
Common Odors That Occur When Carpet Cleaning Services in Chicago, IL are Neglected

Nasutsa Mabwa
July 29, 2015Carpets see a lot of action, especially in areas where traffic passes through daily. Because so much happens to your carpets, it makes sense that they need regular care and upkeep to stay clean and odor-free. At ServiceMaster Cleaning by Simons, we provide professional
carpet cleaning
services in Chicago, IL so you can easily maintain your floors.
Unpleasant odors can quickly appear when carpets don't receive regular cleaning. These common odors can be impossible to cover up and difficult to remove once they are established.
- Mildew smells appear when moisture and warmth is consistently present in your carpets. While mildew and mold are both types of fungi, mildew is usually identifiable by the sour, musty smell and pale coloring.
- Pet odors are the most common culprits of unpleasant scents in carpets. Urine, feces, and other kinds of pet waste are usually the reason for carpet odor, but even pet hair and dandruff can give off a scent if allowed to accumulate.
- Tobacco smoke clings to soft materials like hair, cloth, and carpet fibers. Smoke odors deeply permeate your carpets, making it extremely difficult to completely remove without the right products and equipment.
- Dirt and motor oil are slow to buildup, but can eventually cause carpets to smell musky and acrid. Motor oils are actually introduced to carpets often, and the greasy particles aren’t water soluble, so they can be very difficult to clean.
- Old carpets can get that sweaty smell of old clothing because the fibers in your carpet will break down, and non-plastic fibers will start to rot. It’s best to just replace old carpets because they can give off allergy-forming dusts.
- Beer and alcohol will stain and crust into your carpet fibers. Old alcohol can start to smell like a hospital in the worst kind of way.
- Food and grease is present in everyone’s home, and it can be difficult to keep off the carpets, especially with children around. However, regular cleanings can easily remove this inevitable odor source.
If your carpets aren’t regularly cleaned and maintained, it’s likely one of these common sources of odor will start to become evident. Keep odors out of your carpets and
contact ServiceMaster Cleaning by Simons
today for our professional cleaning services in Chicago, IL.
Nasutsa Mabwa is the CEO of ServiceMaster Restoration By Simons, a nationally recognized, award-winning disaster restoration firm serving Cook, DuPage, and Lake Counties. Under her leadership, the company has become one of Chicagoland’s most trusted providers of water and flood damage restoration, fire and smoke damage cleanup, mold remediation, and specialty cleaning services for both residential and commercial clients.
A respected business and civic leader, Nasutsa has received numerous honors for her contributions to the industry and her community. Her accolades include:
- Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Companies - 2025 recipient
- Top 100 Women to KNOW in America (2024) by KNOW Women & JPMorgan Chase
- Crain’s Chicago Business 40 Under 40
- SB100 Best of Small Business Award
- 2020 BBB Torch Award for Marketplace Ethics
- Stevie® Award for Female Entrepreneur of the Year
- 2020 Daily Herald Business Ledger C-Suite Award
- 2018 ServiceMaster® Achiever Award
She is IICRC-certified in both Water Damage Restoration (WRT) and Fire & Smoke Restoration (FSRT), combining technical expertise with visionary leadership. Nasutsa holds a Master’s in Urban Planning & Policy from the University of Illinois at Chicago and an MBA in Real Estate Development from Roosevelt University.
Beyond her business achievements, Nasutsa is an active community advocate. She is a Board Member of the Civic Federation, an Advisory Board Member, and Past President of the Executive Committee for the Evanston Chamber of Commerce. She is also a long-standing member of the Women Presidents Organization (WPO).
She is the co-author of RESTORE: A Complete Guide to Protecting Your Home As Your Most Valuable Asset, an essential guidebook for homeowners navigating the challenges of water and fire disasters.
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