How long to let carpet dry after cleaning – this is perhaps the most asked question professional carpet cleaners get. It is not a mystery though, because aside from the cleaning per se, the drying process has an impact on the overall condition of the carpet. And to answer the question: well, it depends! How long a carpet takes to dry depends on several factors.
How Long to Let Carpet Dry After Cleaning
As you continue your carpet cleaning journey, you will notice that several factors affect the drying time of a carpet. Let’s find out what these factors are below.
The Cleaning Method
The first thing to consider when it comes to drying time is the carpet cleaning method you choose. Most of the time, professional cleaners use the best deep-cleaning method, which is “hot water extraction''; however, the time for the carpet to dry in that method is usually a drawback.
Different methods on how to clean a really dirty carpet are available if your carpet smells like dog pee or is dirty from something else. Hot water extraction cleaning is commonly known as steam cleaning. Does steam cleaning carpet remove stains? Well, besides being an effective way to deep clean carpets, it is also required by most carpet manufacturers to maintain the stain and wear warranties of the carpets. Using this cleaning system, heated water is applied, then the carpet is put under pressure to get rid of dirt and soil.
The use of water when rinsing a carpet, especially a big and thick one, implies that a significant amount of water is necessary. The water in the carpet will then be vacuumed out; however, although professional cleaning companies use strong vacuum equipment for this purpose, expect to see your carpet still sufficiently damp. It will take approximately 6 to 12 hours to dry. To shorten this time, you can employ several tips, such as using fans or opening your windows to provide additional airflow.
The Cleaner’s Experience
Another factor that will affect the time your carpet dries after cleaning is the experience of the cleaning technician. Although carpet cleaning is not on the same level as discovering a new cure for a disease, still, it requires a certain skill-set, which can be enhanced through training and experience.
Dedication and experience go a long way in cleaning a carpet. A newly cleaned carpet that is not soaked in water can be achieved with experience and dedication. Experience to use the right amount of water and dedication to spend significant time to vacuum off excess water. Without these, issues concerning your carpets may arise.
How Humidity Impacts Drying Time
If there is one factor that cleaning technicians do not or have very little control over is humidity – both in and out of your home. The principle in drying carpets is evaporation. This means that the carpet’s moisture has to evaporate for it to dry, but this occurs only if the air is dryer than the carpet. In humid conditions, however, the air has a lot of moisture – the reason it cannot absorb the moisture in the carpet and resulting in a longer time to dry and the inability to know if your carpet is clean.
How to Shorten Carpet Drying Time
Here are some tips on how to make carpet dry faster.
- Clean your carpets regularly. The heavier the dirt and soil in your carpet, the more effort and water are to be applied to clean it, and the longer the drying time will be.
- Request for a blow-dry from your service technician.
- Open some windows in your home to increase dry airflow and speed things up.
- Use your fans to let air circulate.
- If the weather is cold and opening your windows is not the best option, turn on your air-conditioning system.
Questions
How to dry carpet fast after cleaning?
After cleaning, you can use fans and point them toward the carpet. To make sure you are hitting different areas, move them every hour until the whole carpet is dry. You can also use ceiling fans to dry your carpet faster.
Is steam cleaning good for carpets?
Also called deep cleaning, steam cleaning is the sole carpet cleaning approach and one of the most effective carpet cleaning method known to get rid of at least 97% of bacteria and dirt found in carpets. Steam cleaning can take about 45 minutes to hours depending on the carpet’s size and thickness and the quality of the cleaner's extraction system.
Bottom Line
As several factors can affect the drying time of a carpet, there is no definite answer on how long to let carpet dry after cleaning. However, you can expect your carpet to be dry after 6 to 12 hours after professional steam cleaning. You can also apply the tips mentioned above to quicken its drying time and to make carpet soft after cleaning.
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