Rank smell:



First of all, a wet carpet when left damp for a period of time develops a rank, unclean odor. The smell can range from a stinky shoe, a wet dog, or even your week-long laundry basket. Whatever the scent, it's not going to be pleasant to whoever gets a whiff of it.

Staining:

When soil and dirt are lodged between the fibers of your wet carpet absorb fluid, they break down and turn into a murky liquid. If the carpet has soaked a lot of water, the water pushes the dirty fluid upwards where it, if left unchecked, dries up. It will cling to the top of the carpet fibers in an unsightly brown stain for the entire world to notice. And it will take longer to clean too.

Delaminating:

A lot of carpets are attached to the floor using special carpet glue. When this glue is exposed to water that has run down from the wet carpet, it delaminates causing your carpet to detach itself from the floor. Once the carpet is dry, a heavy step can cause it to crease which you'll have to smooth out time and time again. Worse yet, it can cause accidents if anyone happens to fall down and slip because of the detached carpet.

Mold and mildew:

Mold and mildew thrive in damp areas and a wet carpet is an ideal space for them to spore and grow in. The soaked and dense fibers, the soggy carpet pad beneath, and even the floor covered by the wet carpet will allow molds to flourish and quickly spread. Before you know it, you'll have a carpet full of molds and mildew right in your living space. It's certainly not going to be good for the allergies.

Bacteria:

It's not the common case but occasionally natural disasters might bring floodwaters into your home. The water will contain rain water, mud, and sewage to name a few bringing in a host of bacteria inside. Even when flooding has subsided, the wet carpet will still be contaminated. If this is the case, maintaining sanitation should be the priority. If you decide not to throw away your carpet because you feel it can be salvaged, then act quickly. The bacteria will cause the fibers of the carpet to rapidly rot and deteriorate so get it cleaned up, the sooner the better.

As you've read, delaying the cleaning and drying process of your wet carpet can turn out to be a health hazard, a safety issue, and a costly expense. You lose nothing except maybe a few hours of your time when you face the task. So if you ever happen upon a wet carpet react swiftly so you don't encounter any of the problems related to it and life can go back to normal.