How to Dry Wet Carpet – Easy and Effective Tips Listed

Did you know?

Wet carpet is perfect for mold and mildew to breed. 

It is not just when a lot of water or any liquid gets spilled, the carpet becomes wet. It can be the humidity, temperature levels, significant leakage at home and various other factors that can cause dampness and moisture in the carpet. Wet carpet often gets unnoticed. The filthy and musty smell are the first signs of wet carpet. Sometimes it also causes discoloration of carpet. 

Wet carpet also makes us humans as well as pet friends, sick. If you notice allergic reactions or any constant respiratory issues then damp carpet could be the reason.   

Why is it important to dry wet carpet?

It’s a no brainer! If the carpet is wet, it has to be dried. Whether after cleaning, flooding, leaking or due to any reason if the carpet turns moist and wet, make sure you start drying it as soon as possible. Even if it is slightly damp, do not leave it unattended as it can lead to serious problems. 

The musty smell – Not just the carpet place but the entire room, the entire home can start smelling foul, if the wet carpet is left untreated.  

Damage the carpet – Regardless of what the reason is, wet carpet can damage the padding of the carpet. The padding is likely a sponge so it soaks up all the water and becomes prone to mold. It can damage your subfloor as well. 

Develop mold – Mold is actually a fungal infection which grows and spreads on moist surfaces like wet carpet. It is in fact toxic in nature. Mold can spoil the air quality and can further lead to severe illness if left untreated. 

Allergic reactions and health issues due to mold:

• Sneezing
• Itchy throat
• Running nose
• Wheezing
• Irritation in eyes
• Skin rashes

So dry the wet carpet immediately before it spoils the carpet as well as your health. 

How long does it take for carpet to dry? 

Drying of the carpet depends on various factors like how wet your carpet is, what is the climate/temperature, the type of carpet and other such situations. 

However, here is an estimated drying time of the wet carpet. 

• If it’s flooded – Drying time would be 3 to 5 days
• If it’s damp – Drying time would be 1 to 3 hours 
• If the carpet is partially wet – Drying time would be 12 hours to 1 day
• If you’re taking professional help – Drying time would be 4 to 5 hours
• If you follow DIY technique – Drying time would be 6 to 12 hours
• If you follow the steam dry process – Time taken would be 2 to 4 hours 

Within how much time mold grows in the wet carpet? 

When the carpet is wet then mildew and mold can grow within 24 to 48 hours. Later, it will keep on spreading rapidly.

How to dry carpet? 

Here are some expert tips to dry your wet carpet and prevent it from molds, mildew and damage:

Remove the excess moisture

If the water is still leaking or flowing, first find a solution to stop it. Now get rid of all the excess moisture and water with the help of a wet vacuum. It is an easy and effective technique to start off with the cleaning process. 

Check the furniture

The moisture or water may have affected your furniture and fixtures too. Make sure to move it immediately to a dry place, especially if it’s upholstered furniture as it can damage soon. 

Moving of furniture will also allow the air to flow freely without any obstacle. The drying time might be required less. 

Create air flow 

Creating air flow is one of the best ways possible to help your carpet dry. Make room for natural air as much as possible. Open all the windows and doors. If you have more than 2 windows then nothing works like it. Opening of windows will offer ventilation. It will let in some fresh air and even sunlight during day time. This will let go of the musty smell and also help your carpet dry faster.  

Turn on the fan

If natural ventilation is not possible or if the climate outside is humid or rainy then switch to another air flow option – the fan. When it comes to drying carpet with minimal efforts then turning on the ceiling fan is one effective solution. 

The fan will make your carpet dry as quick as possible. And not only that, it will remove the foul smell out of the room as well as prevent the carpet from developing mildew and mold. If you don’t have a ceiling fan, at least make sure to have a stand-alone fan or desk fan, handy. Even placing two smaller fans can provide sufficient circulation. Place them at each side of the carpet and run them on maximum speed for better results. 

Turn on the air conditioning 

Another carpet drying method with minimal efforts is turning on the AC. Again if the weather outside is not appropriate and if the fan is not available, you can use the air conditioning. AC dries the air and this could be advantageous to dry the carpet. Though it might take a longer time than the fan but is a good option. 

Steam clean the carpet 

If you are ready to take the professional help then steam cleaning or blow drying would be the best alternative. This method will remove the toxins, if present and deodorize the wet carpet. Steam has enough temperature to dry the carpet pretty quick. 

Baking soda

The unbeatable and the ultimate home cleaning ingredient – baking soda will work wonders on wet carpet too. You just need to sprinkle a liberal amount of baking soda powder all over the carpet. Let it settle down for at least an hour. Later vacuum it. The carpet would appear dry and fresh in no time.

Make use of shop vac

If the carpet has become wet due to flooding then definitely you may need a more effective technique for cleaning. You can opt for shop vac. As compared to a regular vacuum, shop vac has more powerful suction which is suitable to remove the excess water and make the drying process easy. 

Be patient, drying carpet cannot be done in a jiffy. It will require a certain amount of time. However, if you think your carpet is taking a very long time to dry, better seek for professional assistance.