How long does it take for carpet to dry after professional cleaning?
Between 1 - 12 hours. It depends on the type of carpet , condition of the carpet and weather conditions.
This is easily the most common question I hear.
There are several factors so let me make it easier for you with the table below.
There is not a big difference in carpet dry times between winter and summer. Clients are often shocked how quickly their carpet dries in winter. Please note the above table is not a general guide for every carpet cleaner.
In our industry there are many companies we refer to as ‘splash and dash’ .They are almost always cheap and need to work incredible fast to stay in business. We might not be cheap however we pride ourselves on getting the little things right.
You never have to worry about careless, undertrained technicians doing a poor job. Instead, you will get impeccable carpet safely cleaned by me. I understand how important it is to leave your carpet dry within hours not days.
Weather Conditions
Hot weather
Dry and hot windy weather is the ultimate cleaning conditions for fast drying carpet. These type of conditions are few and far between and many customers hold off until summer to have their carpet cleaned. If your carpet is professionally cleaned by a company that takes their time and has premium equipment there is no need to wait until summer. The biggest downside to having your carpet cleaned in summer is availability.
This is our peak season and like hotels in holiday season we can become booked out over 1 month in advance. During summer many of the good operators will be booked out for weeks and you may have no choice then to settle with whoever is available.
If you are lucky enough to have your carpet cleaned in these perfect conditions it will take between 2-4 hours for the carpet to dry. I have seen carpet dry within 30 minutes in extreme heat ( 40 plus degrees)
Humid Weather
Surprisingly your carpet will take similar time to dry on a warm humid day (70% +) humidity as cold winters day.
The higher the temperature, the faster evaporation takes place? Well, actually, yes but in fact no! The rate of evaporation is actually driven by the relative humidity to a greater degree than by temperature. But, in fact, the two are inter-related. As the temperature of air is increased, it can absorb more liquid and, therefore, the relative humidity is decreased. Lower relative humidity promotes faster drying.
As temperature is increased, the amount of water required to saturate a specific volume of air increases.
https://techblog.ctgclean.com/2013/05/drying-the-effect-of-temperature-on-relative-humidity/
Cold Weather
Your carpet will take slightly longer to dry in winter after professional carpet cleaning. We always provide you with disposable shoe covers so you can walk on the carpet straight away after cleaning. We do recommend you turn on your heating if the temperature is below 20 degrees as this will speed up the carpet dry time. In most cases your carpet will be dry within 3-5 hours in winter.
How long until you can walk on carpet after cleaning?
Straight away. As soon as we finish cleaning your carpet you can walk on the carpet straight away. I always give our customers disposable shoe covers. Just slip them over your shoes or socks and you can walk on the carpet. Customers always laugh saying I’m not going into the hospital for surgery today.
The shoe covers can be slippery so be careful when you walk from the carpet to a hard surface. And please don’t walk outside with your shoe covers on and then walk back on the carpet. You would be shocked how many times this has happened over the years.
When can I put my furniture back on the carpet?
Between 12 - 24 hours. The heavier the item the longer it should be left off the carpet. The only exception is plastic furnitures. The carpet may feel completely dry after 3 - 4 hours however the carpet needs to breathe.
Wooden Furniture: If you place back wooden furniture too soon, the furniture’s wooden legs can bleed into the carpet. This is extremely difficult to remove and in some cases it will permanently stain the carpet.
Metal furniture: If you place back metal furniture before 12 hours there is a risk it can leave rust marks underneath the furniture.
Plastic Furniture: If the furniture is plastic you can place it back on the carpet straight away!
How to dry the carpet as quickly as possible?
Carpet cleaning will raise the humidity in your home. To help dry your carpet as quickly as possible:
If it’s warmer outside open the windows. Moisture is drawn to warmer air. This is called burping the air. Warm air holds more moisture.
Turn your ceiling fans on the fastest setting this will help dry the carpet quicker in cold and warm weather.
In warm weather turn on your air conditioning. This will lower the humidity in the room.
In cold weather turn on your heating. Warm dry air certainly helps dry the carpet faster.
