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You are here: Home / Cleaning Tips / Why Does My Carpet Smell After Cleaning?
Why Does My Carpet Smell After Cleaning?

Why Does My Carpet Smell After Cleaning?

January 20, 2023 By Rachael Jones Leave a Comment

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If you’re like most homeowners, chances are that you’ve experienced the frustration of having a carpet that smells bad after it’s been cleaned at some point in your life.

Whether it’s an unpleasant odor or a musty smell that won’t disappear, carpet odors can be annoying and challenging to remove.

In this blog post, we’ll look at why carpets sometimes have a bad smell after cleaning and explore the available solutions for getting rid of those foul odor-makers!

 

Why does my carpet smell after cleaning it?

 

When it comes to carpets, an unpleasant smell can be an issue after a cleaning. The most common causes of this are incomplete drying leaving a wet carpet, using the wrong carpet shampoos or method, and residual dirt or dust accumulation left behind from vacuuming.

 

Incomplete drying

Carpets need time to dry after they have been shampooed or steam cleaned thoroughly. Without enough time for the carpet fibers to absorb all the water used during cleaning, dampness may remain in areas of your carpet that are difficult to reach with a vacuum cleaner.

This can result in mildew forming and cause an unpleasant odour. Make sure you allow ample time for your carpets to dry fully before walking on them again!

 

Using the wrong cleaning solution or method

Different types of carpets require different solutions and methods when being cleaned. Some require more aggressive wax-based shampoos, while other carpets may need gentler detergents with lots of rinsing involved.

If you use too much soap (especially on lighter-colored carpets), soapy residue may get left behind as it dries, giving off a musty odor if not properly rinsed away.

 

Residual dirt and dust accumulation

Even though you may think you’ve thoroughly vacuumed before cleaning your carpets, there is still usually deep-down embedded dirt and dust particles within the fibers. These get kicked back up during the cleaning process due to agitation applied by machines such as wand extractors and rotary scrubbers.

These tiny particles end up settling again at the base of your carpet, creating odor-causing bacteria over time if not removed through regular maintenance.

 

In order to reduce potential odors post-cleaning, make sure you take steps such as pre-vacuuming first and using only quality approved equipment with correct pH-neutral solutions designed especially for carpets.

This should help keep your home smelling fresh after every carpet clean.

 

carpet cleaning

 

How to dry your clean carpets thoroughly

 

When it comes to adequately drying your carpet after cleaning, there are several steps you should take. First, remember that any moisture left behind can lead to mold and mildew growth which causes potential health risks. So it’s essential to ensure the carpet is as dry as possible.

 

Using fans and dehumidifiers to reduce drying time

The best way to dry a recently cleaned carpet is by using fans and dehumidifiers. Place high-powered fans around the room strategically so they can circulate air throughout the area quickly and efficiently.

Ensure the fan blades are pointed directly at the carpets for maximum effectiveness. Additionally, a dehumidifier will help remove any remaining moisture from the air, ultimately speeding up your carpets’ drying process.

 

Leave carpets to dry completely before walking on

Not walking on or over wet carpets is also important, if possible. This could force more dirt into the fibers or spread water around, which would cause additional issues down the road in terms of cleanliness and potential health hazards due to accumulated bacteria leading to a smelly carpet.

If you must walk on wet carpets, then begin by using a paper towel to remove as much moisture as possible in the first place. Then, wear shoes with hard soles like rubber boots or tennis shoes to prevent compacting soil further into your flooring surfaces.

 

Avoid using heat to dry damp carpets

Finally, avoid using heat sources near any damp areas. This could cause permanent damage such as shrinking, fading or worse yet—permanently set stains!

Even when cleaning hardwood floors, you should be extra cautious against temperature extremes when attempting these techniques, as they may warp with prolonged exposure resulting in costly replacements!

 

carpets drying in room with cieling fan

 

Read more  >> Best HVAC Air Scrubber: Everything You Need to Know

 

Use the correct cleaning agent for your carpet material

 

When cleaning your carpets, using the correct detergent for the type of carpet you have is of utmost importance. Not only does the type of detergent used affect the cleaning process, but the wrong choice can also ruin the carpet fibres and color.

To ensure you’re doing right by your carpets and protecting their lifespan, here are a few reasons why using the right detergent really matters:

 

The right detergent can make all the difference

Different types of carpets require different types of cleaning agents to get them really clean. For example, suppose you have a carpet made from natural materials like cotton or wool carpets. In that case, it needs something milder than what would be used on synthetic fibres such as polyester or olefin (polypropylene).

If you use something too strong on natural fabrics, it can damage them over time and make them look dull or faded with time.

 

It keeps your carpets looking fresh for longer

Certain chemicals in commercial cleaners can strip away protective coatings from carpets that help keep dirt out and colors vibrant for longer periods.

Using an incorrect cleaner could leave your carpets looking dull sooner than expected due to chemical reactions between the fibers in your carpet and detergents not meant for them.

 

Cleaning results are more effective with the right detergent

Using standard household cleaners may not do much to remove smoke stains or urine smell, even if they give off fumes promising freshness afterwards.

Proper neutral pH-leveled caustic agents that match up with each specific fabric type are needed. Whether or not basic soap-and-water solutions work best all-around should still be determined before testing stains beforehand so colorfastness isn’t affected either way!

 

Ultimately selecting the right detergent will save you money in the long run, preserving quality freshness throughout home environments without the risk of damaging expensive fabrics.

Precise detergent selection should never be taken lightly during any fabric cleansing project!

 

 

When you should consider professional cleaning

 

It’s always a good idea to call in professional carpet cleaners if you feel your carpets have a nasty smell after you have tried cleaning them yourself. This is because professional carpet cleaners have access to more advanced cleaning solutions and equipment that can get deep into the fibres of your carpets and remove any lingering dirt, dust, or odours.

Professional cleaners also have experience dealing with different types of stains and odor problems, so they know precisely how best to tackle the issue.

Furthermore, many professional carpet cleaning services provide warranties for their services, so you are covered should anything go wrong after having had your carpets professionally cleaned.

 

Do this before contacting a professional carpet cleaning service

When it comes to knowing when exactly you should call a professional cleaner for help with smelly carpets, you must assess the condition of your carpets first before deciding on how best to address the problem.

Suppose there are noticeable areas where bad odors still exist despite having already done your own basic cleaning. In that case, this may indicate that more intensive methods such as steam-cleaning or deep-cleaning may be needed from an expert cleaner to remove all residual dirt and smells from the affected areas on your dirty carpets.

In addition, if there is a lot of high foot traffic across certain parts of your home, then regular vacuuming alone will not be enough.

Using steam-cleaning and detergents can help keep these areas looking newer for longer, as well as help prevent bad odours from settling into carpets due to people’s feet tracking dirt onto them over time.

 

No matter what level of upkeep you require in terms of keeping the smell away from your carpets, though, calling in professional carpet cleaners every now and then is the best solution to ensure that they maintain their quality while simultaneously helping combat awful smells before they even start appearing!

 

Read more >> Best Floor Scrubbers Review

 

Final thoughts

 

Carpets can start to give off foul odors after cleaning for various reasons. The most common reason is not drying the carpet thoroughly enough after cleaning it and potential water damage.

You can prevent this by using fans or opening windows to help speed up the drying process. Another reason you may experience a wet carpet smell after cleaning is that you use the incorrect detergent for your carpet material. Always check the label on your detergent before using it on your carpet.

If you have tried these tips and your carpets are still smelling, it may be time to call professional cleaners. They will be able to identify any other issues causing the problem and deep clean your carpets without damaging them further.

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About Author

Rachael Jones

Rachael Jones

Hi, I'm Rachael! I'm a freelance writer and blogger. After several years of working in Quality Control and Environmental Management, I now love to spend time researching indoor pollution and sharing ways to improve and automate cleaning to keep homes safe and free from harmful substances.

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