A carpet isn’t only a protective floor covering for your home; rather, it serves as the best possible way of renovating the interior of your room without breaking the bank. Along with facilitating easy movement within the house, it’s one of the most significant elements of your flooring. Neglecting its timely cleaning not only exposes you to harmful germs but also gives your house an untidy appearance.
Being an outstanding flooring option, carpets carry their own set of pros and cons, and accordingly, they require the utmost care when it comes to their protection and cleaning. Plus, they have a tendency to trap and retain unpleasant odors that can deeply penetrate their fibers. Getting rid of this lingering smell is a daunting task for many. A damp smell is something nobody would like on their carpets, as it clearly ruins the charm and elegance of your home.
Picture this: you are entering your neighbor’s home filled with an unpleasant smell. Would you like it at all? The obvious response would be no. Thus, we’re here to cover all different causes of wet carpet smell and their respective solutions as well to successfully get rid of the bad smell that comes from the dampness. So get ready to freshen up your home again.
Causes Of Wet Carpet Smell
The first step towards eliminating the foul smell from your wet carpets is to identify its cause, as there isn’t only one single cause of it. Plus, these rugs don’t absorb this bad smell in just a single day, as it accumulates on a continuous basis over a period of time, making it noticeable only after coming into contact with water.
Have a look at some of the common reasons why carpets smell bad.
1. Pet Stains
Being a pet owner isn’t easy at all. With the fun and leisure of petting an animal comes the mess that they make occasionally. Your furry friends may leave urine or stool stains on your carpets while playing on them. Their hair can get trapped in the fibers of the carpet, and their saliva or vomit might stick to the fabric, damaging it. These situations create an environment in which bacteria can easily spread and multiply. When ignored for a long time, the carpet starts to smell really bad and unpleasant. This very bacteria could be really harmful to your health and your family’s health as well.
2. Water Spills
In contrast to the common belief that water is odorless and gradually evaporates, it’s worth knowing that its interaction with carpet fibers can cause unpleasant odors to occur and even grow. In fact, water has no recognized smell of its own. but when it comes into contact with certain carpet materials, it may make a room smell bad. Water, because of its capability of holding on to and absorbing different sorts of smells, might become one of the main causes of the foul smell that comes from your wet carpets. Thus, it’s said that one should address and clean up any spilled water right away when it happens to avoid any possible growth of these unpleasant smells in the future.
3. Stain and Liquid Odors
Other than water, substances like sauces, milk, or soft drinks also dribble through and get soaked up by carpet fibers. Upon coming into contact with the carpet, these drinks add moisture, which becomes the main reason for lingering smells. The moisture gets stuck in the carpet fibers or the padding underneath, making the unpleasant odors even stronger. Different sorts of spills create their own specific smell. For example, if vinegar spills on the carpet, it can give off a strong, easily noticeable smell. Thus it’s advised to take quick action to clean up any possible spill and stop them from being strongly absorbed by the carpet fibers, further reducing the chance of remaining smells.
4. Mold and Mildew Growth
Mildew is a kind of fungus that looks flat and causes a typical stinky problem in your carpet. Another type of fungus that grows in moist environments is mold. It grows in various damp areas, such as paper, leather, and even the ceilings, walls, and floors of moist homes. Rainy weather, leaks in your home, food spills, and pet dirt are all possible causes of these unwanted growths. This not only produces a foul odor but also releases tiny particles known as spores, which can damage the fabric of your carpet or even change its color. Mold and mildew can also have harmful bacteria that might cause allergies. For those with kids, breathing issues, or conditions such as asthma, it’s crucial to clean your carpets on a regular basis to stop all these unwanted molds from damaging your carpet.
5. Quality of the Carpet
There are some specific kinds of carpets that emit an odor, such as diesel or burnt oil, upon getting wet. The latex back coating or the adhesive used for its manufacturing might be the prime cause of this foul smell. Thus, it’s very crucial to first check the quality of the carpet that you are going to use for your home. A good-quality carpet will not only safeguard you from these bad odors, but it will also have a significant impact on its durability and appearance as well. So try choosing a carpet that has a higher fiber count and a denser pile construction.
6. Carpet Odor Absorption
At times, carpets can act like sponges to absorb the scents around them, not just water. This especially happens when there is a musty or strong smell in your home, such as one caused by cigarettes or from cooking. These lingering odors can get trapped in the carpet fibers, making it difficult for you to remove them. Even tiny spills of certain substances like soft drinks, wines, or milk may not leave an immediate mark on the carpet, but gradually they are likely to cause huge problems. Upon absorbing these liquids, the carpet can carry a lasting smell that can be really uncomfortable for everyone. Thus, it’s necessary to clean up any form of spill as soon as possible to prevent the smell from settling into the carpet fibers.
How to Remove Wet Carpet Smell?
Removing that typical musty odor from the wet carpet might be a difficult task for many. As compared to dealing with dry messes, cleaning and getting rid of this smell can get you more involved. Leaving it in its current condition isn’t possible at all, as it might result in even more growth of the mold. However, there are various effective methods that one can go with to properly eliminate this odor in an effective manner. Following are some of them:
1. Baking Soda Treatment
Baking soda is a versatile and affordable solution for getting rid of tough stains and lingering odors present on your carpet. Due to its alkali and soluble properties, baking soda carries excellent stain and dirt removal abilities. To use it, start off by making your carpet fully dried, and once it’s done, generously sprinkle some baking soda on it to disinfect and remove the unwanted odors. Let the baking soda sit for an extended period, preferably overnight or up to 48 hours on the carpet, to get the best results for yourself. In case the lingering odors remain, opt for combining baking soda and vinegar to increase their cleansing effectiveness.
2. Choose a Cleaning Solution
In case you don’t get the desired results for yourself after using the baking soda treatment, the next step would be to choose a cleaning solution or even a shampoo. Keeping in mind the nature of the carpet and its fibers, choose a cleaning solution to ensure that your carpet gets cleaned effectively and safely. Thus, it’s essential to pick a product that meets the specific needs and sensitivities of the carpet material. Before applying the chosen cleaning solution to the entire carpet, perform a patch test on an insignificant part to check compatibility and reaction. And if this goes well, you can proceed with cleaning the whole carpet the same way.
3. Go for Professional Cleaning
Upon various unsuccessful DIY attempts to remove that musty odor from your carpets, seeking the services of a professional cleaner would come in handy. Especially in cases where mold development is found, getting the carpet professionally cleaned would be the best option. All those cleaning experts make use of specialized machines that are specially designed for in-depth cleaning. Aiding them come various techniques, such as hot water extraction, that effectively break down the present bacteria on the carpet. After that specialized steaming process, the carpet is made free from bacteria and unpleasant smells, featuring a relatively quick drying time of 3-6 hours, restoring it to its fresh and revitalized state. Professional cleaning is great for those looking for restoration of both hygiene and aesthetics in their carpets.
4. Move it Out
You can save your precious efforts and time just by acting fast when your carpet gets wet. Take the wet carpet outside to dry as this is a key step in the whole process of protecting your carpets from the foul smell. Sunlight helps the rugs to dry faster and it also prevents the build up of mold. Make sure to not leave it in the sun for too long, as it might result in the carpet fibers getting damaged over time. Try placing it in an open area that will help it to dry better and get rid of any bacteria that might be there due to remaining wet.
5. Control Humidity at Home
Managing humidity levels in the home is essential for avoiding the development of bad odors and the growth of mold of any kind. For this, proper ventilation is required, which can be achieved by opening windows regularly. When mopping the floors, make sure they get completely dry before bringing and placing carpets over them. Additional steps, such as installing fans or dehumidifiers, might also help to improve the whole process of ventilation. Placing the carpet in the sun regularly promotes natural drying. Still, try your best to first identify and remove the main moisture-causing agents, which might be a leak or kitchen moisture, as doing this is critical for long-term odor prevention.
How Professional Carpet Cleaning Is Best For You?
Carpets are not only a way of protecting your floors; rather, they are an investment that even adds to your home’s overall brilliance. They can also retain odor-causing particles present in the air, leading to a musty smell. This is the very reason why it’s advised to get them professionally cleaned in a very thorough manner. Adopting this professional cleaning method allows your carpet to last longer and smell better for an extended period of time.
Being experts in their craft, these professional cleaners really know what they are doing and how to remove tough stains and spots from various kinds of carpets without getting them damaged. They also make sure that the carpet is free of allergens and harmful germs. This kind of cleaning also prevents any sort of mold from forming in your carpet, which is a major cause of these rugs smelling unpleasant. This is why a clean carpet not only looks wonderful, but it also makes your entire home smell fresh and pleasant.
Conclusion
Maintaining a clean and odor-free carpet is not just about its aesthetics; it’s a fundamental aspect of ensuring a safe and healthy home environment for yourself. Lingering stains and bacteria, combined with kids’ activities on the carpet, can cause the growth of dangerous mold, posing a serious health risk for the whole family. Regular cleaning not only improves the appearance of the carpet, but it also helps to extend its life by removing buried debris. To properly handle the issue of damp carpet smell, getting it treated by the hands of a professional would be the best option to go with.
Frquently Asked Questions
Either use baking soda by putting it on your carpet and leave it overnight or treat it with a mixture of white vinegar combined with warm water. Be careful to not use either of the methods in excess to avoid damaging the fibers of your carpets to achieve the best results for yourself.
To speed up the drying process you can make use of suckers, ACs, or fans. Or just leave the windows open that will again speeden up the whole drying process.
The main cause behind the carpet smelling so bad is moisture whether it’s caused by leaks, rain, humidity, or flooding.
The best option would be to let the carpet dry in sunlight and fresh air. So make sure to place your rugs/carpets in open sunlight on a sunny day.
In general, wet carpets usually take around 6-11 hours to dry completely on their own. However this time may vary depending on various additional factors such as the time of year your carpets are being cleaned, the humidity, air circulation and the temperature in your home.
In general, wet carpets usually take around 6-11 hours to dry completely on their own. However this time may vary depending on various additional factors such as the time of year your carpets are being cleaned, the humidity, air circulation and the temperature in your home.
Never leave your carpets wet for more than 24-48 hours as it can cause microbial growth to develop in it. Plus, those carpets that remain wet for an elongated period of time tend to develop carpet buckles.