The leading cause for a bad smelling carpet after cleaning is that the carpet backing absorbed some of the moisture in the process and is still wet.
Carpet damp after cleaning.
Carpet is not intended to be saturated with large amounts of water nor is it meant to be damp or wet for long periods of time.
You may find that after just 8 to 12 hours a very damp carpet will begin to take on a musty or old smell.
Ideally avoid heavy traffic and keep children and pets off the carpet for at least 6 hours after cleaning.
Steam has a high enough temperature to kill any toxins and also removes the toxins when the steam cleaner sucks up the dead mold spores.
However some rugs can feel moist for up to 24 hours depending on the time of year and humidity.
Having a damp carpet smell after cleaning should not be neglected.
The longer a carpet stays moist the more potential there is for mold and bacteria to begin growing in the carpet.
You can do this yourself or call a professional for help.
However if your carpet is still wet the day after you have it professionally cleaned typically this is an indication that the company you hired did something wrong.
Many decide to choose a deep cleaning service exactly because something or someone stained the floor.
Another good reason for a funky carpet smell is an old stain.
But if the insulation is wet it s gotta go wet insulation cannot be saved.
Snap a chalk line cut the drywall with a recip saw and toss the wet stuff.
If you don t have insulation and you dry out the basement quickly you don t have to replace the drywall.
While the carpet is drying check the condition of the wall insulation.
If not dried properly the underlying material becomes susceptible to mildew problems which can cause the musty smell.
If you must walk across the carpet to get to another part of the house do it 30 minutes.
Most of the possible carpet odor reduction that can be accomplished will be accomplished by the cleaning itself.
After a professional clean you can expect your carpet to feel wet or damp for at least six to ten hours.
Proper carpet cleaning performed by the vast majority of companies does not cause mold.
Steam cleaning wet carpet removes any toxins and deodorizes it.
Reasons your carpet smells bad after cleaning it.
The short answer is that proper carpet cleaning does not cause mold.