Cleaning carpets is a tiring task, whether in winter or summer.
But it becomes even more challenging in the cold weather because you’re not sure when the carpet will dry.
So, does cold air dry carpets?
Drying Carpets In Cold Air
Cold air will dry the carpet, but it’ll dry slower than in sunlight because cold air can’t hold as much moisture as warm air. You can easily overcome this by letting your carpet dry inside the house with the heater on in the winter.
Let’s discuss all the factors affecting the drying of your carpet and how to help it dry faster.
How To Dry Carpets With Cold Air?
Yes, cold air can dry your carpets, but it’s slower than warm air.
If the weather is reasonably cold, you can keep the carpet outside or leave it indoors with the windows open.
The air current will dry it, though it may take some time.
It’s a good idea to let your carpet air-dry outside for a while.
Then, you can expose it to hot air to make sure you get that extra moisture out.
Otherwise, it may develop an unpleasant odor.
When the weather is too cold, you can turn on the heater inside and keep the carpet indoors.
It’ll dry faster because the heat inside will cause the air to absorb the moisture in a short time.
Does The Air Conditioner’s Cold Air Dry Carpets?
If the weather is hot outside, you may think that turning the AC on will help the carpet dry faster. However, that’s not entirely true.
Unless there’s airflow or an open window in the room, the air will stay inside.
At some point, it’ll saturate with moisture that has nowhere else to go.
So the carpet will stop drying after a while, or it’ll dry really slowly.
With no evaporation and no air circulation, the AC won’t be of much help.
It’s better to leave the carpet to dry outside in the sunny weather.
Does Humid Cold Air Dry Carpets?
If you live in a humid area, the cold air outside will take forever to dry your carpet.
The excess moisture in the air will prevent it from absorbing the moisture in the fabric.
In this case, you can use a dehumidifier. Position it in the washing room, and leave the carpet inside.
Whether drying clothes, carpets, or bed sheets, a dehumidifier will keep the air dry in the room, encouraging the air to absorb the moisture faster.
Reasons Your Carpet Is Taking Too Long To Dry
The air temperature isn’t the only factor affecting the drying speed of your carpet.
Humidity and airflow are the main factors here.
1. Airflow
When the airflow increases, evaporation occurs faster.
That’s why your clothes dry quickly when you leave them out on a windy day.
The good thing about letting the carpet dry outdoors is that the air is constantly circulating.
When you leave it inside without creating an airflow, the air will eventually become moist, possibly leading to mold.
2. Humidity
Humidity plays a critical role in drying fabrics.
If the weather is cold and the humidity is high, the carpet may dry slower than usual.
High humidity means more moisture in the air, which slows the evaporation process.
Even in the summer, when the humidity is high, the fabrics dry slower.
In this case, you may be better off drying your carpet inside while turning on a heater.
How To Dry Your Carpet Faster?
Generally, your best option is to wait for a windy day to wash your carpet.
It’ll dry quickly when you keep the windows open. Other than that, there are some measures you can take to help it dry faster.
1. Open All Windows
Opening your windows is crucial if you are letting your carpet dry inside.
If you have two windows facing each other, they’ll create a strong air current, helping the fabric dry in a short time.
If you keep the windows closed, the carpet will take too long to dry and may develop an odor.
2. Turn On The Ceiling/Box Fans
Whether you have ceiling or box fans, turn all of them on. The stronger the fan, the better.
Fans will circulate the air, removing any odors and creating a strong airflow.
They’ll also help if the windows don’t let in much air.
That said, keep in mind that fans won’t circulate the air fully if there’s no open window.
You’ll need to open it to let the moist air out.
3. Use A Blow Dryer
You can use a blow dryer to remove excess moisture from a small rug or a small part of the carpet.
However, it’s not a sustainable solution because it’ll require you to keep directing it toward the rug, which will waste your time.
You may resort to the blow dryer if you want to dry the rug in a short time and the weather is too cold for it to dry outside.
Just be careful not to keep the blow dryer too close, especially if the fabric is easily affected by heat.
4. Use Towels
If your carpet is a bit too wet, you can always use a bunch of towels to absorb the excess moisture before letting it dry.
To do this, grab some towels and spread them on the carpet. They should be made of any moisture-absorbent material.
After you lay them out, walk on them with your bare feet. The fabric will absorb the moisture from the carpet.
Replace the towels with new dry ones when they’re too wet, then leave the carpet to dry naturally.
5. Use A Wet And Dry Vacuum
If you own a wet vacuum, it can come in handy in this case.
Remember that you can’t use a conventional vacuum; it won’t absorb the water and may cause electrocution.
Use the wet vacuum to remove the excess water from the carpet, going over the material twice if needed.
Then, you can open the windows and leave the carpet to air-dry.
