When you have a plumbing emergency in your home, your risk for mold is probably the last thing on your mind. Instead, you might first be scrambling to find a professional plumber to fix the problem. Then, you are likely wondering how much it’s going to cost to clean or replace your water-soaked carpet, reduce the risk of electrical shock if the water was near any appliances, and frankly—just get your home back in order.
Below, we’ve discussed just how to clean up water damage in your home, whether it’s the result of burst pipes or if your home was flooded during a weather-related event. If you’re reading this after you’ve cleaned your home up and dried out your carpet though, what you may actually need is a professional Lake Worth, FL mold assessment appointment. In the meantime, keep reading for preventive measures to take should you ever experience an emergency like this in the future.
Remove the Water Promptly
This one is probably pretty apparent—but when flooding occurs you should use a wet/dry vacuum to clean up as much water as you can as soon as possible. These machines really are the most effective tools for this job, and can typically be rented out from your local hardware store.
Use Fans to Accelerate the Carpet Drying Process
It can actually take several days for fans to completely dry a water-damaged area. We recommend keeping your ceiling fans running, and add some box fans to help, 24 hours a day. When your carpet feels dry, run them for a few more days—just because it’s dry on the surface doesn’t mean there isn’t still moisture.
Use Your Dehumidifier
The sole purpose of a dehumidifier is to remove excessive moisture from your home. Using a dehumidifier when your indoor relative humidity is above 50% is the standard recommendation anyway, and given that Florida is pretty well known for excess humidity, a dehumidifier will benefit you and reduce your mold growth risks regardless of whether you’ve had flooding or not—but it certainly helps after this has happened!
Consider Replacing Carpet Padding
It’s not rare for water-damaged carpet padding to require replacement. This is typically less expensive than having to re-carpet the entire damaged area. It’s also recommended that you have your carpets properly sanitized and deodorized through steam cleaning.
Don’t Forget Your Baseboards
Whether it’s storm-water or water from your plumbing system, anything touched by floodwaters should be sanitized. This includes your baseboards, walls, and hard-surface floors. This will reduce the chance of mold growth in the tight crevices that exist where your baseboards meet the walls and floors.
Check Your Furniture
Water damage can certainly impact furniture in addition to your carpet, rugs, and other flooring. Be sure to give your home a thorough inspection after a flood has occurred and consider re-upholstering or at least sanitizing your furniture to prevent mold growth here, too.
Envirotech Air Quality Services is one of the very few HVAC companies in south Florida who are also licensed mold assessors, mold remediators, and duct cleaners. Contact us today!
