Saving Wet Carpet

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Saving a Wet Carpet

I wanted to know if anybody knows how to get a mildew/moldy smell out of a carpet. My drain tub for the laundry overflowed, causing my son's bedroom carpet to get wet. I think it went more into the padding. I was thinking of either shampooing the carpet or cutting the section out and replacing it. Does anybody know of any good suggestions? Once the carpet dries, is it possible to get the smell out? Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks!
A.

Do It Immediately

Dealing with wet carpet, especially padding, is a situation that needs immediate response for health reasons. Once mold is present in the carpet and padding, the best advice is to discard these bacteria laden items. Mold can and will pose various respiratory illnesses. While one may feel frustrated at the cost of removing the floor coverings (especially the padding), in the long run you will be much better off.
The most important action taken in a flooding is to locate the source and act quickly to remove the water. Depending on the humidity, temperature, and dew point levels will determine how quickly mold will develop (24-36 hours in ideal conditions). Certain steps can greatly help to eliminate mold growth.

1. Lower the humidity and temperature with the use of many commercial floor fans and dehumidifiers, while setting A/C levels to coldest settings.
   
   
2. Tenting ones carpet to allow much needed airflow.
   
   

Spreading "Mule Team" Borax tends to slow and even kill mold spores, while being gentle on carpet fabric. The key is to act quickly making every effort to stop this hazard of mold in one's house.
Eric

Homeowner's Insurance?

Have her check into her homeowner's policy and see if it covers things like that! Our sump pump overflowed in our family room and our homeowner's policy covered getting our carpet professionally cleaned.
Good as new!
Louise

Arm and Hammer Takes Out Smell

To get the smell out of your carpet (and even moisture) spread a considerable amount of Arm and Hammer baking soda on the carpet and leave it on there for one or a couple of days. Then vacuum it up. The smell should be gone. Works great and the smell is not masked by perfume.
Susan

Cat Sand Absorbs Wetness

No matter what the cause, if smell is going to be the problem, Diatomaceous Earth (also known as Cat-Sand) is the only answer. This product is available on the cheap from almost any bulk supplier such as pet stores, COSTCO, and Orchard Supply Hardware.

When your carpet is flooded, try to remove as much of the water as possible by using a Wet-Vac. Then apply the cat-sand liberally to the carpet. As the cat sand absorbs the liquid, move it around with a rake or a broom to make sure the wetness has as much exposure to fresh sand as possible, until no more wetness is noted. Then, sweep up the cat sand and store for the next use. The method works for vomit, cat fur-balls, animal "accidents", etc., on any carpets, including auto carpets. Just remove the solids first. If a stain results, use any stain remover product.
Lou

editor's note: diatomaceous earth should not be inhaled. If you have pets or younsters this is not a method that you should use.

Website Resources

This is a web site for the reader who wanted to save the wet carpet in her son's bedroom, December 10, 2001,Volume 6, Number 50. University of Nebraska at Lincoln, Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources, www.ianr.unl.edu/pubs/textiles/nf200.htm The publication number is NF200, "Making Choices About Salvaging Wet or Flood Damaged Carpet". She should be able to click on the link and print out the instructions if she wants them.
Kerry

What a Janitor Would Use

The janitorial supply stores in your town will have a protein eater type of spray or liquid to get out the smell, works great on milk, etc, too. First, lift the carpet, cut out the old padding if mildewed, bleach the floor underneath too. Next, replace the padding with a scrap from a carpet layer (call a store or visit their dumpster). Finally, treat the bottom and top of the carpet with the protein eater, let dry, lay carpet back down and stuff underneath the baseboard with a knife or putty knife blade.
Ellen

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