Many people like carpet because it is so soft, but it does get dirty quickly. Because carpet is very absorbent, it can retain bad odors from food scraps, spilled drinks and cigarettes for a long time. If your carpet stinks, you don't have to buy a new carpet right away. Maybe you can still clean it. With a few well-known home remedies you can easily get odors out of your carpet.
Steps
Method 1 of 4: Remove common odors
Step 1. Treat dirty spots
Before treating carpet, remove dried grime, dab up wetness, and apply soap to visible stains. Your carpet must be in good condition before tackling the odor.
Step 2. Sprinkle baking soda on the carpet
Baking soda neutralizes odors that trap your carpet. You should sprinkle a thin layer of baking soda on the carpet, so buy a large box for each room you want to treat. If it clumps together in places, spread it with your hands.
Step 3. Let the baking soda soak in
The recommended exposure time is several hours, but if your carpet really smells bad, leave it on overnight.
Keep pets and children away from those rooms
Step 4. Vacuum up the baking soda
Pay close attention to your vacuum cleaner bag, because it can quickly fill up with baking soda. Change the bag if necessary.
Step 5. Give the carpet a deep clean
If baking soda alone doesn't work, you can make your own cleanser using 2 tablespoons of hydrogen peroxide, 50 grams of baking soda, 1 teaspoon of liquid soap and 1 liter of water. Mix the ingredients in a bucket. Test it on a spot that isn't very visible before treating your entire carpet with it.
- Wear gloves when using this product.
- do no lid on the bucket once the mixture is mixed.
Step 6. Pour or spray it on your carpet
Spraying is better because you can distribute it more evenly, but always open the sprayer and don't leave the remaining product in a closed spray bottle. When you pour, be careful not to get the carpet too wet.
Remember to wear gloves, especially when pouring the mixture onto the carpet
Step 7. Let it soak for 24 hours
The remedy takes time to do the job, so leave it alone. Make sure the room is well ventilated and keep children and pets out.
Step 8. Use a towel to absorb excess moisture
If the carpet is still wet, use an old towel to make it as dry as possible. Let it air dry further.
Method 2 of 4: Remove smoke odor
Step 1. Mix white vinegar with ammonia
White vinegar and ammonia can absorb the smoke from the entire room, including the carpet. While you won't get the smell out completely, it's a good start.
Step 2. Put the mixture in bowls
Do not overfill the ramekins or the mixture will slosh over the edges. Use 2-3 dishes per room. Put them in the room with the carpet that smells like smoke.
Step 3. Leave the dishes for 24 hours
The white vinegar and ammonia will absorb and break down the odor, even if you don't apply it to the carpet. Once you're done, remove the ramekins and toss the mixture into the sink.
Keep pets and children out of the room where the dishes are
Step 4. Treat the carpet with baking soda
Just like with regular odors, you can sprinkle the carpet with baking soda and vacuum it up with the vacuum cleaner after it has soaked in overnight.
- Keep pets and children away from this room during treatment.
- You can also use store-bought carpet cleaner, which consists of scented granules.
Step 5. Pour white vinegar into a steam cleaner
White vinegar is an effective, acidic cleaning agent. It kills bacteria and removes tar and resin odors.
You can also opt for a cleaning product from the store. Some are specially developed to combat smoke odor
Step 6. Run the steam cleaner over the carpet
Follow the instructions that come with the device. If you don't want to rent a steam cleaner, you can also saturate the carpet with white vinegar. Eventually, the smell of the vinegar will evaporate.
- Make sure you turn on a fan and, if possible, open a window so that the carpet doesn't get moldy.
- You can rent a carpet steam cleaner at the hardware store.
Step 7. Let the carpet dry
Leave a fan on while the carpet dries. Do not walk on the wet carpet.
Method 3 of 4: Fighting pet odors
Step 1. Blot up wetness
Use paper towels to soak up urine. If the area has already dried, wet it with clean water and pat it dry again with paper towels.
Step 2. Apply green dish soap
Green dish soap works well on your pet's urine stains. Put a little green dishwashing liquid on a wet paper towel. Dab it over the urine stain.
Step 3. Cover the stain with baking soda
If the carpet is still wet, sprinkle baking soda on it. The baking soda will get moist, but that's okay.
Step 4. Leave it overnight
Baking soda and soap should work for several hours. If it is a small stain, cover with paper towels while it soaks.
Step 5. Spray white vinegar on the dried urine stains
Do not remove the baking soda yet. It will foam when the white vinegar and baking soda come into contact with each other. This reaction allows you to remove the stench.
- You can also clean the area with a mixture of water, white vinegar, and baking soda. Mix 250 ml of water, 250 ml of vinegar and two tablespoons of baking soda in an empty plant sprayer. You can keep this cleanser for 2-3 months.
- If it still stinks, you can put hydrogen peroxide on the urine stain; however, test it in an inconspicuous area first, as it may cause discoloration.
- You can also buy products that contain enzymes in the store, which you do not have to rinse.
Step 6. Let the white vinegar soak for five minutes
Do stay close and make sure that pets and children cannot come near.
If you're using hydrogen peroxide, leave it on for 10 to 15 minutes
Step 7. Blot up the cleaning agents with a cloth
Wipe up any leftover baking soda and pat the area dry. Smell the carpet when it's dry to determine if the stench is gone. If it still stinks, you may need to use a steam cleaner.
If your carpet is completely soaked with urine, you may need to throw it away
Step 8. Use a steam cleaner
If you have a lot of pet odors, you may need to treat the carpet with a steam cleaner. You can use a store-bought cleanser or make your own mixture of white vinegar and water. Run the steam cleaner over the entire carpet and let it dry. You may have to do it several times to get rid of all the stench.
Once the odors have fully soaked into the carpet, an enzyme-based cleaner may be able to dissolve the bacteria causing the stench. Pour it over the carpet so that it is completely soaked, and let it dry, it's that simple
Method 4 of 4: Remove mold stench
Step 1. Address the cause of the fungus
If you smell mold, your home may be too humid. Removing the odor alone is not enough to save your carpet, as the mold spores will continue to grow. Instead, change your habits to reduce humidity. Turn on a fan when you shower, open a window when you cook, or use a dehumidifier.
Step 2. Use a wet and dry vacuum cleaner to remove excess moisture
If your carpet is wet, a wet and dry vacuum can reduce mold growth by removing the moisture in which the mold thrives.
Step 3. Mix 250 ml white vinegar with 500 ml warm
In case of mold odors, dilute the vinegar with water. Make sure the water is warm, but not hot.
Do not heat the water on the stove
Step 4. Spray the mixture on the carpet
Cover the entire carpet with the mixture. The carpet should be wet enough to react well with baking soda.
Step 5. Sprinkle baking soda on the wet carpet
The baking soda will react with the diluted vinegar.
Depending on the size of the room and the quality of the spray bottle, it may be easier to do small sections of the room at a time
Step 6. Let the vinegar-baking soda mixture dry
This can take anywhere from a few hours to overnight, depending on how much you've applied and whether you're using fans to dry the carpet.
Step 7. Vacuum up the baking soda
Then throw the vacuum cleaner bag outside in the garbage bag.
Step 8. Turn on a fan
To prevent the mold smell from coming back, make sure the carpet dries quickly. Depending on the weather, you can open the windows to prevent the room from becoming too humid.
Step 9. Consult an expert if the smell returns
If you have water damage or mold, you may need the help of an expert. Mold is a serious problem that can be very expensive to fix, so the sooner you get help, the better it will be for your home.
Tips
- If you can't get rid of mold or pet odors with these treatments, the carpet may be too damaged and needs to be replaced.
- To get the smell of cigarette smoke out of your home, you will also need to clean the furniture, walls and windows.
- Usage no vinegar on marble and natural stone. The acid can damage the protective layer.
Warnings
- Do not use hot water or steam to remove urine stains. Due to the high temperature, the stain will set in further.
- Be careful if you have pets or children. Keep those away when you're treating the carpet.
- Be careful when mixing cleaning agents. Follow the directions on the package and wear gloves.