How to Clean Water Damage to Carpet
Carpets can make or break a room’s overall look. While carpets are lovely additions to our home, they can stain easily and leave a very unsightly impression. Carpets are also one of the fabrics that can be actually stained by water. This is because the sediments in the water settle deep within the carpet and leave a mark. It’s not beyond repair, and there are some ways you can clean it up, but first:
If the water stain is caused by a leak, fix the leak as soon as possible.
Remove anything that is on the carpet, especially magazines that may cause further staining.
Unplug power cords to avoid electrocution.
Open up the doors and windows in the room to encourage air circulation.
Bring your carpet outdoors to clean.
Do all of these quickly to get to work on the water damage immediately.
Cleaning Synthetic Fiber Carpets
What You Need
Water or club soda
Clean terry towel
Sponge
White distilled vinegar
What to Do
Use a clean towel to absorb as much of the excess water and soil from the carpet. Continue dabbing until you have transferred the soil from the carpet to the towel.
Make a half and half solution of white distilled vinegar and water. A mixture of two parts water to one part white vinegar as well. Club soda can also stand in for water.
You can apply the solution in two ways: First, you can take a clean towel and dab it into the mixture. Gently rub it into the carpet stain, just enough to get the carpet fibers damp. The alternative is to put the solution in a hand spray and spray it over the water stain. Work the solution in the stain lightly, and then blot it up with a clean towel. Allow it to air-dry.
If the stain is still there, repeat the whole process until the alkaline in the vinegar breaks down the stain-causing sediments completely.
As an alternative, you can soak the stain in laundry pre-treatment commercial products or laundry detergent overnight. Blot it up the next day with a water-dampened towel until the stain is completely removed.
Cleaning Natural Fiber Carpets
Extractors or steam machines are your best bet if you want to clean a water-stained natural fiber carpet.
To make cleaning more effective, add powdered oxygen bleach to the water in the extractor. Don’t use too much, just 10 ml to 18 litres of water.
If this doesn’t work, don’t despair: Natural fiber carpets are notoriously difficult to clean, so there’s no shame in taking your carpet to professional cleaners.
Quick Tips
Over-the counter carpet stain removers are commercially available. Just carefully follow the instructions to clean the stain.
Carpets stained with unsanitary water and left long enough to grow molds should always be professionally cleaned. Your health should be worth a few dollars’ worth of cleaning.
You can contact the carpet manufacturer to ask tips for cleaning their carpets.
For stains that really won’t go away, you can simply cut the stain out with a utility knife. You can then attach a new piece from a remnant using a carpet adhesive.