In my experience in the cleaning industry, this has been one of the most frequently asked questions and one of the biggest concerns to customers. Carpet odors are extremely undesirable especially if they reside right in your own home. You can’t ever get away from the smell!
So what is the proper solution to getting the odor to go away? First let’s take a look at some of the causes of carpet odors. Carpet odors can be as simple as a pet accident or as complicated as a water loss. In most cases, carpet odors come from floors that are several years old. Over time, the padding underneath the carpet absorbs spills or pet urine that cannot be completely cleaned even by the best of carpet cleaning companies with the latest equipment or technology. A carpet cleaner, should only clean the carpet fibers above the padding. They should be educated to not over saturate the carpet and should also be using the right equipment and training to properly extract the water back out. If these precautions are not met, the carpet pad can get wet causing evaporation to occur from the pad into the air. This will bring up all of those bad odors, and if the padding stays wet long enough, carpet de-lamination may also occur.
The solution is to have your carpets cleaned regularly by a professional cleaning company who has trained technicians. Professionals are not only going to clean the carpet correctly but they also have the right equipment to get the majority of water back out of the carpet. They should make sure there is adequate air circulation to get the carpets dry in a matter of hours. When the carpet and pad are dry, the odors stop because there is no more evaporation from the floor.
By the way, if your carpets begin to smell and you are sure you have not had any spills or pet accidents, be cautious of a water loss. Odor means WET!
David Pollard (First Choice Cleaning & Restorations)