Why Carpet Smells After Carpet Cleaning and What to Do About It

Most people want to save that extra coin by cleaning the carpet themselves instead of hiring professionals. Sadly, most people end up with a seemingly clean but smelly carpet!

It's more confusing and disgusting if the sour smell doesn't disappear after washing the carpet multiple times. So, why does carpet smell after carpet cleaning?

Excess moisture causes mildew and mold growth in a carpet, resulting in a musty smell after cleaning. Wrong choice of tools and persistent stains may also leave a mildew smell on carpets after cleaning.

Hence, it's rewarding to hire professional carpet cleaners such as Zerorez® Carpet Cleaning, who understand how to clean every type of carpet without leaving smells behind.

I'll explain these and other common causes of carpet smells and why you should hire professional carpet cleaners instead of DIY.

Let's dive in.

Carpet Smells After Carpet Cleaning Causes

If you're the victim of a disgusting, smelly carpet after spending about several hours cleaning it, and it's leaving your entire house stinking so badly you think about removing it, there is hope.

But, first, let's explore "why does carpet smell after cleaning?"

carpeted floor with stains shown on left image before Zerorez carpet cleaning and a clean dry odor free carpet on the after Zerorez carpet cleaning image on the right
Before and After Zerorez Carpet Cleaning

Excess Moisture in the Carpet

The carpet padding takes longer to dry after carpet cleaning. Sadly, when the carpet padding takes too long or doesn't dry thoroughly, it creates a conducive environment for mildew and mold growth, and can even cause your carpet to be lumpy or rippling after carpet cleaning.

The two fungi result in a musty odor. Hence, you need to take extra steps to ensure your carpet dries as quickly as possible after carpet cleaning. During the winter, the best temperature to clean carpets (and have them dry) can be harder to keep your home at, which is why it's important to use less water in the cleaning process.

If, after multiple passes with your carpet cleaner, your 'clean' carpet still has a musty smell, don't spend more money on detergents or machine rental fees!

Just call Zerorez who knows how to get rid of odor in carpet after cleaning, as they don't use fragrances, soaps, or detergents to clean. Plus, they use a special extraction wand that leaves carpets drier, faster! Zerorez's carpet cleaning method removes the most moisture from carpets, so you're getting the best from the best!

Wrong Choice of Carpet Cleaning Tools

Choosing the right cleaning tool to clean your carpet is essential because if it has malfunctioned or is too old to clean modern carpets, the carpet will be left damp. Hence, smelly.

On the other hand, buying the best, high-quality carpet-cleaning machinery may be too expensive.

Unfortunately, hiring a carpet cleaning company that uses dirty or faulty tools can still leave your carpet smelly, especially if they use fragranced detergents or leave too much water behind.

Thankfully, you don't have to break the bank to hire the best carpet cleaning company that use professional high-quality hot water extraction tools and carpet dryers, among other machinery and tools.

Hire Zerorez because they have the right tools to help remove excess water from your carpet to make it dry faster.

blue air mover fan used to dry white textured carpet so it doesn't smell after carpet cleaning

Unprofessional Carpet Cleaning Service

Some carpet cleaning companies are out to make money from you without caring about your health or carpet quality. So, they do their job hastily to make money fast.

Though they may be cheaper, it's always good to remember that cheap is expensive!

Poor cleaning services will leave you with a damp, smelly carpet. When I say 'poor cleaning services,' I mean over-wetting the carpet without making enough dry passes, which can leave you with a damp pet odor on your carpet if you have animals.

Others will use high-quality shampoos but fail to rinse the carpet thoroughly with clean water—consequently, the product residue on your carpet can result in a smelly carpet with awful ring marks.

Also, when the deal is so good, think twice because some of these cheap companies don't have as powerful extraction power, lacking enough vacuum suction power to pull out all the water they pumped into your carpet.

Don't settle for less at a cheaper cost.

Hire Zerorez for Insanely Clean Carpets®. Zerorez technicians take the time to understand your carpet cleaning needs so as to choose the best carpet cleaning method, based on the carpet fibers and its weave. They'll also advise on whether you should vacuum after carpet cleaning.

Old Underlay Carpet Stains

With small children and pets, and hosting parties here and there, spills will always happen. Whether it's a milk spill, alcohol, or non-alcoholic beverage spill, if you don't address it immediately, it will make your carpet smelly. Feces and pet urine is also another culprit.

However, some odors end when the messes dry but resurface once the carpet becomes wet. If, for example, the carpet had a pet urine stain and it wasn't thoroughly cleaned using pet odor treatment, properly rinsed, and dried, after carpet cleaning, the odor will resurface.

fluffy brown dog sitting in a gray chair with a yellow pee spot on the white carpet in front of the chair

Similarly, it would help if you cleaned all the other carpet stains using high-end treatments. Otherwise, your carpet will be smelly after cleaning. And though most people know how to remove pet odor from carpet after cleaning, for example, using white wine vinegar, baking soda, onions, and essential oils, it doesn't always work. Sadly!

A Clean Home is a Healthy Home™

This is why hiring Zerorez gives you peace of mind. Our company doesn't leave odors after carpet cleaning, as we don't use perfumes, detergents, or soaps. So, you can rest assured we do our best to leave no carpet odors after carpet cleaning.

We also offer a 30-Day Gotta-Love-It Guarantee®. If for some reason a smell lingers, we can come back out to your home and reservice your carpet, at no additional cost.

Therefore, if you're looking for the best carpet cleaning services, hire us. We have the best professional machinery to offer the best carpet cleaning services. Our staff are highly trained to offer excellent carpet cleaning services.

Don't compromise your health by using a carpet with a bad smell. You can have professional carpet cleaning twice a year or more, especially if you have small kids or pets or host parties. Call us today at 866-937-6739 or book online for exceptional carpet cleaning services.

Book a Cleaning with Zerorez Today!