Commercial or residential water damage can be a big headache. Even after the mess is cleanup, the property as such and even the environment takes it time to recover.

One of the major or common concerns during a residential or commercial water breakout is wet carpets. We recommend throwing away the carpets that are beyond repair or have been waterlogged for more than 48 hours.

Drying and reusing the carpets that survived water damage can sound an easy and effective strategy. You need to consider several factors prior to making a call on this. This post features some pointers on why drying carpets to reuse might not always be a safe or smart idea.

Blackwater contamination

While you can get away with drying carpets on some of the occasions, most people overlook the possibility of water damage type.

Water contaminated with fecal matter or water from the sewer can make the carpets beyond repair. Even a dried carpet which suffered black water contamination looks good, chances are its housing different bacteria types. This is where you need an expert opinion regarding whether its worth to reuse to carpet or to buy a new one.

Mold growth

Mold growth and wet carpets go hand in hand. Wet carpets seconds effective and rapid mold growth. The possibility of mold growth is at its peak when a carpet remains waterlogged for more than 24 hours.

On most occasions, mold growth at its initial stages is hard to detect. It might spread to different areas unnoticed, for instance, the wooden floor beneath the carpet. People who dry their carpets and reinstate on the floor misses these mold spread which can start deteriorating the air quality and property structure.

Even when people consider the possibilities of mold growth and take action against it, with limited experience, they are always vulnerable to make some mistakes. The consequences of not adhering to IICRC’s standards on mold removal can be severe.

Health concerns

A carpet that is not properly dried or housing a highly destructive mold type like Chaetomium can induce several health concerns. The air quality deterioration from wet carpets usually goes unnoticed and continue to affect your health slowly and consistently. Your family members, especially toddlers can keep falling sick for no apparent reasons.

Dangerous chemicals

We have been noticing increased cases of people drying the carpets on their own and resorting to chemical cleaning to address all the related health concerns or risks.

Even when carpet cleaning companies use “mild” cleaning chemicals, you need to understand that mild doesn’t always mean good. Chemicals like perchloroethylene, Naphthalene and Butyloxy Ethanol are potentially dangerous and can trigger several health concerns.

Carpets can be a critical component of a healthy home. There are several reasons why you need to hire a water removal specialist when it comes to addressing a wet carpet or other related concerns. When engaging with a carpet cleaning company, ensure that they are using industry level equipment to dry your carpets.