How long carpet takes to dry (and how to speed it up)

With truck-mounted hot water extraction, carpet is damp when we leave, not wet. Four to eight hours to dry is typical. The variables are airflow, humidity, temperature and how much pre-treatment a room needed. A heavily soiled room that got extra rinsing takes longer than a lightly soiled one.

In the Seattle area, humidity is the big one. A cool, damp day in November with the house closed up can push drying toward the long end. A warm day in July with the windows open dries carpet in a couple of hours.

What speeds it up

Run the furnace fan on 'on' rather than 'auto' so air keeps moving even when the heat is not running. Crack a window if it is not raining. Run ceiling fans. Turn on a dehumidifier if you have one. We leave air movers on wet rooms when we can, and you can rent one if you want the room back faster.

What to avoid

Do not put furniture back on damp carpet without foil or plastic under the legs; wood stain and metal can transfer to wet fiber. Do not walk on it in shoes that were just outside. Do not cover it with rugs until it is fully dry, or the rug will trap moisture and cause a mildew smell.