Humid Climate? Try These Solutions for Carpet Cleaning
Whenever you clean a carpet, it's of the utmost importance that you dry it out fully and promptly. If you let too much water linger in the carpet for too long, you'll end up with mold and mildew, which don't smell great or look very beautiful. But drying your carpet out quickly can be a real struggle if you live in a humid climate. You can't just open the windows and wait for the moisture to evaporate; it won't. Thankfully, there are a few solutions you can explore to prevent mold and mildew growth on your cleaned carpet.
Look into dry cleaning solutions.
Just as you can take your clothing to be dry cleaned, you can have your carpet dry cleaned, too. Keep in mind that dry cleaning does not mean your carpet won't get wet. It will simply be wet with a cleaning chemical rather than water. This cleaning chemical evaporates very quickly and won't lead to mold.
One of the best known carpet dry cleaning solutions is Chem-Dry. This solution is best applied by a professional carpet cleaner. It serves to remove allergens, pet dander, bacteria, and mold spores from your carpet, which is a very good thing in a humid environment where your carpet is likely a bit moist, causing it to hold on to these particles easily. Carpets dry in just hours after using Chem-Dry, even if your area is humid, and there's no reason to open your windows during the drying process.
Set up some dehumidifiers.
If you are dead set on shampooing your carpet yourself or on hiring a professional to steam clean it, then you'll need to take steps to reduce the moisture in the air after your shampooing session. A good approach is to keep your windows shut and to set up several portable dehumidifiers in the area where the carpet was shampooed. The dehumidifiers will remove moisture from the air. Since the air will be left dryer, more moisture will then evaporate from your carpet and into the air. Make sure you keep your windows closed during this whole process so you're not allowing excess humidity to come inside. If you have an air conditioner, keep it running; it will help suck more moisture out of the air.
Purchasing dehumidifiers can be expensive, especially if you only intend to use them when you shampoo the carpet. Luckily, many rental companies carry portable dehumidifiers that you can borrow for two or three days at a low price.
Consider spot-treating and dry deodorizers.
If you're on a very tight budget and need to get your carpet cleaned, you may just want to spot-treat the stained areas and then use a dry deodorizer, like baking soda, on the rest of the carpet. When you only get small areas wet, they typically dry faster. Plus, the baking soda will absorb extra moisture along with bad odors.
To spot treat your carpet, purchase a spray-on carpet stain remover. Test it in a hidden corner to ensure it does not discolor your carpet. Then, apply it to the stain, wait the recommended amount of time (typically 2 to 5 minutes), and then blot it up with a clean cloth.
When you've attacked all of the spots, take some baking soda and sprinkle it all over the carpet. Let it sit for at least a few hours, or even overnight, and then vacuum it up. Your carpet will look and smell fresher without the risk of developing mold.
When you live in a humid climate, you can't always resort to conventional carpet shampooing with good results. Luckily, any of the solutions above should work quite well.
