Nashville, Tennessee
Carpet and Rug Care for Nashville Homes
Choosing a cleaner, getting out stains, and what to do when water gets in, from the first spill to the last roll-up.
See the whole rugCheck a wet carpet →
Most carpet problems start small: a spill, a pet accident, a damp corner after a spring storm. A local rug cleaning company can handle the deep cleaning; these guides help you judge what to do yourself first and what to ask before anyone starts.
The advice comes from EPA, the National Park Service’s rules for historic rugs and University of Tennessee Extension. Local resources on home repair cover floors and leaks; the guides below cover the carpet and the rug on top of them.
The guides
Woven Into One Rug
Three bands, one for each part of carpet care. Every panel is a guide; the panels you have opened get a knot in the corner.
Care label
Five Care Instructions for Any Carpet
Like the label sewn into a rug, short and in order of importance.
Dry it within 48 hours
EPA’s rule of thumb is simple: if wet carpet and padding are dried within 24 to 48 hours after a leak or spill, in most cases mold will not grow. Pull up standing water with a wet vacuum, run fans and a dehumidifier, and lift the pad if it is soaked.
After a flood, the advice changes: EPA says materials that soak up a lot of water, such as carpets, should be thrown away. Water Damage and Mold in Carpet: The 24-to-48-Hour Rule and What to Do After a Leak and Carpet After a Flood in Nashville: What to Save, What to Throw Away and How to Stay Safe cover both cases.
Blot, never scrub
Scrubbing spreads a stain and damages fibers. Blot instead, test any product in a hidden spot first, and use as little liquid as the job allows, because over-wetting is its own problem.
Never mix bleach with ammonia; EPA warns the combination can create toxic vapors. The full method is in Carpet Stain Removal: A Careful Method and Safer Products, and pet accidents have their own in Pet Stains and Odors on Carpet: A Vet-School Method That Stops Repeat Accidents.
Vacuum gently and often
Dust mites live in carpets in every home, EPA says, and a weekly pass with a HEPA-filter vacuum helps allergic households. For wool and hand-knotted rugs, the National Park Service never uses beater bars and vacuums in the direction of the pile.
Moth larvae do most of their damage where rugs sit undisturbed, under heavy furniture. See Carpet and Allergies: Dust Mites, Pet Dander, Mold and How Cleaning Helps and Caring for Wool and Oriental Rugs: Vacuuming, Moths, Pads and Storage.
Keep the air below 60 percent
Nashville averages about 50.5 inches of precipitation a year, with May the wettest month in NOAA’s normals, and a damp house is good for mold and mites. EPA recommends indoor humidity below 60 percent, ideally 30 to 50.
A humidity meter costs about $10 to $50, EPA says. Nashville Humidity and Carpet Care: Keeping Rugs Dry Through Rainy Springs and Muggy Summers has the month-by-month picture.
Check the cleaner before the carpet
Licenses and businesses can be looked up for free at Verify.tn.gov. Ask for insurance certificates with a current date and a written estimate, and never pay cash or pay in full before the work is done, as Tennessee officials advise.
Start with How to Choose a Rug or Carpet Cleaner in Nashville: Checks That Take Ten Minutes and take Questions to Ask a Carpet Cleaner Before You Book, and the Answers to Listen For to the phone.
Wet carpet check
Is This Carpet Still Worth Drying?
Say what soaked it, how many hours ago, and whether you can see mold. The answer follows EPA’s flood and mold guidance.
General guidance only, based on EPA’s published advice. It cannot see your carpet: if anyone in the home has asthma, allergies or a weakened immune system, or the water came from sewage, bring in a professional.
Questions
Asked Over the Rug
Short answers, each with the guide that goes further.
How fast does wet carpet need to dry?
Within 24 to 48 hours. EPA says that if wet materials are dried in that window, in most cases mold will not grow. See Water Damage and Mold in Carpet: The 24-to-48-Hour Rule and What to Do After a Leak.
Can I keep carpet that sat in flood water?
Usually not. EPA says to throw away materials that soak up a lot of water, such as carpets, after a flood; valuable rugs may be worth a specialist's opinion. See Carpet After a Flood in Nashville: What to Save, What to Throw Away and How to Stay Safe.
How big a mold patch can I clean myself?
EPA says that in most cases you can handle an area smaller than about 10 square feet; beyond that, or after sewage, it points to professional guidance. See Water Damage and Mold in Carpet: The 24-to-48-Hour Rule and What to Do After a Leak.
Should I use ammonia on pet urine?
No. Ohio State's veterinary hospital is emphatic: never use ammonia or ammonia-based products on carpet where a cat has urinated. If the odor stays, the padding may need replacing. See Pet Stains and Odors on Carpet: A Vet-School Method That Stops Repeat Accidents.
How do I check a carpet cleaner in Tennessee?
Look the business up at Verify.tn.gov and the Secretary of State's business search, ask for current insurance certificates and a written estimate. See How to Choose a Rug or Carpet Cleaner in Nashville: Checks That Take Ten Minutes.
How should I vacuum a wool rug?
Gently, without a beater bar, in the direction of the pile, and keep the vacuum off the fringe, following the National Park Service's practice. See Caring for Wool and Oriental Rugs: Vacuuming, Moths, Pads and Storage.
Does carpet make allergies worse?
Carpet can hold dust mites, pet dander and mold. EPA suggests weekly HEPA vacuuming and indoor humidity below 60 percent. See Carpet and Allergies: Dust Mites, Pet Dander, Mold and How Cleaning Helps.
What happens to old carpet?
Most of it is landfilled: of about 3.4 million tons of carpets and rugs discarded in 2018, EPA estimates 9.2 percent was recycled. See Getting Rid of Old Carpet and Rugs: Reuse, Recycling and Disposal for Nashville Homes.