fire and water damage

After a fire or water loss one thing is for sure. You will need your carpets cleaned and restored. Oriental rugs are often the most expense by the square foot and need special attention. Proper rug handling methods from the beginning should save you problems in the end.

The first task you will want to do is extract the water from the rug/carpet immediately! The longer a rug sits in water the higher the chances are that the dyes will migrate. Color correction can be difficult and maybe impossible if your rugs/carpet is older. To reduce this risk, extract water immediately.

When extracting the water, move your wand WITH the grain. This will do two things. One, It is physically easier to do and puts less stress on your body and Two, It will prevent and minimize fiber distortion which on some rugs is nearly impossible to fix.

Do not stack your rugs when moving from one area to another! The dyes could run from one carpet to the other. You could end up with just a pile of ruined carpets. To alleviate this problem do one of two things. One, Roll the rugs up and place in plastic bags (Only if you are transporting and removing quickly from the plastic, long term storage will not allow the rugs to fully dry and may cause mold growth). Two (Best Option), Place a sheet or towel on the rugs and roll them up individually.

One of the most popular and possibly the most damaging ways to dry thick rugs and carpets are too put them out in the sun to dry. Even a short trip in front of the sun’s rays could fade your rug. I would even recommend not placing your rug in a place where the sun hits it for long periods of the day inside your home let alone outside. This will surely damage your wet carpet. Best method is to extract the water and put several fans directed at it to get air moving and dry it out faster. If laying them in the sun is necessary, put the top side down and lay on a flat surface.

Lastly, do not drip dry your rugs. Dyes can go into your wool fibers if you do this, or run into the other dyes of your carpet. It may end up looking more tie-dye than intricately designed in the end. If there are no dyes, you still shouldn not drip dry. The thickness of the carpet/rug will prevent it from fully drying at the lower end where the water is dripping off.

In summary, remember these carpet restoration tips:

1.Extract the Water Immediately

2.Extract water WITH the grain

3.Do not stack your wet rugs

4.Never dry in direct sunlight

5.Do not drip dry

For more detailed information about fire and water damage restoration visit our site at http://www.fgswpa.com/ FGSWPA or for emergency services 24 hours 7 days a week call First General Services of Western PA at 1-800-553-8426.

Tags: carpet and upholstery cleaners, commercial carpet cleaner, home carpet cleaner, home carpet cleaners, professional carpet cleaner, professional carpet cleaners, rug steam cleaners