Coping With Wet Carpet
Action which should be taken if a carpet or rug
becomes wet as in flooding, leakage or fighting fires,
will depend upon many circumstances: the amount and
source of water, the type and size of the carpet or rug,
the location, the kind of flooring, the type of
underlayment, method of installation, the length of time
the water has been in the carpet or rug, and the
equipment and services available.
The longer water is allowed to remain, the greater
the possibility of damage, so fast removal is important.
Soaking of the face yarns may produce swelling of the
fibers which, in turn, will allow the dye to bleed. Some
dyes are only slightly soluble but the prolonged soaking
can result in an appreciable amount of the dye being
removed.
As long as the carpet remains wet, the transfer of
dye from one colored yarn to another is very small.
However, as evaporation start to take place, dye transfer
may become a problem. The dye may wick to undyed fibers
or fibers of a lighter color. The dye may also wick and
become concentrated where the evaporation is taking
place. This usually produces a circular ring. Once the
dye transfers, it is almost impossible to remove it
satisfactorily.
Soil from the carpet may either dissolve in the
water or be picked up by it and wicked in a similar
manner as the dye. During this action the size of the
soil will be decreased and the manner of bonding it to
the fiber will change. The result makes it much more
difficult to remove.
Thorough wetting of cellulosic backing fibers may
produce shrinkage. If the carpet is fastened securely
around the perimeter, this may be sufficient to prevent
the shrinkage. On those carpets with a weak backing, the
force can be sufficient to tear the carpet. If the strips
are not anchored firmly to the floor, the force of the
shrinkage may pull the strips from the floor.
As long as the cellulosic fibers are wet, mildew will
not be a problem. However, as drying starts to occur,
mildew may grow. If the fibers remain damp, not only will
the musty odor become apparent but great loss in fiber
or yarn strength will take place. Under ideal mildew
conditions as much as 95% loss of the fiber strength may
occur in two weeks. Mildew may grow on jute, hair and
hair-jute pad which have not been treated. Prolonged
soaking of the rubber in the back may result in
dissolving of some water soluble materials, which, in
turn will weaken the back.