It takes an overflowing drain, floodwater, or leaking pipe to cause a lot of damages to your home. Water damage can ruin many of your items, one of them being your carpet. Wonder how to restore carpet from water damage?

This can leave you in a panicking mode especially if you invested a lot of money in buying it. If you leave your carpet in such a state it can pose serious health issues to you and your family.

This is because the moisture from the carpet can encourage the growth of mildew, mold, and bacteria which can lead to respiratory issues. The good news is that you can still restore your water damaged carpet.

Below are some of the strategies you can adopt if you wish to restore your carpet from water damage

1) Fixing the leakage source

Before you start the process of restoring your carpet, you must identify where the leakage is coming from. In case you cannot fix the leakage by yourself you should at least call a professional.

If your carpet has been damaged severely by flood or sewerage water then you can avoid restoring it. This is because such kind of water contains contaminants such as life-threatening bacteria and mold spores.

However in case, your carpet has been damaged by clean tap water, then you can start the process of restoring it.

2) Removing excess water from the carpet

It is good that you remove all your furniture to get enough room for drying your carpet. To increase the chances of saving your carpet, you must speed up the process of removing excess water within 24 hours.

You can use a dry or wet vacuum in removing excess water out of your carpet. Ensure you use a cleaning device that can offer enough water suction so that you can quicken the process.

You can also remove excess water from your carpet using towels or dry cloth.

3) Disinfect the carpet

After removing excess water it is good that you disinfect your carpet using appropriate chemicals. In this case, you can use a small amount of clean water and a mild bleach solution.

You should only use bleach solutions which are recommended for your carpet to avoid damaging it. You should not forget to wear protective gloves, masks, and goggles when you are disinfecting your carpet.

You should also open your windows so that if the solution is emitting toxic fumes they cannot accumulate inside your house. If there are some odors from your carpet, you can spray a small amount of white vinegar.

4) Drying your carpet

You can use dehumidifiers, fans, and blowers if you wish your carpet to dry faster. You can the fans continuously for about 36 hours.

You can use a dehumidifier in reducing the humidity of the room so that you can prevent molds from growing which can start to appear between 24 to 48 hours after water damage. While your carpet is drying you should not allow any of your family members to step on it.

Once your carpet is dry you can install a large portable dehumidifier so that you can eliminate dry dampness which may be left in your room. It is recommended that you keep this device running for some days.

5) Sanitizing your carpet

Depending on the kind of water which damaged your carpet you must sanitize it before installing it again on your floor. For instance, even if toilet water appears to be clean, you must sanitize your carpet so that you can have peace of mind.

Steam cleaning is one of the best methods you can use in sanitizing both your carpet and padding. You can either rent the steam cleaning machine or hire professionals to assist you in sanitizing your carpet.

You can also consider sanitizing the surrounding areas such as baseboards, furniture, and walls.

6) Re-installing your carpet

After your room and carpet are completely dry, you can then install it before replacing your furniture.

In some cases restoring a water damaged carpet is best handled by professionals since they will properly do everything. Through that you will have high chances of preventing the growth of mildew and mold, breathing clean air in the future, and also saving your carpet.

However, it is good that you adopt the above steps if you cannot afford to hire or access professionals once your carpet is damaged by water.