When your basement floods, whether its through a burst pipe, sump pump issue, or weather related, its a big problem. One of the first things to get ruined through basement flooding is basement carpet. Carpet that has become wet must be dried within 48 hours, because mold grows quickly on carpets, leaving it unsalvageable. The first step to fixing this problem is to examine your basement carefully for mold or mildew, and the source of the leak. Next, move your furniture to a dry side of the room to allow you to pull up the carpet to dry. If you find items that were damaged, you must get rid of them. If you absolutely need to salvage a possession, do your best to clean it or have it cleaned professionally. If mold or mildew has begun to grow on any item, it must be discarded. Next, get rid of all the water by either soaking it up with sponges or rags, or using a vacuum to pull the water from your floor. The next step is to pull up the carpet and carpet padding that is wet. Move the wet carpet to a well ventilated area, or put it outside. Prop up your carpet so its in tent-form, this is so dryer air will reach both top and bottom layers and dry the carpet more thoroughly. Once the carpet and padding have dried, lay them on the floor. Once the carpets are laid in place again, clean them with a carpet cleaning machine. If small odors remain after all these steps, sprinkle baking soda on areas where the odor is not as strong. Let the soda sit for some time, then vacuum it up. If these issues become too much to deal with, Mar-flex recommends calling DryPatrol, the carpet-cleaning experts.