpet can be saved depends on a number of factors, like the source of the water, quality and material of the carpet, duration of it being wet, and whether or not it could be disinfected.

When your carpet can be saved after flood damage?

• The first thing that you will want to do is assess how much water damage was done and whether the water was clean or not. Drying the carpets will help you assess it better. Open the windows and doors so that the moisture can escape and use all the fans you can to point at the wet area of the carpet.
• If the rug or carpet was soaked in CLEAN water, then it will probably be fine. But, the duration that the carpet was wet cannot be more than 48 hours.
• If it was wet for less than that in clean water, then getting your carpet professionally cleaned should make it as good as new.
• If the carpet seems fine to you after cleaning it yourself or getting it cleaned professionally, then you are good to go. Just make sure that it has been properly disinfected.
• If you cleaned the carpet yourself and it has some sort of a musty smell, you could sprinkle some baking soda on the carpet. Spread it around with a sponge and leave it overnight. Next day, you could clean the baking soda off the carpet by vacuuming. But, make sure to vacuum more than once, going in different directions each time, and vacuuming from different angles.

When your carpet cannot be saved after flood damage?

• If the carpet has been wet with water for over 48 hours, then the guidelines suggest that you remove and change them immediately for health reasons. It does not matter if the source of the water was clean or not once it exceeds 48 hours of time.
• The padding that is underneath the carpet should be removed immediately as it is almost impossible to clean it. Over time it will become a home for infections to grow.

The best thing to do if your carpet has been damaged by flood water is to get a professional consultation from a good flood damage restoration company.

They will be able to tell you whether your carpet can be saved or whether it should be disposed of.

Having unclean carpets inside your home could cause a lot of infections to grow and could easily make you and your family members sick. Therefore, it is best to get rid of dirty carpets or clean them, whichever is suitable.