The answer to that question is: it depends on the extent of the water damage as well as how long the water has been sitting. In most cases, if your carpet has been wet for more than 72 hours, you will have to consider replacing it to avoid the growth of mold and foul odors.
In any case, you will want to hire a water damage restoration professional in New Hudson MI to visit your home and assess the situation. Whether a pipe burst or you experienced flooding during a particularly nasty rainstorm, calling a professional water damage restoration company may allow you to salvage your carpets with proper cleaning.
Before you yank up your carpets or rent your own water extraction machine to do it on your own, check out these reasons why you need to call a water damage restoration company in Michigan for help.
After Water Damage to Carpets, You Can…
- Try adding baking soda to your wet carpets and blot with a clean towel. This is usually only good for small affected areas.
- You may want to try a shop vacuum, but these are usually ineffective at water removal under carpeting, padding, and subflooring. This also won’t help with wet drywall and wall studs.
- Pull up an area of your carpet to see if the floorboards and padding are dry or if they have formed mold or mildew.
- You may have to replace the carpet padding if it has dried on to the subflooring and has started to crumble.
- Remove excess humidity and moisture from the air.
- Even after you have cleaned, you may notice some foul odors. Store-bought carpet deodorizers usually just mask these odors and don’t actually eliminate them. It’s best to ask about professional odor elimination.
How to Avoid Mold After Carpet Water Damage
Before you resign yourself to replacing the whole carpet after water damage, there are things you can do to avoid mold after a flood or burst pipe.
- Stop water infiltration at its source. Place rolled-up towels at entryway doors and turn off interior water valves.
- Increase air circulation around damp areas, but don’t use strong fans that could blow dirty, contaminated water into the rest of the home. Open windows throughout the home and aim any fans out of the open windows.
- Use dehumidifiers, emptying them often.
- If you have pulled up areas of carpeting, keep it revealed to ensure thorough drying, even if floorboards and the underside of the carpeting feels dry to the touch.
- Sanitize drywall and baseboards to kill mold and to keep bacteria from spreading throughout the rest of the home.
- Don’t use your everyday vacuum cleaner on damp carpet because this will get the interior of your vacuum wet, introducing the potential for mold and mildew growth. Always use a shop vac to remove residual water. Make sure the carpet is completely dry before using the regular vacuum cleaner.
In the end, it’s important to get a consultation with a water damage restoration specialist in Detroit to assess the situation and recommend carpet cleaning and drying vs. full carpet removal.
Call 1st Class Carpet Cleaning and Restoration Services at (248) 491-3088
Here at 1st Class Carpet and Restoration Services, we specialize in water damage restoration and extraction, with 24-hour emergency service available. Schedule your consultation and get a free quote today when you call us at (248) 491-3088.
