Is it wise to vacuum wet carpet? Let’s find out.
Sometimes your carpet just needs a wonderful, hardcore cleaning. It can be so tempting to just finish the job there and then after It’s had a good wash, but STOP!
Do not forget that vacuums are electronic equipment, even if they are cordless!
This probably had you with some burning questions, can you vacuum a carpet while it is still wet, will it work, and even more importantly, is it safe?
To answer your question straight up, no, not unless you have proper equipment to do so.
Why It Is Not A Good Idea?
You should absolutely not be vacuuming a wet carpet with a standard vacuum cleaner, you may use some specialist cleaners if they are made to do so.
If you try to use a normal vacuum cleaner to vacuum a wet carpet you could damage the vacuum with the water, and of course, there is also the risk of electrocution.
With water and electricity mixing, it could be very dangerous.
Being electrocuted is no joke, and a standard vacuum could even go as far as to short out and catch fire if you were to try and use it on a wet carpet, so, just… don’t. It’s not worth it.
There are plenty of other ways in which you can dry your carpet and clean it while it is wet, while avoiding damaging your vacuum or electrocuting yourself.
Think about getting a wet/dry vacuum if cleaning a wet carpet is something you need to do on the regular. These will get the job done right without any serious repercussions of doing so.
Can You Vacuum Wet/Damp Carpets/Spills?
No matter if you are using a normal vacuum or a special one, you will always face rules when it comes to trying to vacuum a wet carpet, or water.
If you break the rules, you risk your vacuum’s integrity and your health, so know how to use your vacuum properly.
If you have a specialty vacuum, one that can be used as a dry/wet vacuum, check the user manual and instructions before you do so, as it may not be suitable for what you need, or you may need to do some prep first, it’s better to be safe than sorry.
Can You Vacuum Wet Carpet?
Never use a standard vacuum cleaner on a wet carpet, a majority of vacuum cleaners are not made to be taking in water.
If you do use a vacuum cleaner on a wet carpet this will likely damage your vacuum, however, it can also damage your carpet or you as well.
It is simply not worth the risk in attempting to do so. You could do long-lasting or permanent damage to yourself, as well as the carpet which you are trying to vacuum. Not to mention your vacuum as well.
Medical bills from self injury, having to get a new carpet installed, and a new vacuum is much more costly than simply waiting for the carpet to dry, or investing in a wet/dry vacuum.
Let’s say you ignore everything we say, and still take the risk anyway, your vacuum is actually unlikely to clean or dry the area anyway, so it really is not worth the attempt.
Can You Vacuum Anything Which Is Wet?
Unless you have a specially designed vacuum that is made to suck up water, you should never vacuum up a puddle of water, urine, soda or anything else.
Even the tiniest little puddle can damage your vacuum permanently.
What’s even worse is even if your vacuum survives it, sucking up this liquid can lead to mildew growth inside the vacuum, so your vacuum is no longer cleaning when you use it, but spreading mildew into the air, and of course, this will eventually kill the vacuum as well.
If you have milk spills, wine spills, pet urine, and other liquids, this is not something you want to be spending your time on cleaning up, but your vacuum is not made for this, so you should just get some paper towels and a mop and bucket, or damp cloth.
You could clean them up with a wet/dry vacuum after reading the instructions properly, but a standard vacuum will just get damaged if you try to use it for this.
Wet carpets and spills are not its intended purpose.
Why Is It So Bad?
Generally, yes, it’s bad to use a vacuum on a wet carpet as it can cause a lot of harm to yourself, the vacuum and your caret. Of course, the exception is if you have a specially made one for doing this job.
If you have a vacuum cleaner that is specially designed to do just this then there should be absolutely no harm done to you, the carpet or the vacuum.
There are countless reasons as to why using a vacuum cleaner on a wet or damp carpet is just not a good idea.
At the very fore are the worries of damaging your vacuum cleaner and of course, the damage you could do to yourself; i.e. electrocution.
If you do find yourself needing to use a vacuum on a wet carpet you should just head out to the store and use a vacuum cleaner that is a specially made wet/dry one, or just do it the old-fashioned way and wait until the carpet is dry, it’s just safer that way.
To Conclude
You should never use a standard vacuum cleaner on a wet, or even a damp carpet. It is just not safe, and you will usually do more harm than good.
Even vacuuming a damp carpet is a no-go. It will usually actually make the carpet dirtier.
You also risk the harm of electrocution when you let even a spec of water get into anything electrical. It is best to either just wait for the carpet to dry, or get a specialty vacuum to do the job.