Carpet drying is an essential service for most homeowners. It is mainly administered after carpet washing. Like washing the carpets, the drying process makes the whole cleaning process a waste when not done well. Therefore, one must take their carpet for drying services as good maintenance after washing. Failure to dry the carpet well, mold is likely to develop. Below are some methods one could employ to keep their carpets dry.
Methods of Drying Moist/ Wet Carpets
Use of Vacuums
There are vacuums, just like the vacuum cleaners meant to suck out the excess moisture from the carpets. These vacuums have a strong suction capability that makes it possible to lift trapped moisture from deep in one’s carpet.
Dehumidifiers
These are electrically powered devices tasked with maintaining a regulated humidity amount in the air. They do so by reducing the number of water droplets in the air. By doing so, the carpet loses its moisture much faster. The combination of multiple drying methods is encouraged too for faster results.
Use of towels
A dry towel is a good moisture absorber. Once placed on top of wet surfaces, they tend to suck it up, a process that aids in carpet drying. To accelerate the drying process, one can press down the towel to the carpet, allowing it to absorb even much of the moisture settled deep within it.
Fans
Fans are electrical equipment meant to increase air circulation in designated areas. There are different types of fans ranging from ceiling fans to portable ones. When the portable fans are available, directing them towards the floor would boost the carpet drying process. However, there are specific types of fans meant for carpet drying. They are characterized by the ability to blow large amounts of air, making them efficient for their intended function.
Heaters
Hot air is best known for drying substances faster than cool air. The heat from the heaters may get used for carpet drying, making moisture evaporate from surfaces—the hotter the air, the faster the evaporation rate, accelerating the drying process. Where the heater is not available, an HVAC system might get used in its place.
Windows
Although a slower process, the windows, when opened, allow the air circulation in the room to air-dry the carpet and any other of the wet surfaces. The use of windows is among the cheapest ways to get one’s carpet drying, for it does not require any specialized equipment. Combination persons would try for a faster drying process, including the combined use of heaters, humidifiers, fans, and an open window. The window would facilitate free air circulation assisted by the fan, whereas the heater evaporates the moisture from the carpet to get absorbed by the dehumidifiers. When done, tremendous effects are likely to get witnessed in the process of carpet drying.
Factors Affecting the Carpet Drying Duration
Wetness Degree
The amount of wetness in a carpet dramatically determines how long the rug would dry up completely. A partially wet carpet can take half a day to a full day to lose out all its moisture, whereas a flooded carpet would take three to five days. It is important to note that the lesser the wetness degree, the shorter it would take the carpet to dry up.
Water Extraction Method
The method one uses to extract moisture from the carpet also determines how long it would take the rug to get dried—the different techniques available yield different results, hence crucial for choosing the appropriate method wisely. Unlike using regular fans, using a professional heater fan for carpet drying would shorten the duration. Similarly, combining the different techniques would also work in one’s favor. The more the methods used simultaneously or simultaneously, the shorter the expected period.
Carpet Type
Like clothes, carpets also exist in varying materials. The heavier the material is, the more water can hold; hence the longer it might take to dry. Similarly, a carpet made from light materials can have lesser water, therefore a short carpet drying duration. The woolen carpets, being of a heavy material than the synthetic and Berber types of carpet, would take longer to dry compared to the others.
Factors to Consider Before Replacing a Water Damaged Carpet
Amount of Water
The amount of water involved with one’s carpet is crucial in deciding whether to replace the carpet or not. In most instances, persons prefer drying off the rug to replacing it. However, some cases would only make it suitable to replace the carpet other than trying to make it dry. A rug with a mere spill on it would be easier to clean using the available and most appropriate methods for effectively drying it. However, when a carpet and the floor components around it get completely soaked, it would be harder to try and dry the carpet, making it better to replace it.
Duration of Wetness
Wet carpets get to develop some mold on them after 24 hours of exposure. The wetness duration is crucial for it determines how much mold could have grown on one’s carpet. The longer the period, the more the mold is expected to grow, making it advisable to replace it instead of having it dried. Those with a wetness duration of about a week would be best if they got replaced. The shorter the exposure duration to water, the higher the chances of a successful carpet drying process.
Category of Water Damage
The category of water damage gets determined by the quality of water involved with the carpet. The cleaner the water, the lesser the contaminants it contains, making it easy to clean and dry without replacing. However, replacing it would be the ideal option if the damage involved black water soaking the carpet. Blackwater, such as sewage, contains so many contaminants in them (see here). It would only be reasonable to replace a rug when soaked in it other than attempting to have it cleaned and dried since the process might yield no fruits.
