One of the best things you can do for your carpet’s care is providing it with a professional cleaning. A thorough cleanup leaves it looking spotless and new.
However, when the same, newly-cleaned carpet starts to form ripples or lumps after cleaning, it can be scary for a homeowner like you. A wrinkled carpet, especially after a professional cleanup, is not only disappointing but also an unappealing sight and a tripping hazard.
A common culprit behind carpet rippling and lumping after professional cleaning is related to either unskilled cleaning or an underlying problem in your carpet itself. So, if you are facing such issues with your carpet, here are some most common reasons why it happened. We’ll also see how you can deal with them and avoid it in the first place.
Top 4 Reasons Why Your Carpet Is Rippling & Lumpy After Being Professionally Cleaned
1. Over-Wetting
One of the leading causes of ripples forming after a cleaning is over-wetting. This is also a reason why carpet stains reappear. When you over-saturate your carpet beyond a limit, it leaves it with excess moisture. This moisture seeps into the backing and adhesive layers which causes wrinkles and lumps even after being cleaned professionally.
This often happens when you've got your carpet cleaned with moisture-extensive processes like hot water extraction. If the professional you’d hired used excess wetting and did not extract all the water out, it leaves it moist from the depth, resulting in rippling and wrinkling.
2. Inadequate Drying And Moisture Control
Just like overwetting, improper drying also leaves your carpet lumpy after cleanup. If your carpet is not dried fully till its depth or walked over before it dries, it can leave the wetness behind. This often occurs if you don’t ensure thorough drying with the help of dehumidifiers, fans, HVAC, and ventilation after deep cleaning.
Moreover, lack of air-borne moisture control after cleaning can also lead to such common carpet problems. Especially if you live in a humid climate and don’t control your indoor humidity well, your carpet can find it difficult to leave moisture and thus face ripples even after being professionally cleaned.
3. Usage Of Unsuited Cleaning Method
Another issue that can cause waves or ripples on your carpet after cleaning is an inappropriate method of cleaning. Every carpet is different and is made up of different types of material. Most synthetic fiber carpets like those made up of polyester can withstand wet/water-based cleaning.
But the moisture-sensitive carpets (e.g., wool and sisal carpets) can’t bear wetness and need a dry cleaning method. If you clean them with water, they can soak in all the water. This inappropriate method that doesn't suit its type can later become a reason for lumps due to excess wetness in your carpet.
4. Cleaning A Loosely-Installed Carpet
Apart from the factors like improper drying, overwetting, or unsuited method, your carpet itself can also be the cause too. Despite a proper professional cleaning, if your carpet is loosely-installed, it can form ripples and lump soon after cleaning.
If you’ve not installed your carpet with a power-stretcher and a skilled technician, it can leave your carpet loose. This loosely-installed carpet isn’t fixed and stretched properly. That makes it expand during cleaning due to moisture, resulting in waved appearance or ripples.
The Solution For Post-Cleaning Carpet Ripples & Lumps
The solution to this issue is quite simple.
In most cases, when your carpet expands during cleaning, it is normal to form ripples due to moisture. And the good part is that it is temporary. Once the moisture from your carpet dries completely, you’ll most likely see the waves and lumps lying flat.
However, in rare cases, if your carpet faces persistent wrinkles and if drying doesn’t fix them, you might need to opt for re-stretching to fix the issue.
Hire Skilled Experts To Avoid Rippling & Lumpy Carpet After Cleaning
Your carpet can face ripples after cleaning due to many reasons mentioned above, the root cause being exposure to too much moisture. But by opting for skilled professionals, you can save it from rippling issues.
You can trust our team at Magic Steam Carpet Cleaning. We're an experienced team of experts who know the job well. Our experts get your carpet super clean with powerful steam cleaning. We ensure thorough extraction of all the moisture along with proper drying. This leaves no room for any lump or wrinkle to form after cleaning and gives you a spotless carpet with quality cleanup.