What Causes Carpet to be Smelly?

Usually, when someone thinks of an odor, the first and foremost thing that comes to mind is a restroom. That is the main reason why cleaners are usually held responsible in case of any unpleasant smells when entering a facility. In a majority of cases though, the root of this smell is usually from improper cleaning and maintenance of your carpet.
You should keep in mind that smelly carpets give a wrong first impression. People tend to judge someone’s cleanliness from the smell that first hit them at the entrance. This means that it very important that you keep all these odors neutralized.
Carpets don’t have bad odors. However, these odors stem from dirty things that get their way into the carpet. This includes anything that has its own smell such as food particles, soil all the way to human waste. Anyway, here are some of the most common causes of odors in carpets:
Dampness and Moisture
This is one of the main causes of carpet odor. Dampness and moisture can at times get inside the carpet. In some cases, moisture can find its way under your carpet pad. When left for a while, this can lead to very awful odors. Keep in mind that this scenario can happen to anyone regardless of their cleanliness.
Some of the sources of this moisture include- spills and humidity. Potted plants or flowers that tend to drip on the carpet. Some uncontrollable scenarios can include bad or extreme weather conditions, that in one way or another, lead moisture to the carpeting i.e. basement flooding.
Remember to consistently clean and dry your carpet. Also keep in mind that if the dampness or moisture is not addressed immediately, it could easily lead to the growth of mildew and mold which will, in turn, increase the odor among causing other health risks.
Pet Odor
Another major cause of carpet odors is having dirty smelly pets on the carpeting. Even if your pet may be clean, cleaning it on the carpeting can as well lead to this odor. Having pet smells on your carpet can be irritating as the smell can really linger.
In a number of cases, pet urine smell tends to stick even after cleaning the carpet. This is because bacteria feed on that urine producing foul-smelling gases. Also, keep in mind that the smell stays as long as you have any trace of urine left on your carpet’s fibers. The same case applies to vomit.
Bacteria are kind-of activated or energized by water. This is the key reason why sometimes you go for cleaning in order to minimize these odors but actually end up intensifying them. To avoid such kind of headaches, ensure that your carpet undergoes regular cleaning and treatment. The treatment performed on your carpet should use odor removal enzymes as they are the best when it comes to the elimination of odors. Enzymes are particularly good in this as they fight the source of the smell- kill the bacteria- and not the smell itself.
Cigarette Smoke
When a homeowner has a habit of smoking in the living area, or in any part of the house that has the carpet in it, the carpeting tends to accumulate smoke odor. In a lion’s share of these cases, people living within the house tend not to notice such while any visitors, guests or anyone new to the house is guaranteed to notice the stench.
Professional carpet cleaners can eliminate these smells. In case the concentration is too much, the only remaining solution may be to purchase a new carpet as a deodorizer won’t work.
Aging Smell
A carpet is fabricated from fibers. Over a period of time, when in use, these fibers begin to break down. When aging odors start manifesting from your carpet, there isn’t much that can be done. There isn’t any kind of cleaning out there, no matter how long it is done that can eliminate the musty smell from an old carpet. In such a case, the only reasonable thing to do is have it replaced.
Apart from old musty smells, old carpets also tend to produce a lot of dust, which isn’t healthy at all for the home residents.
Drink and Food Spills
One other popular cause of carpet odor is a drink or food spills. Spilling drinks and food substances on the carpeting attract bacteria. This is because these substances are organic hence they can be fed n by bacteria. As these bacteria feed on or break down these organic substances, they tend to produce foul gaseous smells. Just like in the case of pet waste and other organic matter-related odor, the best approach to the complete elimination of such odors is professional enzymic cleaning services.
There are quite a number of tips that when implemented should help maintain a clean carpet and facilitate good smells. Here are the most effective best among them all:
– Ensure that you treat areas that have been soiled.
– Make use of baking powder- from time to time, have baking powder sprinkled on your carpeting to curb or neutralize the stench.
– When cleaning, also ensure that you use perfumed detergents that will give your carpet good smell.
– Ensure that you perform consistent- daily if possible- inspections on the carpet and its padding to ensure that they remain completely dry.
– When fond of smoking, hang your carpet outside from time to time for “fresh air” in order to significantly diminish the smell from cigarettes.
In short, try avoiding the issues stated above that cause stenches. Ensuring this is very important to your home’s cleanliness.
Summary
There is almost an infinite number of reasons why you should always ensure that your home environment/working space is always kept clean. Clean environments- including carpeting- facilitate for very good smells.
Now, always make cleaning and treatment decisions based on the root or core of the odor felt. For all odors that have been caused by the decay of organic components or substances, the best cleaning approach is a professional one that uses enzymic detergents.
Other causes of smell such as old age cannot be fixed, they only need replacement. Knowing the source of the odor or smell is the first step to eliminating it.