Odor After Carpet Cleaning: What You Need To Know
Posted on: 29 June 2018
After having your carpets cleaned, you envision arriving home to a carpet that looks like new and a home that smells fresh. Unfortunately, you may arrive home to a house filled with odor after having your carpets cleaned. Read on to learn why your home may smell after a carpet cleaning and what you can do to rid your abode of the smell.
What causes post-cleaning odor?
There are a couple reasons that your home may smell after having your carpets cleaned. If a substance that is known to cause odor ever comes into contact with your carpet, it is likely that this substance penetrated your carpet to the extent that it soiled the carpet's backing or the padding underneath. Common culprits include animal urine and beverages. When you have your carpets cleaned, the cleaning process can reactivate the set-in particles, causing the associated smell to become noticeable again.
A secondary, yet related, cause of odor after a carpet cleaning is that the carpet's backing or padding got excessively wet and developed mildew. If these areas get too wet, it can be tricky to get these areas dry in a timely manner.
What can you do about post-cleaning odor?
The most effective way to deal with post-cleaning odor is to take steps to prevent the odor in the first place. Hire only a reputable carpet cleaning company that uses equipment that dispenses just enough water to clean your carpets. Novice carpet cleaners may use more water than is actually necessary.
Another advantage of using an experienced carpet cleaning company is that these businesses typically have equipment that assists with drying your carpets, such as large industrial-strength fans or dehumidifiers.
If your carpets have already been cleaned and you are currently trying to rid your home of odor, you need to take steps to dry your carpets. Odor basically indicates that your carpets are still wet, and the only permanent remedy to get rid of the odor is drying your carpets.
Open all of the windows in your home, and turn on any ceiling fans. If you have access to fans or dehumidifiers, run them to help remove moisture from your carpets. Baking soda can help reduce odors if you wait for your carpets to completely dry, Just sprinkle a thin layer over your carpets. Once your carpets are dry, vacuum the baking soda up.
Another option is to have your carpets cleaned again with a solution of vinegar and water. This alternative is especially effective if you have widespread mildew. The mixture will neutralize odors and kill mildew.
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