Why Does My Carpet Feel Hard and Crunchy After Cleaning?

Carpet cleaning is often one of the most dreaded residential chores, and with good reason. While it’s laborious, it can also easily go wrong. For this reason, it’s best left to the professionals.

However, homeowners often take things into their own hands and end up with less-than-pleasing results. The dreaded “hard and crunchy” feel often presents itself.

Why does this happen? How can you prevent it? More importantly, how can you restore your carpet to its pre-DIY condition once something like this happens? Keep reading. Our carpet cleaning experts are breaking it all down.

1. Improper Washing

Improper washing is often the leading cause of a crunchy mess. You failed to remove the entirety of the cleaning agent you used. This may have been shampoo, detergent, or residual chemicals from an over-the-counter solution.

If you fail to rinse off the chemicals adequately, they’ll make your carpet feel crunchy or stiff. Remember, your carpet sustains damage as these chemicals sit in the fibers.

Unfortunately, some conventional carpet cleaning companies use this approach as well. This is why it’s extremely important to ask for experience when partnering with carpet cleaning providers. Work with a company that has at least 30 years of experience. The more, the better!

2. Your Carpet Gets Heavy Foot Traffic

If your carpet gets heavy foot traffic, it should ideally be cleaned more frequently. If you fail to do that, your carpet may come out crunchy when you finally make the cleaning decision. Why? Because your carpet has collected a lot of dirt. The fibers have become compressed, and the grime must be extracted, not just rinsed off.

3. You’ve Let Old Spills Accumulate

Every time you spill something on your carpet, you should clean it ASAP. If you fail to do this, the residue will become stuck in the fibers and create a crunchy, hard feel.

4. Your Vacuum is Faulty

Regular vacuuming isn’t just important; it’s imperative. If you fail to keep it up, your carpet will start collecting dust and dirt. If your carpet is turning out crunchy after cleaning jobs, you may want to get your vacuum cleaner tested as well.

Recommended Read: How to Fix a Vacuum Cleaner That Has Lost Its Suction Power

5. Call the Pros

If you want to tackle the problem, turn to the professionals. A team of experienced, trained, and skilled carpet cleaners will analyze your carpet, create a custom cleaning plan, and tackle the stiffness and hardness. They’ll also create a cleaning schedule to prevent the same situation from reoccurring.

At Alameda Cleaners, we’re here to help. With over 42 years of experience, two awards in 2022, and a team of skilled technicians, we go the extra mile to achieve excellent results. If you’re looking for carpet cleaning services in Portland and Vancouver, call us today. We also provide area rug cleaning, upholstery cleaning, and MicroSeal fabric protection services.