It’s horrible to be wandering through your house and the feel is squelching underneath your feet as you realize that your carpet is now soaked with water. Carpet that is saturated for any length of time can become a breeding ground for mildew and mold. What do you do? Well the first thing to do is not to panic. The second thing to do is to call a water damage restoration company but here are a few things you can do it yourself to mitigate the damage before they arrive.

• The first thing you should always do is open up the windows if only to begin with. The more airflow you can get into the room the better. All items that have any contact with the carpet including beds, boxes and other things should be removed from the room.
• You will need a vacuum that can suck up water and without pressing too hard, that will cause the water to spread further throughout the room, start to vacuum on the water. This may take several attempts.
• If possible get several large box fans and set them in the four corners of the room blowing air from the room. This will help drive a carpet more rapidly.
• If you have access to a dehumidifier that will help get rid of moisture even faster. You have to use both the fans and the dehumidifier over several days to be sure that you got rid of all the water. Eventually the carpet should become dry. Be aware though that without calling in a professional and without tearing up the carpet you can never be sure you got all the moisture just by doing these things.