If you have had a flood in your home, your carpeting is probably soaking wet. Unfortunately, wet carpet quickly leads to mould, so you need to act fast. Here are some of the first things you should do if you have wet carpet.

Use Fans and Open Windows

The first way you can start drying out the carpet is with ventilation and fans. If the carpet remains wet for too long, even in small spots, it could quickly lead to mould and mildew, which requires either a carpet restoration service or complete carpet replacement. Dry the carpet out for longer than you think is necessary, since the padding underneath might also be soaked through. Start by opening all of the windows and doors in your home. This gets plenty of air coming through the home. Then turn on all of the fans you have, from ceiling fans to portable fans. Try to point portable fans toward wet areas of the carpeting, moving them to different areas periodically to dry all the carpets.

Use a Wet-Dry Vacuum

A good tool to use for removing even more water from your carpeting is a wet-dry vacuum. If you don't own one, you can usually rent one at a grocery store or home improvement store. Turn the vacuum to the "dry" setting, then slowly move it over the wet carpeting. The vacuum will remove water from the carpeting, effectively helping it to dry. For this to be the most effective, it should be done after you have already started to dry the carpet, either by blotting excessive wet areas or by using the fans and windows.

Steam Clean the Carpets

Once you have the carpet and padding as dry as possible, it is time to start cleaning them. This will hopefully remove any mould or mildew that has already started to form in the carpet fibers. A steam cleaner will work very well, cleaning the carpets as deep as possible. You can either steam clean them yourself or hire a professional service to do it for you. Some of these cleaning services specialise in carpet restoration, not just drying out the carpets, but also sanitising them and getting them back to new. Keep in mind that if the water destroyed the padding underneath, the top carpet might need to be lifted to remove the padding and replace it. Mildew can form on the padding even if the top carpeting looks fine.