You’ll almost certainly need to replace any water damaged carpet padding, but replacing the carpet itself – a much more expensive undertaking – can often be avoided when you know how.

Remove Water Quickly

A wet/dry vacuum can remove water extremely quickly and efficiently. They can be rented from water damage repair companies. Of course, you won’t be able to get one straight away. Until yours arrives, use towels to soak up water, squeeze that water into a bucket, then empty the bucket into the sink.

Utilise Fans to Speed Things Up

Fans can help facilitate the drying process, even after the water seems to have been removed. You can rent a high-power drying fan, but even standard ones can be useful. They will circulate fresh air throughout the room, making it harder for mould to develop, all while reducing the level of residual moisture.

Use a Dehumidifier

As well as a fan, homeowners can take advantage of a dehumidifier. While fans work well, a dehumidifier is often a better choice when water damage has been extreme. They work by removing moisture and making the air feel cooler. Mould won’t stand a chance.

Steam Clean Your Carpet

Once the room has been thoroughly dried out, you’ll still want to take a few steps to ensure that the carpets are completely safe. Most importantly, you should consider having them steam cleaned. You can either do this yourself or hire in a professional.

Water damaged carpets and floors can quickly become a fertile breeding ground for mould. This can trigger certain health problems by irritating the nose, eyes, throat, or lungs, and can also quickly destroy parts of your home. Follow the steps laid out in this guide to make sure that water damage doesn’t make your carpets a magnet for mould.

However, your choice of flooring material will greatly change how you feel about your home, so it’s always wise to pick the one you really want. Luckily, there are a number of handy ways to reduce the allergy-related problems of carpeting.

Fortunately, most fibres used in the construction of modern carpets are made of non-allergenic materials, which actually repel airborne allergens. Pollen will dry out, and organic compounds simply die off. Nylon is our top pick for controlling your allergies, while the prize for worse material goes to wool.

Try paying attention to the density and length of fibres too. Shorter, tightly woven strands will mean that there are less places allergens can become trapped. This makes cleaning much more effective. Also, remember that newly purchased carpeting has usually been chemically treated, often with allergens like formaldehyde. Ask your carpet supplier to provide you with an option that limits the use of such substances. In any case, keep the room well aired for a few days after it is laid down.

Whatever option you go for will need to be cleaned regularly. After all, you can’t stop allergens entering your home, but you can stop them settling in the carpet. Vacuum frequently, and use carpet shampoos or steam-cleaners every couple of months. Some vacuums are equipped with a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter, which trap allergens, so they might be worth investing in if you suffer badly.

If you’ve inherited a carpet from a previous homeowner, remember to check if they had a dog or cat. If so, a professional cleaning service will probably be more useful than anything you can provide by yourself.

Carpets can often be problematic for allergy sufferers, but they don’t need to be. If carpet is what you want, carpet is what you deserve – all you need to do is follow the advice provided above.

Consider your requirements. Does the carpet in each room need to provide noise insulation, or add colour? Must it be durable or need only infrequent cleaning? How much money can you afford to spend on it? If you’re doing more than one room then will the colours match if they border?

Padding. The various thicknesses of the padding placed beneath the carpet will not only absorb sound, but provide extra warmth and help to reduce wear-and-tear to different degrees, so it’s worth investigating the options.

Look at your lifestyle. Is the carpet going to be placed in a high-traffic zone, such as over the stairs or in the living-room? Do you have children or pets that are likely to be running around on the carpet with dirty feet? If so you’re better off looking at something like Berber or textured carpeting than plush. Carpet tiles are a good idea if staining is anticipated, as they can be cheaply and easily replaced, and a stock of them stored in a cupboard. Woven wool is useful for stairs, as it is quite heavy-duty.

Styles. Remember that light-coloured carpets will add the illusion of space to a small room just as wallpaper or paint does on the walls. They also make furnishings stand out. Whereas darker colours are better for hiding unsightly stains. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of patterned carpets available so take samples if that’s the option you’re going for to ensure they suit. It’s also possible to get some good quality eco-carpets now that reduce the impact on the environment of their manufacture.

Sourcing carpet. There are many places where you can buy carpets, but in most cases you’re probably better off sticking with a specialist provider that offers a large range and can give good advice. Similarly, when it comes to something that can dramatically affect the look of your home it’s best to have it fitted professionally. Get quotes broken down into materials and fitting so that you can make comparisons easily.

Aftercare. Always check with the supplier that aftercare and maintenance needs of your carpet and adhere to them. There are many types of warranty available so check you’re only paying for one that reflects your needs.

Visiting a carpet website or shop can be an overwhelming experience as there are so many different types of carpet. Unless you have a good idea of the type of carpet you want from the start you may be thrown by the amount of choices. Carpets are classed by either the materials or methods used to make them. And, to add to the confusion, you also get carpets classed by their country of origin, Persian carpets for example.

Firstly let’s consider ‘pile’. This term simply means how the carpet fibres are structured. There are two different piles of carpets: Loop pile and Cut pile. Loop pile is how every carpet starts with rows of looped fabric woven into a carpet backing. If you then snip the loops at the top to create single strands of fibre you achieve the cut look. So your first choice will be to decide between loop or cut pile, or a combination of both. Each type has a distinctive look and feel and is better suited to some rooms more than others:

• Loop pile carpets are similar to natural flooring like sisal. The loops create a high level of bounce and are very hard wearing so ideal for high footfall areas. But they are not that comfortable to walk on without shoes. Also not recommended in rooms that cats and dogs frequent as claws can pull the ‘loops’ and damage the carpet.
• Level loop or Berber carpets have one length of loop throughout which gives the carpet an even feel or look.
• Twisted pile is a cut pile carpet where the strands are twisted together to give them more strength. They therefore have a coarser feel but are more hard wearing and easy to clean.
• Frieze carpets are the most durable form of cut pile carpets. They are highly twisted with short fibres that hide footprints and vacuum marks.
• Saxony carpets are cut pile carpets that have longer strands known as deep pile. They feel comfortable underfoot but can flatten down easily so are mostly recommended for living rooms and bedrooms.
• Velvet or plush carpets are also cut pile but use soft, untwisted fibres to give the most luxurious experience. Highly recommended for bedrooms.

So don’t forget to match your type of carpet to each room. A bathroom or kitchen will need heavy duty, stain and water resistant carpet. A hallway that is trodden on frequently will also require a heavy duty carpet. Whereas in your bedroom you can indulge yourself in the softest and most comfortable foot pleasers!

Explore the rest of our website for more help choosing the right type of carpet.

The most significant factor is comfort under foot. The soft surface and cushioning effect of carpet makes it the easiest option for your feet. It also provides excellent warmth and acts as an additional insulator in your home, helping with your energy efficiency.

Carpet is also a lot ‘quieter’ than other forms of flooring. It stifles foot noise, reduces that empty room echo sound and blocks noise from travelling as much between floors. And don’t forget it’s a lot safer. You are not as likely to have a serious accident on your carpet as it is non-slip and provides a cushioned fall. And if you drop any fragile items they are less likely to be damaged.

Nor is carpet an expensive option as typically it costs less than other types of popular flooring. You should be able to buy your carpet and have it professionally fitted for less than hardwood or tile floorings. Some people think that it is harder to keep carpet clean but most made today are highly stain-resistant and very easy to maintain.

Last but not least is decoration. A lot of people now act as their own ‘Interior Designer’ and as you can get carpet in any style, design, colour or pattern it has become an integral part of decorating a room.

So, for all these reasons, carpet is still typically the number one flooring choice, featuring in several rooms of a house. For more information on carpet and other flooring solutions, please take a moment to explore the rest of our informational website.

Although some spills and stains will no doubt have to be corrected by a carpet specialist, there are a number of things you can try and some tips you can follow to clear up most stains by yourself. So don’t panic! See our advice below for more information:

First – The tools:

• It’s helpful to have a clean cloth at hand, to help wipe up any spillages
• Detergent solution can be mixed with water, and will often bring up any remaining marks
• If a simple detergent solution doesn’t do the trick, you can try a dry cleaning solution, detergent vinegar solution or ammonia solution.

Just remember – don’t use anything that is likely to damage or further stain / bleach your carpet. The last thing you want to do is make it any worse!

Helpful Tips:

• Always make sure to avoid over-wetting your carpet. This can cause any remaining liquid or other substance to leak into surrounding material, and can damage underlay and other backing materials if they are made too wet.
• If you are using a solution or detergent that you haven’t used before, make sure you test it on a smaller area of carpet first – ensure that it won’t damage your carpet any further.
• Use any cleaning products at the diluted rate stated on the packaging.
• Blot the stain with the cloth and cleaning liquid you are using. Never rub or scrub, this will only make the problem worse.
• Always work from the outside of the stain, slowly moving in to avoid spreading it into the surrounding carpet.
• Apply your cleaning solution to the material or cloth you are using to clean the spill or stain, not directly to the carpet.
• It always helps to make sure the carpet dries out quickly – you can even use a hairdryer on a low heat.
• Finally, always deal with stains as quickly as you can. The longer you leave them, the harder they will be to remove.

For more tips and advice on carpets, please see the rest of our website.