How To Remove Smells From Carpet
Carpet is a great flooring material. It’s soft, comes in many colors, and it dampens noise. Carpet is ideal for apartments and townhomes with many levels for this very reason. It’s clear, though, that carpet comes with some drawbacks. It’s absorbent and gets stained often. At the same time, it traps smells and holds onto dust and allergens. If your carpet smells, it may be time to do a deep cleaning. That might sound intimidating, but trust us, with a few common products, it’ll smell fresh again. So, how do you remove smells from carpet?
Smoke Odor
Did you buy a house where a previous smoker lived? Cigarette smoke smells can be some of the most difficult smells to get out of a home. Here at Citrusolution Asheville, we have some tricks up our sleeve for this one.
White Vinegar or Ammonia
It’s up to you which product to use—both are effective. White vinegar and ammonia are both effective at breaking down foul odors. Do not mix them because white vinegar is acidic and ammonia is basic. Mixing the two will only cause them to cancel each other out and creates saltwater, in essence.
Grab two or three large bowls, fill them within three inches of the top with the white vinegar or ammonia. Place the bowls around the rooms with the smoke-laden carpet.
Let the bowls sit for 24 hours, and keep children and pets away from them. Over the course of 24 hours, the ammonia or vinegar will absorb the smoke smells.
Baking Soda
This classic deodorizer will work its magic on stinky carpets of any kind. You can also find baking soda carpet cleaning powders that have scents.
All you need to do is grab a few boxes of baking soda and sprinkle it all over the affected carpets. Let it sit overnight and vacuum it up the following day.
Steam Cleaner With Vinegar
If you own a steam cleaner, you can pour distilled vinegar into it. Distilled vinegar is a great smell destroyer. Vinegar kills all sorts of bacteria and rids any surface of lingering smells, like smoke.
Pet Smells
Pet smells are almost as bad as smoke. There are still tons of ways to get rid of fido’s smell, though.
Grab a roll of paper towels and soak up as much of any urine spots that you can. If the area is dry, soak it with clean water and blot the carpet. Once the area is wet, put a dab of dish soap down and work it into the stain. After that, rinse with water and dry as much as you can. Be sure to have a fan nearby to dry the area.
After the stain is up and dry, coat the spot with baking soda to help with the smell. Let the baking soda sit for 24 hours before vacuuming it.
Mold Smells
One of the most difficult parts of dealing with mold is finding the source. If you often catch whiffs of mold smell, that could have something to do with humidity.
When you’re dealing with mold smells, one of the best tools is a dehumidifier. Mold thrives in moist environments, so dry it out! Be sure to run the vent fan in your bathroom for 20 to 30 minutes after a shower to remove moisture.
Like smoke and pet smells, vinegar will be your best friend. Treat all the carpets with a vinegar solution to kill the mold smell. Apply baking soda to a dry carpet that smells like mold and run a fan every day.
What If The Smells Won’t Go Away?
Sometimes, we can’t always kill or remove smells in our carpets. If you’re at the end of your rope and need some professional opinions or intervention, reach out to CitruSolution of Asheville today!
