Flooded Carpet Cleaning Tips: Everything You Need to Know

5 min read

There are many reasons for water to flood your home and drench your carpets. It can be due to a leaky faucet that worsened overnight, broken appliances connected to the water mains, backed-up toilets, or busted indoor plumbing. Regardless of the cause, immediately cleaning your carpet is necessary if you wish to save and continue using it for years.

We share a few tips on dealing with flooded carpets, flooded carpet cleaning techniques, and how a trained professional can assist.

Safety First

Take immediate safety precautions to avoid any accidents involving your flooded carpet. You might also have flood water to deal with, so you must address that before anything else.

1. If the flood was due to a busted pipe, turn off the mains immediately and call a professional to fix it.
2. If the flood was due to a backed-up toilet, wear boots, gloves, and a respirator mask to protect yourself from contamination that comes with dirty sewer water.
3. Turn off the electricity if the water reaches the power sockets.
4. Remove all furniture and other items first out of the room. Keep them somewhere safe and dry.
5. Bring all the wet furniture outside and let it dry.

The most important thing is to stop the flood and get your furniture out of the water’s reach to minimize damage. Clearing the room is also a safety precaution. Someone might knock something over if the room is cluttered. Once you’ve cleared the room, you can start cleaning your carpet.

Flooded Carpet Cleaning Tips

If your carpet is loose and can be removed, the best way to clean a flooded carpet is to wash it outside in your yard or driveway. Lay it out on the floor or concrete and begin washing it with soapy water, then follow up with a disinfectant. You can get better results with a high-pressure water hose and use it to send dirty water away from the carpet. Afterward, lay your carpet over plastic chairs or benches so air can circulate and dry it thoroughly.

If you notice some stains after washing and drying your carpet, use a steam cleaner to spot-clean the area. You can also try these DIY carpet cleaning solutions:

• 1 tsp liquid dishwashing detergent + 1 cup lukewarm water
• 1 cup white vinegar + 1 cup water
• 1 tbsp clear household ammonia + ½ cup lukewarm water (only for natural-fiber carpets)
• Oil solvent
• Nail polish remover

Pick a solution and pour it into a spray bottle. Lightly mist the stained spots and allow the mixture to take effect. Alternatively, dip a clean cloth in a cleaning solution and dab the stain lightly with the liquid. Whether spraying or dabbing with cloth, wait a few minutes to let the stain break apart or dissolve. After that, soak up the liquid and the stain with another dry cloth.

Here are other important reminders for flooded carpet cleaning:

• If the floodwater is clean, i.e., from a busted indoor pipe, you may no longer have to wash your carpet with soap and water. You can dry it immediately without worrying about discoloration, bacteria, or odor.
• If the floodwater is gray water from the washing machine, you must wash your carpet thoroughly with disinfecting soap and water.
• If the floodwater is blackwater from the toilet, we highly recommend cleaning it professionally. A professional carpet cleaning company would be best equipped and skilled to wash off every bit of liquid and solid contaminants from your carpet and ensure that every inch of it is thoroughly cleaned and sanitized. Professional carpet cleaning is your best bet for preventing disease-causing bacteria and mold from thriving between the threads of your carpet.

What if your carpet is fixed? Or you live in an apartment in a busy part of the city and don’t have an outdoor space where you can wash your carpet or let it dry in the sun? Here’s what you should do:

1. Assuming your carpet is soaked with clean water, remove as much of it as possible using towels and old blankets to absorb the water. A wet/dry vacuum will be more effective, though, so consider renting if you don’t own one.
2. Open your windows for better ventilation. Let the air dry your carpet and the moist floor. Once it’s safe to turn on your electricity again, you can speed up the drying process by turning on electric fans and dehumidifiers. Depending on how thick your carpet is and how much water it absorbs, it could take hours to days to dry it thoroughly.
3. If you can see some stained spots, use a steam cleaner when the carpet is mostly dry. A steam cleaner is usually effective at softening, lifting, and removing embedded stains in carpets.
4. You can also use the DIY solutions above to remove any remaining stains. If using detergent solutions, rinse the washed area by alternately dampening the fibers and using a clean cloth or sponge to absorb the water. Rinsing is necessary because you need to remove detergent residue, which can cause discoloration and odor. Repeat until the bubbles disappear and the water no longer feels soapy.
5. Once you’re satisfied with how clean your carpet is, all that is left to do is dry your carpet. Run your fingers through the threads to check for moisture.

Let Restoration 1 Help with Flood and Water Damage

Our Restoration 1 technicians possess a thorough understanding of how moisture accumulates within structures. This knowledge is crucial for effectively managing water extraction and drying processes. Our team is made up of professionals who have received training and certification from the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning & Restoration Certification (IICRC).

Restoration 1 of Oak Harbor has the capability to swiftly assemble a team to assist you in restoring your home or business to its pre-damage state. We’re available 24/7 for water extraction services. In situations where water damage threatens to disrupt your home or business, we’ll be there to help.