If your home has a strange smell you can't identify or locate, the carpeting could be the culprit. Carpets are notorious for collecting dirt and requiring residential carpet cleaning. However, even clean-looking carpet can produce odors, so what's the cause? Consider the guide below to learn why your flooring might smell bad. 

What Are Some Common Causes for a Smelly Carpet?

1. Mold and Mildew

Fungal growth like mold and mildew is one of the most common causes of bad carpet smells. The growth develops due to moisture inside the carpet's fibers without proper cleanup. For instance, you're likely to get mold in your carpets if you don't clean a drink you spill, if your home's humidity is too high, or if water drips from indoor flower pots directly onto the floor. 

Your flooring likely has a mold or mildew problem if your home has a musty odor. Other signs of mold in carpeting are unexplained allergies, damp floors, and carpets with green, white, or black spots. Residential carpet cleaning from qualified cleaners could remedy this issue.

2. Food and Drink Spills

Occasional food and beverage spills are bound to happen, no matter how careful you and your household are while enjoying meals and snacks. Though you could easily clean the mess you make on a hardwood or tile floor, carpets are more problematic and difficult to clean. 

Materials can quickly soak into carpet fibers and seep into the padding underneath the top layer. Because food and drinks are organic products, whatever that's left behind can attract bacteria. As the organisms eat the organic matter, they will release foul-smelling gasses that could change the overall scent of the affected room. 

3. Pets

Pets can deposit odors on carpets in several ways. The most common way is for a dog or cat to defecate or urinate on the floors. Even an occasional accident can leave behind unwanted smells. You could use carpet cleaners to eliminate the smell. 

However, traces of the bad scent may linger from the gases released by bacteria that feed on traces of the mess left behind on the carpet's fibers. Professional pet odor removal involving enzymatic products can remove the smells permanently.

Eliminate bad odors in your home with residential carpet cleaning from Gray's Carpet Cleaning Inc. Located in Rochester, NY, and proudly serving the community for over a century, this company has the expertise to clean carpets in residential and commercial properties. As a fully-insured and locally-operated business, these professional carpet cleaners offer various services to keep your property spotless and fresh-smelling, including stain protection and area rug cleaning. They also offer upholstery cleaning using top-quality equipment. Request a free estimate today at (585) 473-4947 or visit their website for more information about their services.