Clean and Dry Carpets and Rugs as Quickly as Possible
If sewage-contaminated floodwaters covered your carpeting, discard it for health safety reasons. Also discard if the carpet was wet or damp for more than a couple days. To clean, drape carpets and rugs outdoors and hose them down.
- Work a disinfecting carpet cleaner into soiled spots with a broom.
- Dry the carpet and floor rapidly and thoroughly before replacing carpet.
- Padding is impossible to clean, so it must be replaced.
- If carpet can't be removed, dry it within 48 hours of when it became wet using a wet/dry vacuum, dry outdoor air and/or dehumidifier. Use fans to circulate air above and underneath carpet.
- Unless the carpet is very thin, such as an indoor/outdoor, lifting the carpet to expose both sides for drying in very important.
- Mold growth likely will occur unless the carpet can be dried wiithin 24 to 48 hours, depending on temperature.
