The Best Method to Clean Flooded Carpet

Flooding can damage nearly every area of your home.

Flooding can cause thousands of dollars' worth of damage to your home and ruin your carpets and flooring. The Flood Safety Education Project recommends cleaning and disinfecting the carpets with detergent and household bleach, provided the carpets survived the flood.

Cleaning

Remove the carpets from the home and discard the padding. Wet the carpets with a garden hose and apply disinfecting detergent to the surface. Work the soap into the carpet fibers and rinse again.

Considerations

Disinfect the carpets with a combination of 2 tbsp. bleach and 1 gallon water. Apply directly to the carpet and rinse to kill bacteria and remove the mildew smell. Bleach isn't suitable for carpets made of nylon or wool.

Warning

Never keep carpets that were covered by sewer water or sewage or carpets that were submerged underwater for 24 hours or longer. The risk of bacteria and contamination is too great to risk keeping the carpets.

References

• The Flood Safety Education Project: Cleaning Up After a Flood
• Carpets-Guide.com: How to Get Rid of a Wet Carpet Smell