How long do you have to stay off carpet after steam cleaning?

Regular carpet cleaning is vital both for your family’s health and for the longevity of the carpet itself. The most common and effective method of cleaning a carpet is steam cleaning.

Nonetheless, many people are concerned about the drying time after steam cleaning their carpet. In general, a carpet takes 2 to 8 hours to dry after steam cleaning. But it is advisable to stay off the rug until it is completely dry.

Furthermore, if not properly dried, a cleaned carpet can harbour odour, re-trap dirt and mildew or even grow moulds. Sometimes drying times may take even longer depending on some factors. This article will discuss some of the factors that influence the drying time and some tips to make your carpet dry faster.

Factors that influence carpet drying time

Here are some of the factors that affect the time your carpet will require to dry

Carpet materials – The specifics of your carpet material affect the drying time. Some carpet materials are very absorbent and take longer to dry. While others do not absorb more water hence dries out pretty quickly.
For instance, a carpet made of 100% wool is heavily absorbent and can take 24hours and even longer to dry depending on the weather. While on the other hand, synthetic carpets easily release moisture hence has shorter drying times.

Soiling – The level of soiling in your carpet before cleaning also affects the length of the carpet drying time. Cleaning and rinsing off a particularly dirty rug will require more water and agitation, which pushes moisture much further into the rug fibres. That way, the carpet will require more drying time to a less soiled one due to additional water.

Humidity in your home – The humidity level in your room also affects how slow or fast your steam cleaned rug dries. A carpet dries out faster in lower humidity because moisture evaporates easily in dry air hence facilitating the drying process.

Tips to make your carpet dry faster

Sometimes waiting for your carpet to dry can be inconvenient, especially if you have small kids, pets or expecting visitors. Several ways can help in facilitating the drying process. Here are some of the tips worth considering

• Encourage air circulation in the room by opening doors and windows. Also turning on fans in the room can help.
• Using a dehumidifier especially in relatively low humid areas
• Cleaning the carpet more frequently to avoid heavy soiling
• Getting a professional blow-dry

Conclusion

In general, some factors affect the length a carpet takes to dry. And how much time you should stay off steam cleaned carpet will depend on these factors. Carpet cleaning Melbourne recommends its customers to stay off a newly cleaned carpet as much as possible for at least six hours until it completely dries.