Caring for a carpet means preserving not just the beauty but the value as well. Unlike other crafts, carpets need regular maintenance. This is because there's always something that makes them dirty. For you to get the most out of your home's rugs, you need to clean them properly and regularly.



You can't count with your fingers the things that harm your rugs, but water is the most common culprit for carpet deterioration. What's more alarming is that a wet carpet due to flooding doesn't just give a foul smell but it also threatens your health. Mold will develop and may cause various respiratory diseases. Don't ever let wet, flooded carpet sit unattended.

Here are some steps to deal with and save a Wet Carpet:

* Remove the carpet off the floor - If you have a wood floor, you better roll up the rug immediately and allow the floor to dry. In the case of a wall-to-wall carpet, which is way too heavy to carry, remove the water first by lifting it off the floor and propping it up using a sawhorse or something similar. When it becomes lighter, you can bring it out of your house for cleaning or disposal.

* Look out for professional cleaning service - If you just can't decide whether your carpet is worth saving or not, get the opinion of some expert carpet cleaners. They may charge you per square foot or by the hour for the time spent cleaning the carpet. Choose the steam cleaning service. In this method, cleaners extract the water and sanitize the wet carpet afterwards by applying chemicals. What's good about employing the services of professional cleaners is that they will do all the cleaning and drying. You just have to make your room ready for it again.

* Clean the carpet yourself - If you decide to clean the rug all by yourself, do the cleaning outside your house. There are steam cleaning machines for rent; all you need to do is to buy the right shampoo. If there's no available machine, don't lose hope, you can still do something to clean and save your carpet.

Here's how:

1. Look for a place in your yard with dry cemented area with full expose to the sun. Unroll the wet carpet flat in that area.

2. Using a garden hose, sweep the rug with water from one end to another. Turn the rug over and hose off the dirt on its back. Then, sweep its face with water once again.

3. Pour on the liquid cleaner and allow it to soak for several minutes.

4. Sweep it again to push the cleaning foam and dirt off the carpet.

5. Rinse the carpet thoroughly to remove the cleaning foam.

6. Employ a wet-and-dry vacuum to pull the water out of the carpet.

7. To avoid mildew, dry the carpet immediately.

Make sure the carpet is dry before bringing it inside the house. Also, protect yourself by washing your hands thoroughly with water and soap.

Always address your wet rug immediately by cleaning and drying it. The above-mentioned steps may be simple but they will save your precious carpet from deterioration.