Rugs, Carpets and Carpeting - Dirtier after steam clean?

Hi all, we recently used an a consumer-brand steam cleaner on the carpeted wooden stairs going into our upstairs (raised ranch). The stairs seemed to get pretty wet and took a couple of days to dry. We then noticed that there were big streaks of brown throughout the white carpet. We were not sure if we just pulled up some dirt or if this was some kind of mildew/mold. So, we cleaned again with less water and this seems to have helped a bit, but the stairs still look dirtier than when we started. A few questions:

1) Should I be concerned that the wood under the stairs got wet and is not growing mold...potentially rotting the wood?

2) Is this brown streaking mold/mildew or did we just pull up dirt?

3) Can I clean this with woolite or a professional carpet cleaning service or am I better off pulling up carpet and getting those hard wood stairs that wifey wants? ;)

I would be fairly concerned about the wet underwood. And really, if your wife wants hard wood floors, why not deliver? It will score you some points for later down the road.

Well we pulled a small section up and the wood is not wet at all. But we're having a real hard time getting the stairs as clean as they were, any ideas?

Call a certified carpet cleaning professional. They have the trucks with the big hoses with enough suction to remove excess water from carpet. This eliminates concerns about oversaturation of carpet and cushion which can cause mold and mildew and delamination of carpet backing. They also use hot enough water to clean and disinfect and cleaners that leave no residues that attract soil, causing rapid resoiling and possible staining.

I'm not saying this is the case, just pointing out a potential. If there is anything that has gotten through the carpet over time and is sitting on top the pad, as the carpet dries it will wick the stuff up through the carpet and cause what you're describing. That's where a pro has it over the home owner. Their equipment is very powerful compared to home owner or rental stuff and can usually eliminate that particular potential.

I know this is a long shot, but, is the wood stained? Maybe the stain was running off into the carpet?! This may not even be possible, but just wanted to ask.

Hi all (nope Hotin, wood not stained), have done two rounds of Woolite Oxy on it and I think we are now back to where we were before we steam cleaned...lol Thanks everyone.

Soap attracts dirt - that's its job. Rental carpet cleaning machines lack sufficient power to remove all of the soap from the carpet and that which is left behind attracts dirt to make the carpet dirtier than before 'cleaning' it. As a result, we have a clause in our leases that disallows tenants from cleaning their carpet themselves.

white carpet on stairs?????? wifey will be getting those hardwood steps before long!!!!