{"id":369,"date":"2014-02-17T19:12:34","date_gmt":"2014-02-17T19:12:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/thecleansceneblog.wordpress.com\/?p=369"},"modified":"2026-09-08T22:46:47","modified_gmt":"2026-09-08T22:46:47","slug":"heart-to-heart-conversations-about-carpet-odors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hydramasterblog.com\/index.php\/2014\/02\/17\/heart-to-heart-conversations-about-carpet-odors\/","title":{"rendered":"Heart-to-Heart Conversations about Carpet Odors"},"content":{"rendered":"

As the weather gets colder and the days get shorter, people have a tendency to go inside, make sure the windows are closed, shut the door, and spend more time inside. With less airflow and ventilation, and the simple fact that the people and pets living in a home are spending more time there, the likelihood of odors emanating from the carpet becoming more obvious greatly increases. The problem is that the homeowner is often the last to notice or know. Why? – \u00a0Because they are used to the smell. The time often comes when someone, and often that someone is you, needs to have a heart-to heart conversation about carpet odors with the homeowner. So just why are the carpet odors anybody\u2019s business other than the occupants of the home?<\/p>\n

A pricey condominium in a Chicago high-rise was proving to be a very hard sale.\u00a0 The property had been on the market for over six months\u2014a long time even considering the tough real estate market.\u00a0 The real estate agent decided it was time to have a \u201cheart-to-heart\u201d conversation with the frustrated seller, an older gentleman who had lived in the unit for more than a decade.<\/p>\n

Did the agent tell his client the price was too high?\u00a0 Actually, both the agent and the seller believed the property was priced rather competitively.<\/p>\n

Maybe the property needed some updates, maybe a new kitchen?\u00a0 While the property was certainly not brand new, the kitchen and bathrooms were recently updated, making this unlikely the issue.<\/p>\n

Instead, the heart-to-heart the agent had to have with his client focused on something entirely different\u2014the condominium smelled.\u00a0 While the seller tried to refrain from smoking in the condo, there were many days and nights when it was simply too cold to go outside, so he smoked inside.\u00a0 The years of smoke and odor buildup had taken its toll on the condo, especially in the carpets and certain fabrics.\u00a0 Upon entering the property, this was often the first thing visitors and, most importantly, potential buyers noticed.<\/p>\n

When the agent mentioned that he believed the smoke odors most likely emanating from the carpets were contributing to the slow sale, the client indicated he never even noticed the smell and questioned if there even was malodor.\u00a0 This is not uncommon.\u00a0 Long-term occupants of a building or residence where odors are a problem often no longer notice them.\u00a0 Additionally, men, such as the seller discussed here, typically do not notice odors or smells as much as women.\u00a0 And, older people in general are not as odor conscious as younger people.<\/p>\n

A homeowner finally decided that the real estate market in their area had gotten active enough that they could get the price they needed to be able to sell their house and get out from underneath an overbearing mortgage payment. They had been \u201cupside down\u201d for several years but wanted to keep their commitments to their bank, and had been continuously making their mortgage payments. Finally the pressure could be relieved. They had just seen two neighbors houses down the roads sell literally within days of being put on the market, and in both cases, the homeowners received bids for more than they were even asking. They had a beautiful Victorian style home nestled up against some beautiful, mature evergreen trees on over an acre of land. The home had a beautiful wraparound porch on the front and a great deck for entertaining out back. The home was around 15 years old but in reasonable good condition. They had a thick off-white cut pile carpet installed throughout much of the house. The carpet definitely needed cleaning. So they hired a local coupon carpet cleaner whose price was just too good to resist. Their relator had recommended another company she worked with on a regular basis, but their prices seemed so much higher.<\/p>\n

The cleaning turned out to be a disaster. The carpet looked better, but not great. The problem was that it was in the middle of winter. The homeowner had a couple of dogs, but they were generally well behaved, and usually went outside to \u201cdo their business.\u201d Now though, the whole house smelled like a mixture of mustiness and dog pee. Potential buyers were looking at their house, and quickly leaving. Offers were not coming in.<\/p>\n

These situations are not uncommon.\u00a0 Smoke, typically from cigarettes, is one of the most common carpet odors in both residential and commercial properties.\u00a0 Along with smoke, some of the most frequently encountered odors include:<\/p>\n