Table of Contents
- A Dirty Foundation Undermines the Entire Carpet
- Why the Carpet Padding is So Often Ignored
- Why Haven't I Heard About Cleaning the Padding Before?
- Signs That Your Carpet Padding Needs to be Cleaned
- How Padding Affects Air Quality and Carpet Longevity
- Can Damaged Padding be Saved?
- For Expert Carpet Repair and Carpet Cleaning in Boulder, Trust the Team at Steve's
Most homeowners are responsible stewards of their carpeting and ensure it is vacuumed and cleaned regularly. To clean carpets, most call in professional carpet-cleaning outfits to ensure the carpeting is thoroughly cleaned. And while the cleaners might do a good job on that portion of the carpet you can see, many overlook one component of the carpeting that can have a big impact on everything else. In this post, the experts at Steve's Carpet Care take a close look at the most often overlooked part of carpeting that needs cleaning.
A Dirty Foundation Undermines the Entire Carpet
The part of the carpeting that we're referring to is the padding. It's not something most people think about, nor is it something carpet-cleaning companies routinely clean. Why? Usually, because it's cheaper for a rug cleaning service to simply pretend it's not there. After all, most homeowners never give it a second thought. They just want their carpet to look great and feel good underfoot.
But carpet padding plays an important role in the overall experience of your carpeting. It absorbs impacts, provides cushioning, and absorbs sound. In addition, it helps prevent heat loss in winter and heat gain in summer. And because it relieves much of the stress on the carpet from everyday wear and tear, it can extend your carpet's life, too.
But just because it's out of sight doesn't mean it can be ignored. The padding tends to act like a giant sponge absorbing every pet accident, spilled party drink, and mud and moisture tracked in on the soles of shoes. Over time, if the issue is not addressed, you could end up with mold, mildew, dust mites, and more. Even potentially dangerous mold spores.
Why the Carpet Padding is So Often Ignored
While the carpet surface may appear fine after thorough vacuuming or wet-vac treatment, the padding may continue to harbor problems. With wet vacs, large amounts of moisture can get trapped in the padding, creating all kinds of problems that will manifest over time.
Most homeowners who give the padding any thought assume that carpet cleaning will address it. But most carpet-cleaning methods today fall short, focusing only on the pile. As we mentioned, this can produce a cosmetically attractive finished product, but if the padding isn't properly addressed, you'll eventually face a range of issues that can undermine the enjoyment of your entire home.
Really? Yes.
If you really want to get your carpets clean, right down to the padding, you need to enlist Steve's Carpet Care and our truck-mounted steam-cleaning machine. The truck-mounted steam cleaning machine reaches right down to the padding and applies high pressure, heat, and a powerful vacuum. This machine also uses very little water, so the bottom layers of your carpeting system won't be swimming in water as they would with a wet vac.
Why Haven't I Heard About Cleaning the Padding Before?
Mostly because it's out of sight. Just like people give very little thought to the undercarriage of their car when they're going through the car wash, they also don't spend time thinking about the padding while the carpet cleaner is going about their job.
Maybe just as important is the myth that carpet padding doesn't really need cleaning because it's not directly exposed to foot traffic. But it is exposed to spills, pet urine, water left over from poor-quality wet vac cleanings, and more. Over time, these and other issues can have real-world consequences for carpet hygiene and ultimately, the air quality in your home.
Signs That Your Carpet Padding Needs to be Cleaned
It can take time for issues related to a contaminated carpet padding to manifest. Simply because, as we said earlier, it doesn't receive direct foot traffic. But if left unaddressed long enough, signs will emerge indicating your carpet padding needs professional attention. Some of those signs include:
- Smells - A musty odor that lingers in the air even after a thorough vacuuming.
- Stains – Zombie stains, or stains you thought were gone that wick back to the surface.
- Dampness - Spots that stay wet much longer than they should point to problems beneath the surface.
- Pet odors - Odors that emerge after the pet urine has penetrated the padding and had time to dry.
- Feels Soft - Parts of the carpet feel spongy when walked upon. In such cases, replacement of the padding may be necessary.
How Padding Affects Air Quality and Carpet Longevity
Padding that has not been properly cleaned in some time can harbor allergens, mold, mildew, and other contaminants that will eventually become apparent. If the padding is dirty, the mere act of walking on the carpet can force tiny particles up through the carpet fibers and into the air, where they're breathed in by the unsuspecting. This constant release of airborne pollutants can produce a stale, musty odor that lingers despite vacuuming regularly and renting a wet vac to shampoo the carpeting.
And because carpet padding does not exist in a bubble, a dirty or degraded carpet padding can actually shorten the lifespan of the carpet sitting on it. It will no longer provide cushioning and support and instead become a compacted sponge filled with moisture and debris.
Can Damaged Padding be Saved?
There's no single answer to that question. In some cases, it may be possible to pull the dirty carpet padding back from the edge and thoroughly clean it with our truck-mounted steam cleaning machine. In other cases, though, the padding may have absorbed too much moisture and too many pollutants to be worth saving. In which case, the best course of action would be to rip it up and install new padding.
For Expert Carpet Repair and Carpet Cleaning in Boulder, Trust the Team at Steve's
The most commonly overlooked part of a typical home's carpeting is the padding. Most people don't give it a second thought because it doesn't receive direct foot traffic. But if left uncleaned for too long, the padding can start to emit foul odors, undermine the quality of the carpeting sitting on top of it, and expose the people in your house to numerous health risks. Don't let that happen. Call Steve's Carpet Care today at (303) 530-4900 and mention you want your carpets cleaned right down to the padding.