If you don’t allow your carpet to fully dry after it has been professionally cleaned – or after you have steam cleaned it yourself – you can easily tread dirt and debris deep into it. But how long should you wait before you move your furniture back onto the carpet?
It is best to give 24 hours before you move furniture back on to a carpet after is has been cleaned. This will allow for the carpet to fully dry and be ready to handle the furniture.
Let’s take a look at exactly why you need to let your carpet dry out after it has been properly cleaned, as well as what you can do to speed up the process and protect your carpet even further.
Why Do You Need To Let Carpet Dry Before Placing Furniture?
Wet carpet is highly prone to not only getting dirtier but it will also mark easier than dry carpet. This is because when the carpet fibres are wet they collect dirt easier which is the last thing you want after paying to have your carpet cleaned (or doing it yourself).
24 hours may seem like a long time to wait to put your furniture back, but you should even wait around 6 hours before even walking on a cleaned carpet. And even then it is preferable to wear white socks and tread lightly to prevent any staining or dirt from getting into the carpet.
Furniture is usually very heavy and stays in the same place, so you need to make sure the carpet is dry or any stains or dirt will transfer from the furniture. Wooden legs of a sofa, for example, can easily transfer dirt and even stain a carpet depending on how they are finished.
The Furniture May Also Get Damaged
Another key point to consider is that not only your carpet is at risk but also your furniture too.
A wet carpet can blemish the wooden legs of furniture, stain it or even produce rust if the furniture is placed on top of it. So, it’s not only your carpet at risk but your furniture as well if you decide to place it on a wet carpet before it has dried out.
What If I Need To Put The Furniture Back?
If you have no choice, for whatever reason, to keep your furniture out of the way for 24 hours then there is a solution.
If you have a waterproof cover for your furniture you can use this to put the furniture back into place before your carpet has dried out. This will prevent any water from damaging your furniture and give you a bit more space if you don’t have anywhere to put your furniture while the carpet dries.
The drawback is that the carpet below will dry out comparably slower than the rest of the carpet and will be more prone to dust and debris for longer, but if you are careful around this then it shouldn’t be too much of an issue.
Final Thoughts
Placing furniture back before your carpet has dried out after being professionally cleaned can cause damage not only to the carpet but to the furniture as well.
We recommend waiting 24 hours for your carpet to dry out, and if you are unable to wait then make sure to use a waterproof cover to protect your furniture.