Accidents happen! When the unforeseeable takes place, and you are left with a wet carpet, it is easy to feel overwhelmed and dejected. People who have their carpets damaged by floodwater, water spillage, or plumbing leak have sufficient reasons to be worried about mould.
Mould can lead to health problems as breathing airborne mould can be suffocating to people who have asthma, allergies, or hay fever. It also leads to a foul smell that ends up permeating the whole house.
In this article, we take a look at how we prevent mould after the carpet has been damaged by water. There is usually a small time frame within which action should be taken, as the mould starts to infest after 24 – 48 hours of damage.
1. Finding the source
There is no point in drying and cleaning if the source of water damage isn’t identified. Therefore, we first try to locate the cause of the water damage before getting to the hard part. Usually, it is a pipe or roof leakage, or something that is under the house. Whatever it may be, the first step is to fix this before moving on to other actions.
2. Getting rid of the water quickly
Firstly, we use a wet/dry vacuum to get rid of the water as soon as possible. We use machines that cover enough serviceable area with sufficient suction power. This enables us to get a significant amount of water out of the carpet.
3. Drying carpets using special equipment
After that, we use a combination of air movers and dehumidifiers to speed up the drying process. Rapid air-movement over wet materials and dehumidification will remove the rest of moisture within the premises.
4. Installing new pads underneath the carpet
If the padding under the carpet is not restorable, as a general rule of thumb, we will get rid of it. Later on, when your carpet and structure is dried, we will install a new carpet pad and put it back into place.
5. Steam cleaning the carpet
Once we dry the carpet and lay it back, it’s time to steam clean the carpets. Steam cleaning will ensure that the carpets are thoroughly sanitised and deodorised and are as good as new. For sanitisation of the carpet, we use anti-microbial sanitiser that kills any leftover bacteria and mould spores.
6. Clean and sanitise subfloor and walls
If the walls and the floor beneath the carpet are affected by stormwater, we take extra care to ensure that all of these are disinfected thoroughly. Using anti-microbial and biocide sanitiser we clean and sanitise all affected surfaces.
On the carpets, we apply an anti-microbial cleaner to prevent possible mould growth. We don’t use bleach on the carpets since it can damage the carpet fibre.
7. Examining furniture
Water-laden carpets can also affect the furniture. We check the furniture for moisture or water damage and clean and sanitise all that can be salvaged. We use dehumidifiers near the furniture that can help to dry and prevent moisture from being soaked into the fabric. There might be pieces of furniture that won’t return to the usable state and may have mildew and spores growing within the crevices. These will have to be thrown away.
Although it may seem relatively straightforward, it is not enough to know how to dry the carpet once it gets wet. Everything the water touches can potentially lead to mould and mildew growth. Not only will it lead to a foul smell, but it can also be hazardous to your health and well-being.
In most of all cases of water damage, the task of mould cleaning and restoration is best left to the professionals. It is the best way you can prevent mould growth in your house.
Our team is well equipped in handling water damage crises of your floors, furniture, and carpets. Leave the water damage carpet drying to us, and you can rest assured that your house will never become a breeding ground for mould and harmful bacteria.