Water on carpet: the first 24 hours

A washing machine hose, a water heater, a leaking dishwasher, an overflowing tub, a window left open in a storm. Water on carpet is a problem that gets worse by the hour because the pad holds it and mildew starts within a day or two.

First, what kind of water. Clean water from a supply line or rain is category one and the carpet can usually be saved. Gray water from a washing machine or dishwasher is category two and the pad usually needs to go. Black water — sewage, flooding from outside — is category three and the carpet and pad are not salvageable; that is a restoration company's job.

Clean water, small area

Stop the source. Pull up as much water as you can with towels or a wet vac. Lift the carpet edge if you can and get air under it. Run fans and a dehumidifier. Call us for extraction and drying; a truck-mounted unit pulls far more water out of the pad than a shop vac.

Clean water, large area or older than a day

Call a restoration company. They have moisture meters, industrial dryers and the ability to pull and dry pad. We will extract and clean once the drying is done.

Afterward

Once dry, the carpet needs a proper cleaning with an antimicrobial rinse to remove what the water carried in and prevent the mildew smell from setting.