Water damage is a common occurrence in most properties worldwide. It generally follows burst sewers, leaking roofs and taps, and even natural disasters. The extent of water damage differs based on the length of exposure. Damage to clothing and furniture might be evident, but damage to carpets can be hard to detect. The mats will soak up a considerable amount of water, which then seeps into your floors.
With that in mind, you will need water damage restoration experts to ensure that your carpets are sufficiently dry. After drying them using different methods, the experts will also clean the carpets. This is because the water that they have been exposed to might have germs that cause various diseases in pets and humans. The cleaning process also gets rid of mold spores that might have proliferated in the wet conditions. Here are the cleaning techniques that most experts use:
Encapsulation
In this technique, your carpet is treated with a foam or dry-cleaning compound, which is then agitated uniformly into the fibers. The compound binds the molecules to the carpet fibers and then crystallizes. Finally, it is sucked out using a powerful vacuum. Carpets cleaned through encapsulation take approximately an hour to completely dry, and the chemicals used are eco-friendly and safe for pets and children. However, encapsulation is generally efficient for thin carpets since the foam does not penetrate deep fibers.
Bonnet Cleaning
This technique involves the use of a round buffer pad known as a bonnet to pick the foreign elements from your carpet’s fibers. The pad is lubricated using a detergent and routinely wiped when saturated with grime to prevent it from attracting new dirt. Bonnet cleaning is generally used for thin carpets since it does not efficiently get rid of the particles embedded in deep carpet fibers.
Dry Compound Cleaning
This technique uses a compound that attracts grime and dissolves it. The mixture is first worked into the carpet’s fibers using different rotating brushes. Then, the cleaner sucks out the residue with a vacuum. The rotating action of the brushes allows the compound used to settle inside the carpets by opening up the fibers. Dry compound cleaning is hence efficient for cleaning thick carpets.
Dry Foam Cleaning
In this option, a dry foam is applied onto your carpet and then vacuumed after it binds to foreign elements. Unlike the compound used in encapsulation and dry compound cleaning, the foam used here is not completely dry since it is mixed with some water, which activates its ingredients. Dry foam cleaning is generally used for moisture-sensitive carpet fibers.
In the end, simply drying your carpets with fans and vacuum cleaners is not enough. The carpets should be thoroughly cleaned before anyone enters the building. This way, you can guarantee that they do not become a source of mold growth, which can trigger various allergies and diseases among the building’s occupants. The given cleaning techniques are the best choice since they take the shortest drying time. Also, they do not wet your carpets further.