If you’ve noticed a strong odor coming from your carpet, you’ll be glad to hear that there are some easy ways that you can get rid of the smells. Even if you regularly vacuum your carpets, they can still produce odors.
This is because there are elements like humidity that can make smells worse. Furthermore, accidents from food and drinks can leave smells lingering long after they’ve been cleaned up.
Below, you can discover some of the best deodorizing methods to leave your carpets smelling fresh again.
Ways To Deodorize Your Carpet
Baking Soda
Baking soda is a super popular and easily accessible product that most people keep in their cupboards that can be used for cleaning purposes. It’s fantastic for soaking up strong odors and liquids and all you need to do is sprinkle the baking soda all across your carpet.
You can then leave the baking soda to absorb in your carpet to effectively soak up the odors for two hours. However, if you’re dealing with especially strong odors, you may need to leave the baking soda in your carpets overnight.
When you’ve left the baking soda to absorb in your carpets for your desired duration of time, use a vacuum to suck up the powder. When you vacuum the baking soda, you’re also vacuuming up the odors as the baking soda absorbs them.
You can take this baking soda deodorizing method a step further by adding essential oils to the mix. This can be a fantastic way to help you get rid of strong odors that are difficult to shift. Not only are you able to remove the odors, but you can also leave your carpets with a fresher scent due to the essential oils.
Combine approximately 15 drops of your chosen essential oil with two cups of baking soda. Be sure to mix the solution thoroughly. You can then sprinkle it generously across your carpet and repeat the same process as the baking soda on its own.
Vinegar
Mixing two cups of water with one cup of vinegar into a spray bottle can be another excellent home solution to alleviating carpet smells. In particular, this vinegar solution can be effective at removing the smells caused by mildew.
Since vinegar has a potent smell, it’s great for overpowering the mildew. Spray the vinegar solution onto the carpet and leave it to dry for a while before washing it out.
However, be sure to spray just enough of the vinegar solution onto the carpet without causing it to become soaking as it can be a hassle to dry. Check out our detailed post on how to use vinegar to clean your carpets without damaging them.
Enzymes
Enzyme cleaners are excellent when it comes to getting rid of odors caused by pet accidents. Urine can not only lead to strong smells, but it can also lead to your carpet being stained.
Using an enzyme cleaner from a store is a must-have for pet owners. The enzymes work by feeding on feces, urine, and vomit that your pet may have accidentally left on your carpet. By the enzyme feeding on the causes of the odors, you’ll be able to drastically reduce how pungent it is.
Carpet Shampoo
If you’re tired of your carpet constantly having a poor odor, a shampoo cleaner may be what you need. Carpet shampoo cleaners can provide your carpets with a deeper clean to get rid of the smells.
We recommend finding a carpet shampoo that specifically states it can be used for removing strong odors. Furthermore, it’s best to test the shampoo out on a small area of your carpet that’s not as visible. This helps to see whether the shampoo causes any damage or not. If not, then you can go ahead and apply it to the rest of your carpet.
You’ll also need a carpet cleaner which can be purchased or rented. Follow the guides for the specific model and shampoo on how much to fill the tank of the carpet cleaner. When using the carpet cleaning machine, be sure to go over areas multiple times to give your carpets a deep clean.
Ways To Prevent Your Carpets From Smelling
Regularly Cleaning
Cleaning your carpet regularly is the best way to prevent them from smelling. It’s best to try and stay on top of vacuuming a couple of times per week. This is enough to ensure that you can keep any dirt and bacteria at bay that can lead to odors if left for too long. You can take a look at our Bissell Crosswave Pet Pro review to learn more about an excellent vacuum for carpets.
Moreover, as soon as you see drink, food or pet accidents on the carpet, clean them as quickly as possible. Cleaning up these accidents quickly is your best bet for preventing a stain.
Moreover, the quicker you remove stains, the less chance the liquids or organic matter have to seep down deeper into your carpets where they can be more difficult to clean. This is where smells can originate from.
Ventilation
Another incredibly easy way to prevent your carpets from smelling is to keep the room properly ventilated. This can be as simple as opening up the windows in the room to let fresh air inside and prevent odors from lingering in the fibers of your carpet.
By keeping your home ventilated with windows, you can also prevent mold and mildew from developing. This is great for preventing the liquids from accidents that have seeped deep into carpets being able to create a moist and dark environment for mold and mildew to grow.
Mold and mildew are among one of the things that can cause carpets to smell. They develop when your carpet has been wet for too long. Therefore, keeping your carpets dry by keeping windows open can be a great preventative method.
Conclusion
Dealing with smelly carpets can be a nuisance for you and everyone in your home. However, you can now feel more assured when it comes to getting rid of these odors by using the tips mentioned in our post above.
Deodorizing carpets with baking soda and essential oils is a simple and effective home remedy that gets rid of smells while leaving your carpets with a pleasant scent.
Using the carpet cleaning machines and shampoo cleaners is a more extreme method that can be great for smells that trapped deep inside your carpets.
You can also put our preventative methods into practical use to avoid having to deal with smells from your carpets ever again.
