Cleaning Your Carpet After A Flood: What You Need To Do

When your home is invaded by a flood, your carpets can be destroyed. Here is what you need to do if your carpets have been damaged during a flood.

Contact your insurance company

If your homeowner's insurance covers flooding, you may be able to use insurance to pay for the damages left behind after a flood. Your insurance company may also be able to recommend a flood cleanup company to inspect your home and see what kind of repairs need to be done to restore your home back to safe living condition. You need to let your insurance company know of any flooding that exists in your home even if it isn't covered directly in case anyone falls ill due to the flooding or your home's foundation or electrical system is affected.

Know whether you need to replace carpet or clean it

A flood cleanup company can help you decide whether your carpeting is worth salvaging or if it needs to be replaced. A company can assess the depth of your water damage by checking both your carpet and its padding underneath. If your padding is saturated and beginning to separate, you may need new carpeting or padding. 

You may also need new carpet if your flooding was due to hazardous water, such as a river water flood or sewer pipe bursting. The potential germs and bacteria present in your home may make your carpeting unsafe to restore. A flood cleanup company can help you remove your carpeting and dry out and disinfect the affected areas so you can prepare for new carpet.

Call a professional

After you have a carpet cleaning company assess the condition of your carpet, allow them to remove the water damage that is present in your home. A cleanup crew will need to barricade your wet areas from the dry parts of the house to keep humidity at bay and prevent mold and mildew buildup in the rest of your home. A crew will also want to set up ventilating fans to remove moisture from the air after they have removed your damaged carpeting and padding.

After removing your carpeting, they will professionally clean and restore your carpets to safe condition if they can be salvaged. A cleanup company will also check your home for mold, bacteria, and other potential contamination and clean the areas as necessary.

A flood in your home can be dangerous and really damage your carpeting. A professional water cleanup crew can help you salvage your carpet, or remove it for you and make the area safe for new carpeting.