Rugs, whether area rugs or wall to wall carpeting, pick up all kinds of odors: from pets, smoke, cooking smells, moisture, and more. If you’ve suffered from flooding due to a leak or harsh weather, you have an even greater challenge. To eliminate unpleasant carpet odors, you first need to identify their cause.

A musty odor signals the presence of excess moisture. Moisture can happen anywhere, whether from a flood, a leak, a spill, humid weather, a wet dog, or not drying thoroughly after cleaning. Usually, musty odors start within the fibers or on the backing of the carpet; the pad and the floor beneath may have musty odors as well. You can’t see it – but you will definitely smell it. 

Many people shampoo their wall-to-wall or area rugs themselves to save on the cost of a professional job. This can sometimes create a problem if over-wetting or incomplete drying occurs.  (Over-wetting happens when too much water soaks into the bottom of the carpet.) If the backing and pad get wet, it is very difficult to dry them. This is a surefire recipe for musty odor problems.

To eliminate carpet odors caused by dampness or excess moisture, experts recommend controlling the moisture level in the air.  In most cases an acceptable moisture level in the air is 50% or lower relative humidity, but the question is:  how do you get your humidity that low, especially if you live in a damp climate or you’re dealing with musty carpet as a result of flooding or harsh weather?

To dry out your indoor air, and your carpeting, try DampRid moisture absorbers. These non-electric dehumidifiers absorb and trap moisture in the air, lowering the relative level of humidity below 50%.  Thus, DampRid gets rid of dampness and the odor it causes. 

But what about other carpet odors, not caused by moisture? Simple! Odor Genie gives you continuous odor removal for up to 60 days, using a solid gel that dissipates into the air, neutralizing offensive odors.

Whatever is smelling up your carpet, or causing rank or musty odors in your home, DampRid and Odor Genie are just the products to eliminate the problem and restore fresher, healthier drier air and carpet.