Whether you have experienced a small leak or major flooding in your bathroom, you are likely anxious to get it cleaned up to prevent bathroom water damage. Fortunately, there are a few methods for drying the floor and helping to prevent long-term damage. The first step should be to find the source of the issue and stop the flooding, if possible. Then you need to start drying the area using absorbent household items, such as towels and mops. Some incidents require more attention, in which case you may need to either use special equipment or call a water damage specialist for help.
In some situations, the problem is apparent, and can be stopped immediately, such as an overflowing bathtub or sink. On the other hand, a toilet or sink leak may require you to either use a screwdriver to tighten a part, or stop up the source of the leak temporarily with a towel. You may need to put off fixing the issue for good until you have cleaned up the water in order to prevent bathroom water damage. Do not forget to remove any items from the floor that may be damaged by excess water, such as a rug or scale.
Once the water is no longer flowing, you should take several towels to soak up the excess water on the floor. You can also use a mop and bucket to do this, as any method that allows you to dry up the water quickly to avoid bathroom water damage is advised. If you have tile or laminate floors in your bathroom, try to prevent the water from escaping the area onto carpet, as carpet padding is quite easy to destroy with excess moisture. In general, your goal should be to dry up the water as fast as possible, as standing water may be soaked up into walls, resulting in mold.
If your bathroom floor is carpeted, you can still start with towels to soak up the excess moisture. Instead of using a mop, you might use a wet-dry vacuum to take some of the water out of the carpet, and then place small fans in the area in order to help it air dry. If the carpet does not seem to be drying very quickly, you should call a professional to avoid bathroom water damage. A water damage specialist can be used to help determine whether the area has been sufficiently dried, and whether long-term bathroom water damage, such as mold, is likely.
