One of our rooms flooded over the weekend and we have some pretty wet carpet to show for it. Is there any rule of thumb about when to live with it and when to throw it out? And if we do have have to throw it out are there any immediate health concerns - like do we have have to throw it out today?
Thanks
Making Choices about Cleaning Wet Carpet.
Managing water infiltration (scroll down).
Cleaning Up After a Flood: Mold in Your Home.
Bottom line: if you suspect that the floodwater might have contained raw sewage or other contaminants, don’t hesitate to throw the carpet away. Otherwise, it’s basically up to you how much time and effort (and money) ya wanna spend on cleaning it and making sure it dries in a timely manner so as not to fill up your whole house with mold spores. The deadline for deciding whether to throw it away would be when, and if, it starts growing mold, or you start smelling mold in your house–that’s when you get out the wrecking bar and the paint scraper.
A rug you can pull right away (the sooner the better), send it out to be professionally cleaned and it may be OK. Even a professionally cleaned rug can sometimes hold a mildew smell.
As for carpet, I think you are taking a huge chance by not getting rid of it right away. If there is wood underneath it, that has to have a chance to thoroughly dry and even it may need to be replaced. I had a room flood and they came in, cut up the carpet and hauled it out without hardly even asking. Save it? Fuggedaboudit!
First of all check your insurance policy. If the damage is covered that will make the decision to replace it a bit easier. Be aware that most ordinary policies won’t cover damage from floods, and if the water came in from under the door it will be considered a flood.
I once had a rental unit that flooded and I got Stanley Steemer out there to extract the water. The final bill was more than it would have cost to put in brand new carpet. I’m still pissed about that.