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How To Dry Wet Carpet Without Vacuum?

It’s pretty challenging to dry out a wet carpet. But the problem gets even more brutal to solve when you don’t have any vacuum cleaners nearby. You have to use some other tactics for the job. So, how to dry wet carpet without a vacuum?

You can use a towel with iron to evaporate a small amount of moisture from the carpet. But using a hairdryer, carpet dryer, and dehumidifier are the most effective methods to dry out a rug. And don’t forget about using sunlight as an alternative for drying. But keep the baking soda method as a last option.

You can apply any of these methods based on which tools are available at that moment. So, learn the detailed procedure to act quickly before the stain sets on your carpet.

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Is It Important to Dry Out the Carpet?

Of course, it is vital to dry out your carpet. Drying out the wet carpet is crucial, even if the damp area is tiny. Moist areas are ideal habitats for fungus.

Therefore, when you leave the carpet dry or don’t take any measures, the mold and mildew will start to form pretty quickly. On top of that, foul smells will spread from the wet areas.

Those areas will also get shaded because of moisture. Sometimes the wet carpet can cause allergic reactions. That’s why leaving the damp carpet to dry out is not an option.

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Methods On How To Dry Wet Carpet Without Vacuum Cleaner

Don’t worry if you have a broken vacuum cleaner or don’t have a vacuum at all to clean the wet carpet. There are several other options for you to dry out your expensive carpets. Try one of them or multiple ones for the job.  

Methods On How To Dry Wet Carpet Without Vacuum Cleaner

Method-1: Use Towel and Iron

It is one of the universal methods to dry out the clothes pretty quickly. So, will it be applicable to carpets? Well, it turns out it can!

First of all, you need to grab a towel quickly and place it over the wet surface to absorb water as much as you can. It may take two or three attempts to absorb moisture from the surface.

Then, get another towel over the wet surface and use the hot iron to steam it. Keep the iron for a few minutes and wait to cool down the carpet surface. After that, check on the carpet whether it is dry or not.

If not, repeat the process three or four times. The heat helps to reduce the nasty smells and prevent mold growth.

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Method-2: Sunlight-A Natural Source

Sun-drying your carpet is an efficient technique, and it takes minimal effort to apply. So, at first, you need to remove the detached moisture from the carpet surface with paper towels. They are more effective than cloth towels.

Now take the wet carpet outdoors to hang it directly under the sunlight. It would be better to place it in an open place with no shade, such as a rooftop. 

Then, all you need to do is wait and check on the carpet after a specific interval and see whether it is moisture-free or not. Sunlight has UV rays which are very effective in anti-microbial removal.

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Method-3: Use A Hair Dryer

Using a hairdryer is another cheap alternative to a vacuum. Every hair dryer has enough hot air blowing power to dry even a wet carpet.

In this process, you just have to do one step: rotating the dryer over the wet surface repeatedly until it dries. The heat will evaporate the moisture automatically. But this method is applicable for small wet areas because your hand can blow hot air for a long.

Another thing to notice is the carpet materials. If it has polypropylene fibers, you should keep the heat low.

Method-4: Use A Carpet Dryer

When the wet area is considerably huge, you need to use a carpet dryer rather than a hairdryer. So, you need to place the carpet dryer near the damp spot and let the hot air flow over it.

If the water gets deep into the carpet, turn over and place the corner under the dryer. It will evaporate all the moisture from every inch of the carpet fiber. However, the machine is pretty costly. So, we propose to go for a rental deal rather than buying it.

Method-5: Towels and Fan

Another easy method to dry out the carpet is towels and a fan. When water is spilled over the carpet, you have to grab some towels and start soaking the water quickly. Do it several times until all detached moisture comes off.

After that, place the wet carpet over your ceiling fan and wait. You can also use a battery-powered fan to dry your carpet. Though the method may take a while, it will be worth your time.

Method-6: Use A Dehumidifier

A dehumidifier comes in a category of expensive home appliances. However, you can use it to save the valuable carpet. Here’s how:

At first, reduce the upper-level moisture on paper or cloth towels. Now open the windows of the room and turn on the humidifier. It will work best if you also keep the ceiling fan on.

The humidifier can stay active and absorb moisture for up to 12 hours. But the best result will come when you apply the method overnight.

Method-7: Use Towels with Carpet Sweeper

The carpet sweeper is mainly used to clean the dust and debris from the carpet surface. However, they have special integrated brushes that can absorb moisture from every inch of carpet fiber.

Therefore, use the paper towels first to soak the surface water. After that, get the carpet sweeper to sweep over the wet areas. It will absorb almost all the moisture from the carpet.

If the evaporation is not satisfactory because of excess water, you can use an industrial blower or a fan to evaporate the remaining moisture.

Method-8: Use Baking Soda

It sounds confusing, but trust us, it’s pretty effective in removing moisture from wet carpets!

When you use paper towels and a carpet sweeper to absorb the water, you may have moisture left inside the fibers. It will create a favorable environment for mildew growth. So, all you need to do is put some baking soda over the wet areas and wait for a couple of hours.

Sometimes, baking soda may take 12 to 15 hours to absorb all the moisture from wet carpet. However, you will surely get a satisfactory result. On top of that, baking soda prevents microbial growth on the mat.

Some Pro-Tips for Carpet Drying

The first thing you need while removing moisture from carpet is “patience and quick action.” Sometimes your first try isn’t enough to remove all the water from the carpet. You may need to use more than one method to get a satisfactory result.

Secondly, don’t stop trying to remove moisture until you are fully convinced that there’s no water inside the fibers.

Call for some professional help if you fail in the task, or it’s taking way too much to evaporate moisture, or you don’t want to get into such hassles.

Bottom Line

Your home carpets don’t come in cheap. So, you should take care and try everything to prevent it from getting spoiled. Moisture is the common enemy of your carpet.

Therefore, you have to learn how to dry wet carpet without a vacuum. What if you don’t have any vacuum nearby when water spills over the rug? You can’t just leave it be!

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