It is soothing, pleasant, and part of what makes your house seem like a home to have a fresh, clean scent in your home. So, it can ruin your day when a bad smell appears to be coming from your carpet.
But what’s causing that offensive smell, and how can you remove it from the carpet without further tarnishing or staining it?
Cause Of Odour in A Carpet
Your carpet likely got something spilt on it that either wasn’t detected or wasn’t cleaned sufficiently, which is why it’s starting to smell bad. The residue has started to disintegrate on your carpet; therefore, it was presumably some sort of food or drink.
Mould or mildew that developed as a result of the spill and is now concealed in the carpet fibres is the source of the odour. Any beverage with dairy ingredients is the biggest offender, and the smell of sour milk is easily recognisable.
Ways to Get Rid of Carpet Musty Odour
How then can sour milk smell be removed from the carpet? Some of the more effective techniques are listed here.
Vinegar
Vinegar is another inexpensive option to get rid of that sour smell in your carpet because it has several cleaning applications. It works wonders to eliminate any mildew that could be developing in the carpet fibres since it is a weak acid and can also be used to neutralise the unpleasant residue in your carpet. Using it is simple as well.
First, fill a spray bottle with one cup of warm water and one cup of distilled white vinegar, and shake vigorously. The overpowering vinegar smell won’t last long; it will fade as the mixture dries. If there is an intense odour, you may add two tablespoons of baking soda for additional cleansing strength.
Using Baking Soda to Deodorise
Commercial carpet deodorizer powders are available to purchase, but baking soda may also be used to create a straightforward carpet powder at home. This common home item eliminates odour, which can improve the scent of your carpet.
To create a pleasant aroma, you may use simple baking soda or blend in essential oil. Choose your essential oils wisely, or stay away from them altogether, if you have pets. Eucalyptus, tea tree, citrus, peppermint, wintergreen, and pine are just a few of the essential oils that might be harmful to animals.
Do not let your dogs enter the places where you have sprinkled the baking soda on the carpet. Wait for a few hours and vacuumed up.
Steam Cleaning
Only a high-quality commercial steam cleaning of your carpet will effectively and permanently remove stains and odours from it. The odours and stains are removed from the carpet by steam cleaning, leaving you with simply a plush, clean carpet.
Vacuum Regularly
By adhering to some simple carpet cleaning advice, you can prevent dirt, crumbs, and other debris from accumulating between the fibres where they can smell unpleasant. Your carpets should be vacuumed at least twice a week.
You may need to vacuum more frequently to keep up with the debris if you have dogs or a busy family, perhaps daily for really dirty carpets.
Upgrade your vacuum if vacuuming doesn’t appear to be making a difference. To make your carpet cleaner, HEPA filters do a superb job of capturing even the smallest particles. Robotic vacuums consistently do their duty without your assistance.
Hand Scrub Your Carpet
While this may be the least exciting activity, it can still leave your carpet smelling fresh. To begin, you might use a soft brush or sponge along with a few drops of dish soap. A balanced amount of soap should be used since too much soap may make your carpet greasy and unhygienic.
After cleaning the entire carpet properly, spend some time rinsing the soap off. To give your rinse water an even fresher scent, you can add a commercial fabric softener. Complete sun drying of the carpet would be beneficial because a soggy carpet can also draw odour.
Use Dehumidifier
High humidity levels in your house might make it more likely for mould and mildew to thrive. That may also result in some health issues and a musty smell. Running a dehumidifier during periods of high moisture, frequently in the summer, lowers the humidity to lower the risk of mould and mildew.
Remove Stains Immediately
Dry-on stains and grime are key contributors to carpet odours. If something falls to the carpet, take the time to pick it up right away. Fill a bottle with warm water, 1/4 cup white wine vinegar, and 1 tablespoon dish soap for recent stains. Spray on the stain and dab until gone with a fresh, dry cloth.
More Ventilation
Setting up some ventilation may seem like a straightforward fix, but it addresses the cause of unpleasant carpet odours. You probably have (or have had) a wet carpet pad if you recently had wet carpet due to spills, leaks, or simply carpet cleaning. The pad might not be dry even though the carpet seems that way.
Place fans on the smelly area of your carpet and open the windows. The pad will dry with this. If you believe the pad is still very moist, you might even add a dehumidifier.
Include A Carpet Protector
Your carpets will stay cleaner if you add a lovely rug to a room in your house that sees a lot of traffic. Naturally, the rug will still require routine upkeep, but removing and deep-cleaning a rug is far easier than doing the same with an entire carpet.
You may also add chair mats to protect your carpet from chair legs and desk chair wheels.
Use Essential Oils to Get Rid of Carpet Odours
Depending on the cause, it’s not always simple to understand how to remove odours from the carpet, but essential oils may be useful in this situation. A mixture of baking soda and aromatic oils may work wonders for odours caused by pets, smoke, or musty basements.
Start by combining a cup of baking soda with 10–20 drops of your preferred essential oil; if you have pets or other animals, be sure the oil is suitable for them.
Citrous, such as lemon or orange, is a good place to start because such aromas naturally combat foul odours. The mixture should be applied to the carpet and left in place for a few hours. To incorporate it into the carpet fibres, you may even walk on it while wearing socks.
Inside The House, Remove Your Shoes
Although you might view adopting the no-shoes-inside lifestyle as your mother’s solution, it might become your new calling. Purchase some slippers or indoor shoes.
It’s difficult to believe that we explore everywhere with the same shoes following us across parking lots, grocery store aisles, restaurants, and even down the hallways of our own homes.