Many things can make your carpet dirty. Carpet is absorbent, and that is why it holds onto the smells of different things. If your carpet smells bad, you can remove the odours pretty easily. Just a bit of extra cleaning is needed. This post will show you the best way to remove odours from carpet.
Removing General Odours
If you do not clean your carpet for a long time, eventually, it will smell foul. A host of factors, not a particular factor, have caused the odours. If that is the case, you can take the following steps to remove odours.
Treat soiled areas
Before cleaning your carpet, you have to remove blot away wetness, dry on spills, and check if there are noticeable stains. Before treating the smell, ensure your carpet is in its best state.
Sprinkle some baking soda
Odours get trapped inside the carpet, and baking soda neutralizes them. Make sure that the coat of baking soda is not thick. For each room, take an adequate amount of baking soda. Spread it with your hand, and make sure it does not clump in spots.
For better results, you can add Borax. The ideal ratio of Borax and baking soda is 1:1. Mix them well. If you want it to be scented, add some essential oil.
Let it sit
We recommend you wait a few hours and let the soda sit. If the carpet odours are nasty, it is an excellent idea to let it sit overnight. Make sure that children and pets are away from the area. Then vacuum up the soda if you can do it. Congratulations! You have found the best way to remove odours from carpet.
Apply a deep cleaning treatment
Sometimes, baking soda may not work well, and you may have to make a deep cleaning treatment. You can make it easily with ¼ cup of baking soda, 2 tablespoons of hydrogen peroxide, 1 quart of water and 1 tablespoon of liquid soap. Take an open container and mix the ingredients in the container.
Before you use this mixture on the entire carpet, test it on a small area. When handling this treatment, use gloves. Once you have prepared this mixture, do not cover it with a lid.
Spray the treatment on the carpet
If you spray, you will get an even coat. Make sure the nozzle is open. Do not leave the treatment unused in the spray bottle. Be careful when you pour it. If you are careless, you may saturate the carpet. Wear your gloves when pouring the treatment.
Removing Smoke Odours
Carpets are designed in such a way that they hold onto smoke odours and smell bad. If you are dealing with smoke odours, we will teach you the best way to remove odours from carpet. Below, we will outline what you need to do to remove smoke odours.
Take some ammonia and white vinegar
Fill a couple of bowls with ammonia and vinegar. Make sure a little room is left in each bowl. If there is little room, vinegar will not slosh over the sides. Then keep the bowls in the room where you have the smoke-scented carpet. Make sure you do not mix ammonia with white vinegar. If you do so, you will have to deal with a harmful gas. This process will not altogether remove the smell from the carpet but will indeed reduce the intensity.
Let the bowls sit there for 24 hours
The odour will be absorbed by the ammonia or white vinegar, although you do not apply them to the surface. The substance should be removed when the treatment is finished. Ensure that children and pets are away from your ammonia or vinegar bowls.
Treat with baking soda
Using baking soda is another way to remove smoke odours. Sprinkle baking soda on the carpet and let it sit overnight. Then vacuum it up. During treatment, ensure that children and pets are away from the area. Commercial carpet cleaners come with scented granules. You can also use them.
Use a steam cleaner
To do this, you have to pour vinegar into the cleaner. It works as an acidic cleaner. It not only removes odours but also removes bacteria. Using a commercial cleaning product is a good idea. Some products are specially designed to treat smoke smells.
Run your steam cleaner
It is a good idea to read the instructions before you use the machine. If you think renting a steam cleaner is not a good option, use white vinegar to saturate the carpet.
Make sure that a fan is on, and keep the windows open. You can easily rent a steam cleaner if you contact a hardware store. Leave the fan on, and the carpet will dry quickly. Do not walk on the carpet when it is wet.
Removing Pet Smells
Cats are cute, and dogs are loyal, but they also make your carpets dirty. How can you clean your carpet when it smells of your furry friends? Here are the steps you have to follow.
- Soak up wetness
Identify the urine spot, and soak up the wetness with a paper towel. If it is dry, wet it with clean water. Then use a paper towel to dab the area. Get some dish detergent ready.
- Apply dish detergent
If pet urine is on the carpet, we recommend you use green dish detergent. Take a wet paper towel and put some detergent on it. Use a soapy towel to blot the area. This is a pretty clever way to clean up pet urine.
- Coat it with baking soda
Pour some baking soda over the carpet while it is still wet. Do not worry if the baking soda is wet. Leave it as it is for about 10 hours. Cover the spot with some paper towels.
- Spray white vinegar
Make sure that the baking soda is not removed. When the vinegar and baking soda react, the area will foam. It is essential because this reaction will remove the bad smell. You can also make a mixture of white vinegar, water and baking soda. Take two tablespoons of baking soda, one cup of water and vinegar. Keep them in an empty spray bottle. You can store this mixture for up to 3 months.
If the carpet smells bad, you can apply hydrogen peroxide to the spot. However, before applying it to the entire carpet, you should test it on a small area. Applying this method is the best way to remove odours from carpet, apart from using a steam cleaner. There are also commercially available products with enzymes specially designed to break down the bad odour. You can also try such a product.
- Allow it to sit for a few minutes
As the vinegar treats the carpet, monitor it. Keep your children and pets away from it. Some people use hydrogen peroxide instead. If you do so, make sure it sits for at least 15 minutes.
- Soak up the cleaner
Take a soft cloth and soak up the agents. Then, the remaining baking soda should be wiped out. Then blot the area and make it dry. Once the carpet is dry, there is a good chance that it will no longer smell bad. But if the smell persists, use a steam cleaner to clean the carpet. Here you can find more information on pet friendly disinfectants.
In this post, we have shown you the best way to remove odours from carpet. We hope you will find these methods helpful.