Hurricane Ian and Oriental Rugs
In Hurricane Ian’s aftermath, many rug owners are left to deal with flooded wool or silk area rugs. If you find yourself with damp or flooded Oriental or Persian rugs, remember two words: extraction and drying. Depending on the amount of flood water in your rug, you’ll likely need to consult with a rug cleaning professional (not a carpet cleaner) for advice and/or service. There are a few things you can do immediately to remedy the flood situation in your home.
Storm Water Extraction
Extraction is the most important thing to remember when storm water floods your area rug. You’ll want to act quickly and begin the extraction process right away. Hopefully, you have electricity and access to a wet/dry shop-vacuum. A shop vac will be the most effective tool a rug owner can use in removing water from your carpet. Take your time with extraction.
If you don’t have access to a shop-vac, get a stack of clean, dry towels. Lay the towels across the flooded area and allow them to absorb water and moisture. Remove the saturated towels, and quickly replace with clean, dry towels. Before performing this process, make sure to remove the rugs padding, if any.
NOTE: Rug pad that has been saturated with water cannot be cleaned and will need to be replaced because it can harbor moisture and eventually allow mold growth.
Drying Your Carpet
Once you’ve removed as much flood water as possible, you should begin the drying process. The best way to dry area rugs that have been exposed to flood water is with fans. Use any box fans or oscillating fans that you have in your home. Position them so they blow directly on the area that was flooded with storm water. Turn on any ceiling fans. You want to move as much air as possible.
If possible, set your thermostat somewhere between 65 and 70 degrees. Open a window near the drying carpet, just an inch or so. The cracked window will allow moisture to escape from your home. It is not advisable to place wool or silk area rugs in direct sunlight on the driveway. Bright sunlight, coupled with hot concrete can cause fading.
When to Call Oriental Rug Salon?
Once you have stabilized your cherished area rug the best you can, contact Oriental Rug Salon. We have the drying and remediation procedures necessary to dry, sanitize, stabilize, and clean your area rug.
Oriental Rug Salon is a Certified WoolSafe Service Provider, certified by the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) and the International Carpet & Rug Institute (CRI).
Having your home or Oriental area rug flooded with storm water is no fun and time is of the essence when remediating wet area rugs. The longer a rug owner waits, the greater likelihood of dye migration, dry rotting, and permanent damage.
Hurricane Ian brought destruction to SW Florida that has never been seen in our lifetimes. The path to recovery will be long and challenging. The SWFL community is strong and will persevere and we’ll get through this event together.
Our team is keeping everyone in our thoughts and just know that Oriental Rug Salon is here should you ever need our services.
For more information about Oriental Rug Salon please visit us online at www.OrientalRugSalon.com or “call us on the carpet” any time at 239-424-8171.
