The Best Ways to Get Carpet Dry After Cleaning

When steam cleaning or shampooing the carpeting in your home, you may succeed in getting the carpet clean but are left with moisture that requires removal. Taking care of the moisture quickly prevents the opportunity for mildew growth, thereby eliminating the risk of bacterial growth and associated odor.

Dry carpet after cleaning with fans.

Ventilation

Opening the windows is one of the easiest ways to get your carpet dry quickly. Open windows on a warm day with low humidity; the air will quickly dry your carpeting and leave the room smelling fresh and aired out.

Fans

Place fans around the room, pointing them downward so they directly hit the carpeting. Move them every hour or so to dry different areas of carpeting, and repeat until the carpet is dry. If you have ceiling fans in the room, turn those on as well.

Dehumidifier

Dehumidifiers are designed to collect moisture in the room, making them ideal when you have damp carpeting that you want to dry. Sit the dehumidifier in the middle of the room, and turn it on high. Check back every hour or so, emptying the fluid canister as needed when moisture collects.

Shop Vac

Suck up excess water with a shop vac that has wet and dry capabilities, which is helpful when excessive amounts of moisture are left behind on the carpet. Use the shop vac just as you would a vacuum, running the shop vac over the carpeting and emptying the canister as needed if the collected fluid reaches the fill line.