As we head deeper into the winter season, winter carpet cleaning and care is a consideration for many. After all, winter results in snow, slush, mud, and lots of moisture. Proper care of your carpet during the winter season can make your carpet look and feel much cleaner. Not to mention, it can also preserve your carpet so you can enjoy it for many years to come.
Unfortunately, not everyone knows how to approach winter carpet cleaning and care. In this blog, we’ll help with everything you need to know for your winter carpet care for fresh, beautiful carpet into this season and beyond.
What’s the Worst Offender for Winter Carpet?
Out of all the mud and muck that we experience in the winter, the one worst offender for your carpet is moisture.
Moisture can result in a slew of problems for your carpet. Damp carpet is bad for your home as well as your health. Out of all the problems with your carpet, you’ll want to be aware of moisture.
But what makes moisture so bad when it comes to your carpet?
Moisture Can Damage Your Carpet
Did you know that moisture will damage your carpet? When water and moisture are allowed to seep inside the carpet, it can destroy the fibers as well as the carpet padding.
Fast action is the best thing you can do when your carpet gets wet during the winter. It can take a long time for the carpet to dry, so the faster you can get the process started, the better the outcome.
Moisture Can Cause Mold and Mildew to Grow
No one wants to think about mold and mildew growth in their carpet. After all, who wants to deal with mold in their carpet during the holidays?
This is an unfortunate occurrence when it comes to winter carpet cleaning and care. If the carpet gets wet from your shoes with snow, mold can ultimately grow within the fibers.
If your home feels humid during the winter months, this is all the more reason to be cautious about wet carpet. Humidity is yet another contender to moisture, especially in terms of mold and mildew growth.
Wet Carpet Traps Foul Odors
One ominous point about wet or moist carpet is that it traps foul odors. The worst part is that your carpet may not appear wet at all. However, old moisture that becomes trapped below the surface can cause problems including foul odor. If this odor is left untreated, it can ultimately end up causing your house to stink.
Wet Carpet Can Make You Sick
Yes, wet carpet can make you sick! This is in terms of mold sickness, which can be quite serious. You can experience symptoms including nasal congestion, skin rash, runny nose, asthma, watery eyes, and chest tightness. Black mold is very serious, which can cause all of the aforementioned symptoms as well as nausea and vomiting.
Some people are very sensitive to mold and can experience these symptoms easily. People with allergies are more susceptible to mold symptoms. Meanwhile, people with autoimmune disorders and even underlying lung diseases can have a more adverse reaction to mold.
As you can see, wet carpet is a problem. Carpet can get wet more frequently in the winter as we track snow inside from our shoes. Let’s discuss how to dry out wet carpet from snow during the wintertime, reducing the risk of mold and the other wet winter carpet woes that come along with it.
How to Dry Out Wet Carpet
Is your carpet wet? If you take action quickly, you can help reduce the likelihood of damage as well as mold or mildew growth.
These are the most effective ways to dry out wet carpets during the winter. You’ll also want to consider how wet the carpet is before getting started.
Drying Carpet that is Slightly Damp
This is typically how wet your carpet will get if you track snow in the house with your shoes. However, you will still need to dry the area as quickly as possible since mold will grow quite quickly.
The first step is to grab a box fan and point it at the wet area of your carpet. This will help moisture to evaporate quickly. You can also use a dehumidifier to pull moisture out of the air while drying the carpet.
Another option is to take your hairdryer and blow it onto the carpet. This helps to dry up any lingering moisture. Be careful to not get the dryer too close to the carpet, as the heat from the hairdryer can melt the carpet fibers.
There are also low-tech options available if you want to dry a carpet that is slightly damp. You can get rags and lay them on top of the wet area. You can weigh down the rags by placing heavy objects on top of the area to absorb the moisture. The idea is to soak up as much water as possible. You’ll want to use an object that is waterproof if you decide to take this approach.
Drying Carpet that is Soaked
Imagine your kids coming in with snowsuits and boots. The dog comes running in behind them, who is almost equally as wet as the kids. When they come flying through the door, they bring in a ton of snow that instantly begins melting onto the carpet.
If your carpet has more water on it than you’d expect from a spilled glass of water, you might consider it soaked. However, this isn’t quite as bad as a burst pipe—but it’s still something that needs prompt action.
If your carpet seems soaked, you’ll want to create as much airflow as you can. Turn on fans and even temporarily open the windows, despite the cold temperatures outside. Put a fan on the floor to help air out the area faster.
You may need a very high-powered fan to get the job done better. If you have a dehumidifier, be sure to bring this out as well.
If the carpet is too soaked, you’ll need to replace the carpet padding. This happens when the carpet is saturated with water. Replacing the padding reduces the risk of a mold infestation.
More Tips to Dry out Wet Carpet
Looking for more tips to dry out wet winter carpet? Here is some more helpful information if you have wet carpets from snow and winter elements.
Steam Clean the Carpet
If your carpet got soaked from snow and winter elements, consider getting the carpet steam cleaned. Steam cleaning the carpet helps to remove any toxins. It also helps to deodorize it, so you’re not stuck with a foul scent in your home.
Furthermore, steam cleaning is done at a high temperature that is able to kill any toxins. This includes removing toxins that derive from mold spores.
Bust out the Baking Soda
You’ve probably heard that baking soda will do wonders for cleaning your carpet. It deodorizes the carpet, but did you know that it also helps with cleaning wet carpet?
This is because baking soda will lift and remove trap moisture from the carpet. All you have to do is sprinkle a liberal amount of baking soda over the wet carpet. From there, a lot of baking soda to sit for at least 30 minutes.
After the baking soda sits for a half-hour, grab your vacuum and sweep it up.
Get Your Carpet Cleaned
After you make your attempts at drying your carpet, whether it is steam cleaning or using baking soda, the last step that you should take is contacting your local carpet cleaner.
This is because cleaning your carpet will remove all stains and odors. It also helps to restore the carpet pile. You also don’t want to forget to check the subfloor and the padding of the carpet. It’s critical to check these areas because mold and mildew can grow quickly. If the moisture reaches the subfloor, it can become damaged and require replacement.
You can always try to clean the carpet yourself, but keep in mind that our technology can reach deep into the carpet fibers. There is also a time and place where carpet replacement may be necessary, and even the best professional cleaning won’t save it.
If your carpet is heavily damaged from sewage, mold, or the carpet remains wet for days or weeks, you should consider replacing your carpet.
Need help cleaning your wet carpet? Contact us for carpet cleaning this winter season.