Your carpet can become soggy from water damage for several days. No matter the cause, it’s important to dry your carpet quickly. It can cause damage to the sub-floor and walls or even lead to mold. Depending on the amount of water available, you can dry your carpeting yourself. Your chances of carpet restoration decrease the more time you wait after damage. We’ll discuss how to get water out of carpet and how long it takes to dry.

How To Dry Carpets Fast

Drying wet carpeting quickly is important to avoid mold and damage. Carpet drying quickly is the best way to dry it. First, get rid of all water and then dry the carpet with fans. If carpeting is still damp, drying it will take longer. It takes about 3 days and costs approximately $600.

How To Get Water Out Of Carpet

1. Get Out The Water


To prevent mold growth, you must first remove any water. To get rid of water, you can use a pump. Most equipment rental companies can rent one if you require one. If there is less than 1 inch of water, a wet-dry vacuum works best. Slowly move to get as much water as possible out of your carpet. You may need to do this several times in order to get rid of all the water. To dry carpet that is still damp, you can use towels. Put them on the carpet, and then press down. This method is best if only a small amount of carpet is damp. If the carpet is very wet, sprinkle kitty litter over it. Then, use the towels to press the cat litter into the carpeting. Once the cat litter is saturated, you can clean it with a shop vacuum. Keep going until the carpet is damp. If you don’t have towels, you can use blankets.

2. Dry The Carpeting After It Has Been Wet

If you want to dry wet carpet, position fans and dehumidifiers throughout your home. Although house fans are possible, renting high-volume fans and structural drying dehumidifiers will work better. This will speed up drying and prevent mold growth. Every few hours, you can verify that the fan is operating properly. You can raise the carpeting and place fans above or below it if you are able. This will speed up drying and also save carpet padding and subflooring. You can dry small areas with a hairdryer on a low or medium setting. It should be moved a few inches higher than your carpet. Before you can check that the carpet is dry, it is important to allow it to cool down. It is best to test the carpet while it is still warm. It will appear dry even if it is still damp.

3. Carpet Padding


Carpet padding is mostly made of rebond, a urethane foam. Older homes may have wool or fiber pads. While Rebond is more resistant to water damage than wool and fiber pads, water can still cause damage. Although you can dry the padding directly without soaking it, it will retain water so drying it takes a while. It is likely that the padding will fall apart if it is still wet. If you have used clean water, it is worth drying the padding. It is better to replace the padding if groundwater or sewage are involved. You can purchase carpet padding at a reasonable cost, between 30C/ to 60C/ per foot.

4. The Subfloor

If water seeps under the carpeting, you should inspect it as well. Remove the carpeting and padding as soon as you can. Fans or dehumidifiers are able to dry subfloor that is still damp. Subfloor panels must be inspected for signs such as warping and buckling. Repair damaged sections. To disinfect the subfloor, you can use a cup bleach after it has dried. Spray the bleach using a spray bottle. Let it dry. Bleach can stain carpeting, so be sure to disinfect subflooring only with bleach.

5. Install The Carpeting


Use a shop vacuum to clean the sub-floor. The carpet padding can then be placed. The carpet padding can be installed. You will need to cut the padding so it fits into the space between the tack strips. Once the padding is installed, you can reinstall your carpeting. You should make sure that the tack strips are not damaged and in good condition. Next, you will need a knee kicker for tacking the carpet to the tack strips.

6. Carpet Cleaning


Carpets should be cleaned regularly. It will remove stains and odors as well as restore carpet pile. You can either rent a machine, or hire someone to do it. You should vacuum your carpets multiple times before you begin to clean them. Follow the instructions on the cleaner. Let the carpet dry before you place furniture in the room.

How Long Does It Take For Carpet To Dry?

Drying wet carpet takes anywhere from 12 to 24 hour. After it has dried, you can lift the carpet off the ground with the right equipment. If you don’t have any fans, it will take around two to four days for the carpet to dry. You should dry your carpet as soon possible for two reasons. Mold can develop in as little as 24 hours. Water can also cause damage to your carpet. You can also cause more damage if it is still damp.

Get Water Restoration Services
Are you unable to dry your carpet quickly due to lack of time or equipment? 911 Restoration of Central Arkansas is here to help. For a free visual inspection, call at 501-200-1600 right away.