Carpet Cleaning After a Water Leak

First 24 Hours — What to Do

1. Stop the water source — shut off the valve or main.
2. Move furniture off the wet carpet to prevent rust and dye transfer.
3. Take photos of the affected area for insurance.
4. Extract as much water as possible — a wet/dry shop vac works if used aggressively.
5. Set up airflow — fans on the carpet, dehumidifier if you have one.
6. Call a professional the same day if the area is larger than a few feet, if water is grey or contaminated, or if it reached the pad and subfloor.

What Not to Do

• Don't apply heat — cranking the thermostat encourages growth, not drying.
• Don't leave wet carpet under furniture "to deal with tomorrow."
• Don't use household bleach on carpet — it damages fibers and doesn't reach the pad.
• Don't assume it dried just because the surface feels dry — padding holds water for days.

Categories of Water

Industry guidance categorizes water damage by contamination level:

• Clean water — supply line leak, overflowing sink, rain through a window. Highest chance of saving carpet if addressed quickly.
• Grey water — dishwasher, washing machine, aquarium. Contains detergent, food or biological matter. Sometimes salvageable with extraction and disinfection.
• Black water — sewer backup, ground/river flooding. Carpet and pad must be removed and disposed of.

How We Approach Water-Damaged Carpet

For clean-water losses, we extract standing water, lift the carpet where necessary to inspect and dry the pad, apply an antimicrobial rinse, and monitor drying. For serious losses, we're honest about when a specialty water mitigation company should handle the drying — and we can come back for a full cleaning once the space is dry.

Related: water-damaged carpet service, musty smell in carpet.