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Thread: You can save your carpeting and rugs afer a flood.

  1. #1
    You can save your carpets and your rugs after a flood. What many consumers don't realize is that professionals clean rugs and carpets with solutions and water-- but what makes carpets and rugs survive is that the rugs are carefully dried.

    So after a flood you want to be sure that you take every possible step to have your carpet and rugs cleaned and dried thoroughly.

    This even applies to handmade Oriental and Persian rugs.

    I was once at a professional rug cleaning company who had a process for cleaning expensive handmade rugs that include vacuuming them to remove loose dirt, and then washing them thoroughly with soapy cleaning solution, and then thoroughly rinsing them with clean water, and then -- what was the most important step -- the area rugs were brought to a giant drying room where they were suspended and warm air was blown to be sure they were completely dry.

    You want to take the same steps after a flood. You want to make sure the dirt is removed, that the rugs and carpets are properly cleaned and rinsed, and then you want to make sure they are properly and thoroughly dried.

    Oh, there is one more step: you also want to wash your floors with soapy water to remove bacteria including mold. This may mean removing and replacing the tack strips used to hold wall to wall carpeting.

    You will have to replace your padding. Padding can't be saved after a rug so don't even bother.

    Remember time is your enemy-- the longer your rugs or carpet remain wet, the harder the job.

    With wall to wall carpeting if you can remove the carpet from your house and have it cleaned and dried professionally. You will have to "pick it up" anyway to remove the padding and to disinfect the floors underneath.

  2. #2
    Well said. Flood damage can spell the end of a rug's life as a floor covering - and most unfortunate if it happens to be a fine specialty rug. It really becomes a race against time to minimize the damage once saturated in dirty water. Believe it or not, even rugs that appear to be beyond repair can be restored in most circumstances. A good professional rug cleaning, serviced by a high tech, reputable facility, can restore the most flood damaged rug in under 10 gallons of water! It's amazing how far the industry has come given that the average is still hovering somewhere around 1,000 gallons of water per rug (and let's not subject that poor rug to a second flood lol).
    Last edited by Alan Mendelson; 11-20-2011 at 05:41 AM. Reason: commercial link removed

  3. #3
    I love your suggestion on how to save handmade oriental rugs keep on giving good recommendation...thank you!

  4. #4
    Alex, it's pretty obvious that you are in the Persian Rug business, so please-- as someone who is familiar with them -- can you give us some tips on care and maintenance of Persian rugs? Especially how to clean them after parties or care to take to make them last longer? A lot of people are also curious about repairs and what to do with loose strings and threads. I've also heard that Persian rugs when used and worn are worth more than those that are new?

  5. #5
    thank you for the information!

    to save our rugs, we should dried it carefully.
    Last edited by Alan Mendelson; 01-03-2012 at 02:29 AM. Reason: Commercial links removed. If you were up front about telling us about your business, we would allow the links.

  6. #6
    Just a thought, wouldn't it be easier and cheaper to replace wall to wall carpeting? If you try to save old carpet you would have to leave it in large pieces that are very hard to handle. When you rip out carpet to throw away, you can cut it into pieces 24-36 in. wide by 48 in. long. These can then be carried out of the house and thrown away properly.

  7. #7
    Originally Posted by KailynLaw View Post
    Just a thought, wouldn't it be easier and cheaper to replace wall to wall carpeting? If you try to save old carpet you would have to leave it in large pieces that are very hard to handle. When you rip out carpet to throw away, you can cut it into pieces 24-36 in. wide by 48 in. long. These can then be carried out of the house and thrown away properly.
    I think it's an affordability issue. Some people might have water damage covered by insurance -- and some might not. Some might be able to afford to buy new carpet, and some might not. There is no question that dealing with "flooded carpet" is a mess.

    When it comes to Persian rugs and other Oriental rugs, "replacing these" can be almost impossible as each handmade rug is unique and these rugs can be extremely valuable.

    Thank you for joining the Forum and for posting !!

  8. #8
    Hi to everyone,
    As this discussion is going on about the rugs I would like to give my opinion also. If you like to find out many ideas related to cleaning the rugs as well as many home decor and home improvement ideas, You must visit Rugsandblinds Blog. This is really a well maintained and informative blog.

  9. #9
    I have a plumbing mechanical business on the Atlantic Coast. We see a fair number of floods. The method used is to extract with a carpet cleaning van and put blowers under the rugs perimeter and portable dehumidifiers. Got to watch out for that black mold , most insurance coverage doesn't cover mold without a separate rider.
    FWIW- drywall will usually take 1 good soaking.

  10. #10
    Me too I wanna share a link also that would help for those who are looking for cleaning services if they could not able to handle the cleaning process, so here's one of valuable site and you may check it if you want duct cleaning Kelowna. Thanks!

  11. #11
    Thanks Alan you're right, aside from the cleaning company you recommend I'll give another one and that is cleaning services Calgary, that services really awesome.

  12. #12
    Thanks for the links to your company. Please tell us what their specialties are if they have any tips for consumers? We don't mind the links to companies that also share some info.

  13. #13
    Very helpful. Thanks

  14. #14
    Well if you try to preserve, old rug you would have to keep it in huge items that are very difficult to deal with. When you rip out rug to toss, away you can cut it into items 12, 20 in.

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