Time is always the most important factor in dealing with any damage remediation. As San Diego approaches it’s wet season we wanted to give some tips for preventing water damage to your carpets. Maybe it’s not a flood level crisis for every Southern Californian but even wet shoes can still be a problem, especially in high traffic areas in homes and office buildings. Here are some tips for dealing with water damage to carpets during San Diego’s short wet season.
First Steps in Preventing Water Damage to Your Carpets
1. Identify the source of the water
This is the most important first step, as you need to find where the water is coming from to stop any more from getting onto your carpets. If you identify the source of the water, see if it is a single occasion source (a spill, wet shoes, a wet pet coming in from the rain) or a continuous source (leaky pipe, small burst, overflowing faucet). This will allow you to stop any continuous source from flowing or remove any single occasion source from he vicinity (putting that wet dog somewhere it can’t drench your carpets!).
2. Disconnect electronics and move furniture
Safety first, for both you and your furniture! Please always be aware of any electronic devices around a spill or water damaged area. Disconnect these devices safely and place them somewhere dry. It’s also a good idea to move any furniture from the vicinity, not only for your furniture’s sake (in more intense water damaged areas), but also because you need to see the extent of the area that was exposed to water. You don’t want to handle an area of water, only to miss a big patch under a couch, because if given time, that patch will become a home to mold underneath and in your carpet.
3. Remove water as quickly as possible
After you have identified the source, realized the extent of the area affected, and quarantined the area you need to remove the water from your carpet as fast (and thoroughly!) as you can. The best option is to use a wet/dry vacuum to remove as much as the water from the carpets as possible. These vacuums are your best weapon for removing water from your carpets, and can be rented or provided by water damage remediation companies and carpet cleaning professionals that specialize in repairing residential flood damage.
How to Fully Remove Water from Your Carpets
After you’ve done the tips above, you can do a few things to speed up the process of removing any water from your carpets.
1. Use fans to fully dry out the room
You need to set up fans in the room affected by water damage for several days after the incident. Experts suggest you have the fans constantly running for about a week after your initial clean up. Luckily this will also help circulate fresh air in the room and cool you down on those Hot San Diego days. If you are doing all this yourself, you can rent a high powered fan from Home Depot, Lowe’s, or any other local home improvement store (that has rentals).
2. Use a dehumidifier to help dry out the area
Dehumidifiers are a great addition to your arsenal to limit mold and mildew growth. The help by removing excess moisture from the air, and as you know, excess moisture in a hot place like San Diego allows for mold and mildew to attack your home. Drying out the air will help quicken the process of getting your carpets back to normal and speed up their recovery time.
3. Steam clean carpet and flooring
Steam cleaning water damaged carpets allows you to properly sanitize and deodorize. A big complaint we have heard from people that take it upon themselves to handle their water damaged carpets is they can’t get the smell to leave. A strong musky smell that lingers can hint towards mold and mildew growing underneath the carpet, and for that, you should always call a mold remediation specialist! If gone unchecked for too long, the affected area will spread and you will have a much bigger (and much more costly) problem to deal with. For bigger and more intense water damage (more than a small spill or wet shoes on the carpet) the water-damaged carpet padding must be replaced. Replacing the carpet padding is a lot cheaper than having to replace all your carpet later, and will save you from unwanted mold growing underneath.
and remember, don’t be afraid to…
Call the Professionals!
Cleaning water-soaked carpets and floors is a difficult and stressful task under any conditions, and you want to make sure that the damage is properly taken care of. The Institute for Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification recommends that in such cases, a certified mold restoration service provider should evaluate water damage and remove mold. That’s where we here at Clean Earth Restorations come in. We are your one stop shop for everything from major water damage to a simple after rain carpet clean. Call us today at 619-284-4239 or visit our website at cleanearthrestorations.com.
{{cta(‘7706d975-cfc2-4d8c-bc3c-8d71f6cb31a4’)}}