Many schools and retail buildings experience moderate to high foot traffic daily. That means if your carpets get wet, you need to dry them out fast. By doing so, you avoid more significant issues later down the road.
Don‘t Let Wet Carpet Inconvenience Your Building’s Occupants
When you notice water gushing from your carpet with each step you take, several questions might come to mind. Where did this water come from? How long has the carpet been wet? How do I dry it out thoroughly? Considering the amount of water, it’s understandable to be frustrated and even slightly frantic at first. But don’t panic. Remember to first analyze the color of the water and take note if there’s a smell. Depending on the water’s source, it’s either clean, gray, or black.
If it’s gray, be careful—that’s a sign of contamination. Black water is bad news too. It’s highly toxic and can cause serious illness or infection, because it usually stems from a sewage problem.
Conversely, clean water is considered safe, and it’s the only kind of water damage you can take care of yourself. Water that’s clean comes from a sanitary source, such as a broken pipe or an overflowing sink. Your carpet could also be saturated with rainwater from an open window. Regardless, a streamlined process you can follow to remove clean water from your carpet can give you the confidence to take action.
What’s the Best Carpet Drying Process?
If there are electrical outlets, turn off the electricity in the area before further investigating. Once the power is off, it’s safe to try to figure out where the water’s coming from. If you discover a leaking pipe, call professionals to repair it right away.
Move desks, furniture, or other fixtures before they sustain water damage. Divert foot traffic away from the affected area and proceed with the following steps:
- Eliminate the Water: To suck up water from the carpet, you’ll need a shop vac or a wet-dry vacuum. People in the woodworking and construction industries rely on the suction unit when cleaning project areas; wet-dry vacuums are powerful enough to extract nails, metal, bits of wood, and other debris, and they can vacuum up water easily. Just keep in mind that you need to empty the tank as often as necessary. It won’t function properly when the tank is too full. A wet-dry vacuum is a handy piece of equipment when you’re struggling with wet carpets in your school or retail building. If you don’t own one, you can rent one from a hardware store.
- Soak up Excess Moisture: After the wet-dry vacuum has removed as much water as possible, use microfiber towels to soak up any residual water. Spread them over the carpet and pat the surface until they’re wet. Use fresh towels for each area until they stop collecting moisture.
-
Air Dry the Area: For this step, place fans along the perimeter of the carpet and let the air flow dry out the surface. To increase the amount of air moving through the area (if it’s not raining outside), open the doors and windows and turn on ceiling fans.
-
Check the Subfloor: Once the carpets are as dry as possible, it’s wise to check the subfloor. Carefully pull back a corner of the carpet and see if the padding underneath is wet. If so, this can cause a more severe issue: mold. The smell of mold is unpleasant enough, but it’s also harmful to inhale. If the padding is wet after you’ve dried and aired out the carpet’s surface, it’s time to call a commercial cleaning company for further assistance.
What Are the Advantages of Getting Professional Cleaners Involved?
You may not know how to dry wet carpet padding, but you don’t need to know unless carpet cleaning is your area of expertise. If you’re the owner or facilities manager for a large building, like a school or retail store, your best bet is to call a commercial cleaning company. They specialize in remedying wet carpets, which includes killing mold and fungal growth under the surface and eliminating stains and odors.
Problems with wet carpet can be overwhelming, so it’s best to get professional help before things get worse. Wet carpet is hazardous, and letting concerns linger may not only cost you financially, but legally if your building’s condition becomes a threat to people’s health. But it doesn’t have to go that far if you call a commercial cleaning crew. When you let professionals take care of your carpet, you benefit from:
- Certified and insured experts who use industry-trusted cleaning products and equipment
- A deep clean that removes set-in toxins, allergens, and impurities that have been tainting your air quality
- Mold and mildew removal
- A carpet that looks as good as new
- A fresh-smelling environment
- A protective coating that prevents further damage
- Guaranteed solutions and services
Upon entering your building, one of the first things people notice is your floors and carpets. If a water issue occurs, it may cause a disruption. However, this is the perfect opportunity to have a commercial cleaning company breathe new life into your property. If your carpets haven’t been cleaned in a while, they could be overdue for some TLC. Invest in getting them cleaned and see what a tremendous difference it makes.
Carlson Building Maintenance Cures Your Wet Carpet Woes
At Carlson Building Maintenance, we take the burden of keeping your facility in pristine condition off your shoulders. Leave it to our professionals to transform your building into a space that sparkles and shines. Whether you need a wet carpet cure or you’d like your hard floors stripped and waxed, our team does it all. You can focus more on business matters while we work diligently to keep your school or store looking presentable. Call us today to learn more about the Carlson Difference.
