How to Effectively Dry a Wet Carpet with Baking Soda

Can Baking Soda Be Used To Absorb Water & Moisture From Wet Carpet?

Baking soda can absolutely be put on your carpet to absorb water from it and prevent costly water damage. Baking soda is a particularly good disinfectant and also baking soda does a fantastic job of drying damp carpet as well.

Its absorbent properties allow it to soak up any moisture it comes into contact with, even if it is soaked into the carpet. What’s more, it also acts quickly and can prevent your carpet from developing any mold or mildew problems over time.

Here’s how Baking Soda Dries Carpets…

Baking soda is an alkaline substance and, as a dry powder, its ability to absorb liquids is second to none.

Its chemical properties allow it to target water on essentially any surface and completely absorb it. It can not only dry carpets, but tile floors and even cement.

How To Dry Your Wet Carpet With Baking Soda

Drying your carpet or rug with baking soda is a fairly simple step-by-step process but mistakes can certainly be made without the right knowledge.

So let’s take it one step at a time and show how baking soda can help your wet carpets.

1.Remove Any Excess Water

For flooding situations or carpets that have already been water damaged you will need to use a shop vac or something similar to soak up any excess standing water.

It may seem counterproductive to deal with something other than the carpet to start but, if you do not get rid of any excess water around it, that water will make its way into the exact same carpet or the floor beneath it and damage it further.

2.Use Towels To Dry Around The Area

Once you have removed any excess water, use towels to dry the area around the carpet as well.

Apply as many towels as necessary, lay them out flat, and be sure to walk over them with some old or waterproof shoes to help with absorption.

3.Apply Baking Soda

Now it is time to grab several boxes of baking soda and sprinkle it on the carpet. You can be as generous with the baking soda as you’d like, however, using too much will require some extra cleanup at the end.

To put it in the most simple terms possible, if you find a spot on your carpet that is wet or damp, put baking soda on it and let it sit.  

If you are wondering How Long To Leave Baking Soda On Carpet…

Baking soda is something that works better the longer it is left out. For water damaged or soaked carpets, you should leave baking soda on any wet areas for several hours, 24 at most.

For smaller stains and damp carpets, baking soda only needs to work for 1-2 hours to be effective.  

4.Begin Vacuuming

In this step, you will want to pay the closest attention to because vacuums can become clogged or even broken when cleaning up baking soda.

There are some high-end vacuums that are made to combat this, however once you are finished vacuuming up the baking soda on your carpet, check the filter and bag of your vacuum to see if there are any signs of clogging.

5. Dry Up Anything Else With A Fan or a Dehumidifier

Finally, once you have finished up all the other steps before, find a decently sized fan and point it directly at the carpet to dry any leftover moisture.

Industrial fans or Dehumidifiers can usually be rented for a reasonable fee at most hardware stores if you need a larger fan or don’t have one. These fans are made specifically for drying water damaged areas and will work amazingly for drying your carpet too.

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Can Baking Soda Ruin Vacuums?

As mentioned above, you should certainly be careful with vacuuming up baking soda. While some vacuums can safely pick up baking soda, many other ones (particularly old or cheaper ones) can get clogged and ruined.

If you do use a vacuum to clean up the baking soda, be sure to check its filter and bag as these are the two most likely places it can cause clogs in your vacuum.

How Do You Get Baking Soda Out Of Carpet Without A Vacuum?

Getting wet baking soda out of a carpet without a vacuum is possible and something many people who are worried about the damage it can cause to their vacuums will consider trying.

For the larger clumps of baking soda, you can simply use a broom and dustpan to clean them up. However the smaller clumps may leave some residue on the carpet and, without a vacuum, you will need to get creative to clean these up.

One popular method involves mixing together three parts warm water and one part white vinegar. Once this solution is finished, use a sponge soaked in this solution to dab the areas affected by the baking soda.

Once you have cleaned the area with the sponge, take a dry towel and add some pressure to soak up anything left by the solution and let it dry.

Baking Soda To Disinfect Carpets

Baking soda does disinfect carpets and it does so quite well. Baking soda itself is a great disinfectant and can be used for carpets as well as many other surfaces to do the job.

If you are worried about any mold or mildew that can build up without the use of any disinfectants, baking soda should keep your worries shelved so long as the moisture was dealt with in a timely manner.

Mold and mildew will usually take at least one day to grow, so as long as you begin cleaning your wet carpet before then you won’t have to worry about it popping up in the future.

Baking Soda For Carpet Stains

Using baking soda to dry up smaller stains on a carpet is an excellent way to clean them. Whether it is wine, soda, or water, you can use baking soda to clear these up quickly.

For stains like wine or juice, you will want to add a small amount of water to the stain before applying the baking soda to aid in absorption and keep any colored stains away.

There’s also no need to worry about using a fan or anything to dry the stain, you can just let it dry naturally once you clean up the baking soda off of your carpet.

Deodorizing Carpet With Baking Soda

Baking soda works wonderfully as a deodorizer and will not only clean a water damaged carpet, but keep that “wet dog smell” away as well.

However, it is important to take note of that kind of smell before you apply the baking soda to a wet carpet.

This smell may be a sign of mold or mildew that can develop even after just a day if a water damaged carpet is not dealt with.

Simply covering this smell up with baking soda can cause this problem to worsen and too much mold and mildew can cause deadly diseases and breathing disorders if left unchecked.

Can Baking Soda Stain, Bleach Or Ruin My Carpet?

Baking soda will not bleach your carpet or cause any permanent damage to it. No matter the amount used, your carpet will be safe and the baking soda will certainly take care of any water that certainly could ruin the carpet.

With this being said, baking soda will sometimes leave behind a slight residue on carpets, especially if there was a lot of water damage.

Although, this residue can be easily cleaned off with a vinegar solution that is explained in the above section “How Do You Get Baking Soda Out Of Carpet Without A Vacuum?”

What If I Can’t Remove All The Moisture With Baking Soda?

If baking soda is not enough to remove all the moisture you may need to rent a steam cleaner or call in a water damage restoration professional.

Even for carpets that have undergone some heavy water damage, the baking soda method is recommended by professionals and is a great start to rejuvenating your carpet.

In the case of flooding or if water continues to come back even after you have tried the baking soda, this moisture might be the result of something else that requires professional help. 

When To Call A Professional

In most cases and for a small amount of water damage, drying a wet carpet can be handled on your own without any professional help. Using baking soda, a vacuum, and a fan is a great start.

For the more extreme cases such as a very large rug or carpet getting soaked or a situation where flooding or potential wastewater could be involved, a professional should be contacted.

While a wet carpet can be a simple fix, it is not one that you can let sit around for even more than a day as mold will start to grow and can destroy your carpet and wreak havoc in your house.

We have Water Damage Restoration Technicians that can help Remove the Water, Dry out your Carpets & Repair any Water Damage Caused.

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