When large amounts of water enter your house, your carpets and rugs are the ones that suffer the most. This is because they are designed in such a way that they absorb lots of water and since water does move onto the ground, they keep on absorbing more and more water. Since molds, bacteria and germs tend to grow in places which are damp, wet carpets and rugs become an ideal breeding place for them.

Here are a few useful tips to water removal for you to restore your carpets and rugs.

1. Dry out your carpets and rugs in sunlight. If it is not possible to dry them under the sun, then use a fan for drying them.

2. Use a dehumidifier for containing the moisture. Reducing the moisture will help in faster water removal. Allow the carpet to become completely dry.

3. Follow up the water removal process by using a vacuum cleaner to remove all the dirt that is trapped in the carpet. Work slowly and thoroughly to remove all the dirt. Working on the carpet, one small section at a time will be more effective in cleaning it than working on the whole carpet at a time.

4. If you do not want to spend time using a vacuum cleaner, which can be time-consuming, use a high-pressure hose. The water coming out at a high pressure from the hose will wash away all the dirt from the already wet carpet. Follow it up by allowing it to dry in the sunlight.

5. Once the water and dirt is removed from the carpet, the next step in water removal is to use a carpet shampoo. But before you use a carpet shampoo, make sure to read the instructions on the bottle. A carpet shampoo may otherwise lead to shrinking of the carpet.

6. Take a sponge. Put a little amount of shampoo on it. Apply this to 1 to 2 square feet section of the carpet. Clean one section at a time. If the section is extremely mucky, then use a hard-bristled brush.

6. Once the shampoo has been applied, use the sponge and a mug of water for removing the shampoo. Take a little bit of water on the sponge and rinse the carpet one section at a time. However, make sure that you do not use too much water. Using too much water will again make the carpet wet and further damage it. When the water in the mug becomes too dirty, replace it.

7. Once the carpet has been cleaned and shampooed, lay out the carpet and rug in a dry warm place. Point a fan towards it.

A carpet can be considered dry once the base of its fibers is dry.

Remember that carpets and rugs should not go through water removal for not more than 24 hours. If they are neglected, they will develop molds which can pose serious hazards to your family's health. You should also replace the padding of the carpet and the rug. Attempting to clean and salvage them would prove to be expensive.

Although these steps will help in thorough water removal, the best thing to do would be to hire a carpet cleaning expert. Their water removal and drying techniques will help in maximum water removal. This in turn will increase the chances of salvaging your carpets and rugs. So if your carpets and rugs are very valuable and expensive, use the help of a professional instead.