Flood damage can often strike at any time and when it does it can be devastating to your home, furnishings and belongings, particularly your carpets. The good thing is that most carpets can be saved. However (and this is a big caveat) the longer it’s exposed to, or is under water, the less chance there is of restoration. So if you’ve arrived home after a holiday or long weekend away to find your carpets under water then chances are that it can’t be saved. Mould and mildrew spores are continually present in the air and as a result can form on areas like a wet carpet in as little as 48 hours. Therefore speed really is of the essence. With this in mind, what steps can you take to try and save your carpet?
Turn the water off at source and isolate electrics
Timing is crucial, so don’t mess about. Rather than trying to find where the leek is coming from, unless it’s obvious, turn the water off at source. It helps to know where the main shut-off valve is located as sometimes they can be in the most unlikeliest of places, so prior knowledge is key. Also for safety, isolate electrics too.
Push water out of the house
Provided that the water is clean non-contaminated water you’ll need to push the water off the carpet and out of the house. Remove either by scooping or if there are large amounts, by using a bucket. If on the other hand the water looks like it’s been contaminated or is from toilets or sewers, then don’t touch it. Instead leave it to the professional cleaning companies to deal with. They have special breathing apparatus and know just how to handle contaminated water.
Remove carpet if possible and ventilate the area by opening windows and doors
The next step if you can is to remove the carpet and any other water-logged furnishings and belongings. Don’t forget that carpet weighs much more when it’s wet, so you may need assistance, but the sooner it’s out in the air to dry the better. Finally open all windows and doors to ventilate the area.
Call in the professionals
If the carpet and other furnishings are particularly water-logged then don’t attempt to dry them yourself. Specialist carpet cleaning companies have equipment that sucks the moisture out of carpets properly and efficiently. Not only this they also have equipment such as industrial fans and dehumidifiers which can expel the water and excess moisture inside the property so that restoration can begin.
If you require more information on dealing with water damage or flood water extraction then call Carpet Cleaning Kings on 1300 7000 75 and minimise the risk to your property or business.
