February 22, 2012

Common Questions Asked About Water-Damaged Carpets

Having a water pipe damaged and burst in your home is no joke. It can leave your home in shambles, ruining your home and causing a big headache for any homeowner. One of the big problems that you can experience as a result of a busted pipe is water flooding inside your home. A likely result of this unfortunate event is causing water damage to your beautiful carpet. Carpets are great to have inside your home to complement the look and feel of the room. Unfortunately, a water-damaged carpet will be no good as it will stay ruined unless you make restoration and clean up efforts immediately.

Dealing with this carpet cleaning problem is tough especially for those who have not experienced a problem of this kind. Surely, a lot of carpet owners have questions in their minds related to cleaning up water damage in their carpet and how to do it the right way. Here is a list of some of the common inquiries regarding that as well as the answers to these questions.

How Soon Should I Clean Up My Water-damaged Carpet?

The sooner you act and try to restore your carpet the better the results will be. Water damage is tricky because the longer the water stays on your carpet the more damage it potentially does to its condition and quality. Don’t waste any time and act fast and try to restore your carpet right away. Waiting too long may result to your carpet being too badly damaged to be restored which will mean you’d have to replace the entire thing altogether.

Why Should I Disinfect My Carpet First When Dealing With Water Damage?

Disinfecting your carpet is important especially if you are dealing with unsanitary water on your carpet. Water from your pipes may be dirty and can contain bacteria and germs which is why disinfecting the carpet is always recommended to avoid any potential health problems for your family.

How Long Do I Need to Fan My Carpet?

Drying the carpet using industrial fans is one of the best way to go about dealing with water damage. The length of time though actually depends on the extent of the water damage and the size of your carpet. For slight water damage only your carpet will usually be completely dry in about 6-12 hours but for major water damage it may take 24-36 hours for the carpet to dry up.

Mistakes to Avoid When Dealing with Water Damage on Your Carpet

Floods, busted pipes, and a number of different issues can cause a large volume of water to flow to your carpet and in the process cause damage and deterioration. Water damage on the carpet is no joke as it can really be a major problem, sometimes even to the point that you would need to replace your carpet entirely.

There are ways that you can do the carpet restoration on your own after water damage but sometimes inexperience can lead carpet owners to commit mistakes and errors which can have negative effects on their carpets. Here is a list of common miscues that you should avoid when trying to restore a water-damaged carpet.

• Trying to restore a carpet with major water damage – Some water-damaged carpets can be dealt with on your own. This is especially true if you are dealing with damage caused by clean and sanitary water and the portion affected on the carpet is manageable. If you have major water damage on the carpet and if the water is unsanitary such as caused by a floor or an overflowing toilet, doing the work on your own is not the best course of action. In these difficult situations, it is wise to contact professionals who are capable and equipped of carrying out the work properly for the sake of your carpet.
• Not Fixing the Source of the Water First – If you have leaking pipes which caused the water damage on your carpet, it is very important that you deal with that problem first before trying to restore your carpet’s condition. Not doing this will simply mean that you’ll be having the same problem again very soon. Call a plumber or fix the source of the problem yourself before making any attempts at restoring your carpet.
• Not Cleaning Up the Water Damage Quickly – Some homeowners think that they can take their time before trying to clean up the mess caused by water damage. This is simply not the case. It is imperative that you deal with the problem as soon as possible to prevent any long term damage to your carpet. Taking it slow may increase the likelihood that your carpet will be beyond restoration so act fast and deal with the problem as soon as possible.

Trying to restore your carpet after water damage is a tough task and doing it properly is important. Don’t make the avoidable mistakes above to have the best chance of restoring your carpet to good condition after being water-damaged.

Wood Floors And Water Don’t Mix

 

This picture shows what happens to wood floors when a Tampa Water Damage occurs. We know that wood expands when it gets wet and will keep on expanding until it reaches a point that is full so to speak. As wood floors expand they warp and cause further damage if left unchecked. The parquet floors shown in the picture is a great example of this. All wood floors will expand but parquet floors really show us just how damaging a flood loss can be. What can you do if you have wood floors and experience a pipe break in your home? Get help fast! That’s it, call a professional to mitigate your water loss and keep the damage contained and under control. Letting this problem go unchecked will just cause more damage, which will cost more money to you.

After arriving on this water loss and just before removing the parquet flooring we had to set up negative air. This means we closed the door in the master bedroom to keep small particles and debris from contaminating other areas of the home. The negative air helps keep the contaminates suspended in the air from flowing under the closed door. The blue machine in the background is the air-scrubbing machine that keeps the negative air pressure in the room while removing the flooring. The flooring is then removed through the window into bins. I included this process just as an example of how important it is to call a professional to remediate your water loss. With so many different procedures and so many different sceneries during a flood, responding quickly and having a team of professionals is critical.

Unfortunately the parquet flooring in the condition above cannot be salvaged. With a regular wood floor the flooring can be salvaged but would need to be sanded and then stained to match the rest of the flooring but left unattended this type of wood flooring will soon reach the point of no return and will have to be removed.  Water damage floods can be simple or complex depending on the conditions and the areas affected. If you have a small flood on the floor with carpet and padding and the water has not reached others areas like walls or affected areas like pet spots the drying process can be quick. On the other hand if you have a second floor flood that has affected many different areas and surfaces like wallpaper or popcorn ceilings then the drying is more complex and the rules and procedures are more plentiful. Every water damage loss is different so why guess at what needs to be done. Call a professional and let your worries disappear.

Dry Solutions offers many different services, this means we can take care of all the different services needed to finish your home in a timely manner.

 

  • Carpet Cleaning
  • Upholstery Cleaning
  • Tile & Grout Cleaning, Grout Color Sealing
  • Carpet Repairs & Re-Stretching
  • Mattress Cleaning
  • Air Duct & Dryer Vent Cleaning
  • Infrared Leak Detection
  • 24 Hour Water Damage Tampa Restoration, Structural Drying and Repair
  • Carpet & Upholstery Protection

Follow These Steps To Get Help Fast!

1. Call us 24 hours at (813) 428-1288

2. Our certified technicians will arrive within 90 minutes

3. We dry your home or business & bill your insurance directly

 


Cleaning Tomato Soup Stains on Your Carpet

Keeping your carpet neat and clean is almost an impossible job. Everyday it is subjected to all kinds of cleaning threats such as dust, dirt, stains, and unsightly marks. Cleaning up these problems are not exactly a walk in the park and usually the homeowner will need to spend a lot of time cleaning up the mess. One problem that many people often encounter is cleaning up food spills on the carpet, such as accidentally spilling tomato soup while eating it in the living room. This occurrence is not that uncommon and learning how to clean this up will be very helpful in case you will face this situation in the future. Below are the steps that you should follow when you have a tomato soup spill on your carpet at home.

1. Remove the Excess Tomato Soup on the Carpet – This is the best way to start cleaning up this mess. Removing the excess tomato soup on the carpet not only helps in preventing the spill from becoming worse, it also makes it easier for you to clean up the remaining stain. Use a clean sponge or some rags and dab it onto the stain to remove the excess liquid so that all that will be left is the ugly stain on your carpet.
2. Use a Carpet Cleaning Solution on the Stain – After clearing up the excess tomato soup on the carpet, it is now time to apply some cleaning solution on the stain. You may take your pick on the carpet cleaning product that you are using, just make sure that it is compatible with the type of carpet you have before using it directly on the carpet fibers. To do this, test a small amount first on an unnoticeable portion of the carpet to see if it causes damage to the fibers. If not, then you may proceed in applying it to the stain.
3. Blot the Stain Using a Clean White Cloth – After applying the carpet cleaning product on the stain, use a clean white cloth and start blotting it. This step will help transfer the stain from the carpet surface onto the cloth. Continue doing this step until all of the stain is removed. Sometimes it will take only one attempt but in other cases it might take several tries. Just don’t give up easily and continue doing this until you totally get rid of the stain.
4. Rinse the Carpet with Water – Doing this last step is to make sure you rinse any excess cleaning solution residue on the carpet. The excess residue can build up over time and damage your carpet so rinsing it is important.

Tomato soup is delicious to eat but never a pleasant experience to clean up after you spill it on the carpet. If ever you encounter this type of situation, don’t panic and simply follow the steps above to be able to remove the tomato soup stain on your carpet with ease.

Carpet Cleaning 101: Deodorizing Your Carpet on a Budget

Pet odors, fungi, bacteria, and a lot more threats can cause your carpet to become unhygienic, unclean, and worst of all, have a nasty smell which can be observed even as you enter the door. If you constantly have visitors and guests in your home, you wouldn’t want to have to deal with the embarrassment that have a smelly carpet entails. Nobody wants to be in this kind of situation. Cleaning and deodorizing your carpet is easy enough and can likewise be done without hurting you financially. Some people always assume that deodorizing your carpet will cost you a ton of money. You will see in the list below, this is not always the case as you can get nice smelling carpets without having to use up your cleaning budget. Here are some of the ways where you can deodorize your carpet while even on a budget.

 

 

Use Vinegar to Deodorize Your Carpet – Vinegar is a nice, inexpensive way to remove the strong and nasty odor on your carpet. If you are dealing with smells such as wet/dog smell or pet stains, putting out a bowl of vinegar can make a lot of improvement as it can really be useful in absorbing the nasty smell and thus removing the unpleasant odor on your carpet. A different way of utilizing vinegar is by mixing it with clean water to create a cleaning solution which you can use. Use a teaspoon of the former with a cup of the later to create a nice cleaning solution which will deodorize your carpet in a jiffy.

 

Ammonia – Ammonia, while being constantly used to clean bathrooms and kitchens, is not always in the spotlight when talking about carpet cleaning. What many are unaware of is that using this affordable ingredient to remove strong smells can be really useful. Dealing with nasty odors can be a cinch when you use an ammonia based cleaning solution which is very simple enough to make on your own. You can do this by mixing a teaspoon of clear, white ammonia inside  spray bottle and applying a considerate amount of it onto the place where the odor is originating from. It is cheap and you won’t have to spend a lot of money or time waiting in lines to get the job done.

 

Hopefully these two cleaning methods of deodorizing your carpet can be of use to your particular situation. The next time you are dealing with carpet odors, don’ hesitate to use the tips above and have yourself a cleaning frenzy to get your wool carpet easily cleaned.

 

Time Is Your Worst Enemy During A Flood Loss

Water Damage Delamination

This picture shows what can happen when you experience a flood in your home. If the water is left to sit long enough, secondary damage will undoubtedly set in. The picture shows a common secondary damage called carpet delamination. What you’re seeing is the separation of the carpet. The primary and the secondary backing are coming unglued and when this happens the carpet is very weak in those areas.

This will appear as bubbles or wrinkles on the top of your carpet. This can be repaired but can be very costly. Often the course of action is to remove the carpet for replacement because the cost of repairing the damage is greater than replacement. If we were called when this Tampa water damage occurred this most likely would have been prevented. I cannot stress the importance of calling for help to manage a flood emergency. The costs are too great when it comes to your home or business being turned upside down. Not knowing what to do next or how this unfortunate emergency is going to affect your life.

Remember that everything that is hydro scopic will become affected during a water damage emergency if left unchecked. This means that all your furniture, papers, pictures, walls, clothes, shoes, drapes, wicker furniture and wood items will start to absorb moisture and then if left uncheck, could become damaged. While writing this article I’m reminded of what is most important to me like my daughters pictures she made for me when she was very young. Yes I still have many of her pictures on the walls as she wont let me take them down. One picture is of a duck. This duck she make me has four legs. Later she cut them off because she was embarrassed but I talked her into taping the legs back on. That picture to me is worth more than gold. I hope you understand how important it is to protect those keepsakes and know that they simply cannot be replaced.

This is a quick list of what you can do when your house is flooded.

1.      Don’t panic and slip and fall. Think safety first.

2.      Calls a professional water damage company now. The more time your water damage is left unchecked, the more damage you will encounter.

3.      Protect your self. That’s it, don’t handle anything in standing water or try to move something heavy on slippery floors. It’s just not worth it.

Dry Solutions offers many different services, this means we can take care of all the different services needed to finish your home in a timely manner.

 

  • Carpet Cleaning
  • Upholstery Cleaning
  • Tile & Grout Cleaning, Grout Color Sealing
  • Carpet Repairs & Re-Stretching
  • Mattress Cleaning
  • Air Duct & Dryer Vent Cleaning
  • Infrared Leak Detection
  • 24 Hour Water Damage Tampa Restoration, Structural Drying and Repair
  • Carpet & Upholstery Protection

Follow These Steps To Get Help Fast!

1. Call us 24 hours at (813) 428-1288

2. Our certified technicians will arrive within 90 minutes

3. We dry your home or business & bill your insurance directly

 


Cleaning Up Grass Stains on Your Carpet

Grass stains can be a pretty tough challenge to face for any carpet owner. It is ugly and can really ruin your carpet’s beautiful appearance. Nobody wants to have a very noticeable grass stain on their carpet which is why cleaning it up should be on top of your to-do list if you have this problem at home. While cleaning up grass stains may be hard, it is not entirely impossible so you can remove it as long as you follow the right way of doing it. Here’s what you’ll need to do to get rid of that nasty grass stain on your carpet.

 

  • Vacuum your carpet to ensure that any loose particles of grass are removed. Remember to use the suction tool to get the best results and to make sure that no grass is left behind your carpet.
  • With the carpet now cleared, grab a clean white cloth and dip it in water. Then, squeeze it to remove the excess liquid and then use it to blot the stain. You will instantly see that as you blot the grass stain will move from the carpet and onto the cloth’s surface.
  • Then, get a cleaning solution which you’ll be applying onto the grass stain. If you do not have any carpet cleaning product at home, you can simply make one of your own using non-bleach liquid detergent. Mix a teaspoon of it with a cup of warm water and then apply some of the solution onto the stain.
  • After letting the stain soak in the cleaning solution for a minute or so, use a clean white cloth to again blot the grass stain. Repeat this until you will have removed all of the grass stains left on your carpet. You may need to repeat this for several times but soon enough you’ll be able to clean the grass stains completely.
  • Rinse the place where the stain used to be with clean water to make sure no excess residue is left behind. Residue from the cleaning solution can accumulate over time and can damage your carpet slowly so make sure not to forget this important step. Dry the area up using some clean towels and that’s it.

 

Don’t let grass stains ruin your beautiful carpet. If you have grass stain problems at home, use the easy to follow guide above to totally get rid of it and keep your carpet clean and fresh always.

 

Cleaning Guide: Dealing with Fresh Egg Spills on Your Carpet

A carpet can face many different kinds of spills and stains. Some may be easy to deal with and can be removed without much hassle. Others on the contrary can be really tough to deal with and will give you a headache in figuring out how to clean it up properly. Cracking a fresh egg and spilling it all over your carpet by accident is one that clearly falls within the latter. Fresh egg spills can be pretty messy and can cause a real nasty stain on your carpet too. Dealing with a problem like this would require the right knowledge and approach to ensure your carpet is cleaned properly.  Check out the how-to guide below to know the right way to clean up fresh egg spills on your carpet.

  1. Use a spoon or dull bread knife to remove as much of the spill as possible. Do this as soon as you can to prevent the stain from become worse. Just be careful though as you can accidentally spread it further and make it worse if you don’t do it correctly. As for the egg whites, use a paper towel and start blotting to absorb as much of it from the carpet.
  2. Next, get some ammonia from your closet and make a cleaning solution which you’ll be applying on the egg stain. Mix a teaspoon of the ammonia with a cup of warm water to create an effective solution which will help remove the stain. Apply it onto the stained area and let it soak for a bit.
  3. Get another paper towel and start blotting the area once again. Work your way carefully around the stain and apply enough pressure to help transfer the stain from the carpet and onto the paper towel’s surface. Repeatedly do this step as it may take several tries before you totally get rid of the stain or until the stain is no longer transferring onto the paper towel.
  4. If after several attempts there is still some stain remaining, get a non-bleach liquid detergent and apply a small amount of it onto the stain. Use a paper towel and blot the stain with it as you work the detergent into the affected area. Continue doing this until all of the stain is gone.
  5. Rinse the area with clean water to prevent residue from building up and dry it using your wet/dry vac.

You see, in five simple steps you can get rid of that messy egg spill and stain on your carpet. With the simple guide above, cleaning up fresh egg spill on your carpet will now be a breeze.

 

Pros and Cons of Dry Cleaning Your Carpet

Many people wonder about the different methods of cleaning their carpets. There are wide variety of ways and means to get this done which is why some people find it hard to choose one particular cleaning method. One such way of cleaning the carpet is called dry cleaning. Much like the name suggests, it is a method of cleaning the carpet using only minimal or no moisture in the process.

When thinking about carpet cleaning, the common thinking is that it can only be done using water and moisture, but this is not always the case. Dry cleaning offers carpet owners an effective means of getting their carpet clean without having to wet the carpet. It is done by using a biodegradable cleaning powder which is then worked into the carpet fibers using a motorized rotary brush. The powder will absorb all the dust, dirt, stains, and other unwanted particles on the carpet to get it clean and fresh. All you would need to do is to suck out the cleaning agent using your vacuum cleaner and you’re done.

Dry cleaning the carpet has its distinct pros and cons which we’ll be discussing briefly below.

 

Pros

The biggest pro for dry cleaning your carpet is you can clean it without using water or any form of moisture. This is certainly a big benefit as you won’t need to spend a ton of time waiting for the carpet to dry before using it again. Another advantage is that it is environment friendly. The chemical powder which is used in this method is biodegradable so it can be disposed of properly without compromising or damaging our surroundings. Another advantage is the speed by which you can complete cleaning your carpet. The fact that little to no moisture is used, as soon as you vacuum out the cleaning powder you’re already able to use the carpet again. It is a unique advantage that dry cleaning has as compared to cleaning styles which require water and moisture to get the carpet clean.

 

Cons

Dry cleaning does have a disadvantage though, that is this method may be a bit more expensive than more traditional cleaning techniques such as simply shampooing your carpet. With dry cleaning, you would need to purchase the chemical powder which will be used as well as get a motorized rotary brush to really be able to work the powder in the carpet fibers.

Dry cleaning the carpet is a great method that you should try using. It has tons of pros and only one disadvantage that I can consider. Try it out and you’ll surely be able to efficiently clean and freshen your carpet with a lot of ease.

Pergo Flooring Has It’s Limits When It Comes To A Water Damage

This is what happens when your floor gets wet from pipe breaks/water damage. The picture above shows the threshold buckling as it swells from being in direct contact with water. This flooring is pergo, which means it will really absorb a lot of moisture and unfortunately be impossible to dry back to a pre loss condition. This secondary damage can occur in anything that is hydroscopic which will red ally absorb moisture when the relative humidity is very high.

The flooring will have to be removed because saving it is impossible. When it’s impossible to save the floor is removed to speed up the drying process. If we didn’t do this we would be drying something that was going to be throne out anyway. Most everyone dislikes the idea of removing the floor they paid a lot of money to have installed but the consequences would be more costly if left in place.

The number one thing you can do when you discover that your home has been flooded is to call a professional restoration company to prevent secondary damage and dry your home to prevent other damage like mold.

Other items in your home like furniture, paper products or wicker items should be removed right away before further damage can occur. Waiting till tomorrow is going to be to late. Save what you can and call a professional Tampa Water Damage company to remediate your loss.

The restoration company you call should be ready to respond twenty-four hours every day to emergencies. Remember that time is of the essence and waiting will just allow the water in your home to spread further causing more damage.

Some safety tips for you to follow when you have a flood.

1.      Safeties first, don’t try to be a hero. Walking from a wet surface to a hard one can spell disaster if you fall down.

2.      Call your neighborhood water damage professional.

3.      Save what you can while being very careful. Just light things only, don’t try to move heave items especially when the floor is wet.

4.      Let the professionals do their thing, and then you can enter the area ounce the area has been safely returned back to a somewhat safe condition.

By following these simple tips you will be much relieved when you experience a water damage flood first hand.

  • Carpet Cleaning
  • Upholstery Cleaning
  • Tile & Grout Cleaning, Grout Color Sealing
  • Carpet Repairs & Re-Stretching
  • Mattress Cleaning
  • Air Duct & Dryer Vent Cleaning
  • Infrared Leak Detection
  • 24 Hour Water Damage Tampa Restoration, Structural Drying and Repair
  • Carpet & Upholstery Protection

Follow These Steps To Get Help Fast!

1. Call us 24 hours at (813) 428-1288

2. Our certified technicians will arrive within 90 minutes

3. We dry your home or business & bill your insurance directly

 

St Petersburg Carpet Cleaning | Carpet Cleaning Tampa | Clearwater Carpet Cleaning

Business Name: Dry Solutions

Address: 4017 W. Osborne Ave Ste 6, Tampa, FL 33614