2 days ago when I came home I noticed that the toilet was leaking water and the whole bathroom floor was flooded. Even the carpet between the bathroom and the kitchen got soaking wet. My husband fixed the toilet and we immediately wet vac'd the carpet.I woke up this morning to this awful smell that was coming from the carpet. I called my apartment manager and he said he will send a carpet cleaner this afternoon.I really cant stand the smell and its giving me a headache.Plus Im kinda worried...Im not really sure that the carpet cleaning will help. (Im afraid that there is mildew under the carpet)Has anybody made the same experience and can tell me if carpet cleaning really helps?And if the smell doesnt go away or will come back does our manager HAVE to replace the carpet because of health reasons?!I'd be thankful for helpful advice.
The manager should have a professional come in and dry your carpeting. We would never NEVER EVER clean wet carpet. You are only compounding the problem. The padding may have to be replaces. The smell is likely coming from the carpet off gassing because it is not dry. Pull the carpet back and place an air mover (not a fan) under the carpet. Have a dehumidifier going because if there is a lot of moisture you may get condensation. You want to get the moisture out of the air. Let it run for 2 days. Spray a Anti Microbial solution over the area. You should also check the walls and baseboards to see if they are wet and have those dried too. A professional water damage technician will make sure all that is checked. As long as you are not responsible ie caused the problem. The management is responsible. PS Put all your correspondence with the management in writing and document what happened. In case there is an issue when you move out. TAKE LOTS OF PICTURES Good Luck
You need to have the carpet and padding that is wet pulled up and run a blower on it. I do not mean tear out the carpet and padding just lift it up so the blower will reach the wet area. Equipment rental places have them or some carpet cleaning companies use them also. Blowers are specifically made to dry carpets etc. it is not just a big fan. You need to make sure the subfloor (the plywood or concrete that is under the padding) is dry also. If there is already a bad smell you might want to spray the area under the carpet with mildew remover/bleach. DO NOT get any on the carpet ONLY underneath.
the flooring must be torn out, adding water or chemical to the already wet carpet is not going to do any good. just rip the carpeting out and have it replaced.
It will fall on the shoulders of the manager. He may want to replace if you have been there a long time. Yes, health standards include freedom from mildew.
Soak the area in water to loosen any material (filth) left in it. Try not to allow excess water to ooze into other areas of the carpet, as this may spread the stain, and it will be hard to vaccuum all the water out of the carpet. Brush a small amount of laundry detergent into the wet carpet with a stiff bristled cleaning brush. Vaccuum out the soapy water with a shop vaccuum or wet/dry vaccuum. Wet once more with water to rinse excess soap, brushing it in. This step may have to be repeated several times to remove the soap from the carpet fiber. Vaccuum again to remove excess water, and allow area to dry. Treat the area by applying a layer of baking soda and brushing it in when the carpet dries. Leave it in for 24 hours, then vaccuum out.
