Baking soda may help if your carpet smells strange due to spilt food, pet scents, or years of foot activity. Chemical stain and odor removal is bad for the environment and can irritate the eyes and respiratory tract. Baking soda is inexpensive, safe for both pets and people, and simple to use.
- First, vacuum the carpet. Baking soda and dirt will not work well together. Begin with a carpet that is as spotless as possible. Clean your rug with a vacuum to remove any large dirt particles or loose fibers. Oil and grime are on the soles of your shoes, and constant contact with your carpet can grind up the surface, leaving filth in the fibers.
- Once your carpet is as clean as possible, inform your family that you will be cleaning it and that no one should tread on it while you apply the baking soda treatment.
- If the rug is in a high-traffic area, it may be necessary to clean it in portions.
- Over the area you want to treat, sprinkle the baking soda. At least one (or two) boxes of baking soda should be used. You want to completely cover your rug so that it’s difficult to tell what color it is. You should use a generous amount of baking soda because it is not dangerous to humans or pets. [1]
- Because baking soda is clumpy, pouring it into a cocktail shaker before using it may assist.
- Make sure you’re using fresh baking soda rather than one that has been opened in the refrigerator. More scents will be absorbed by a new, unopened package.
- Scrub the carpet with a stiff brush. Rub the baking soda into the carpet fibers with a dry brush or sponge, rubbing it all the way down. If your carpet has a lot of long threads, you’ll need to do this; make sure each region is well covered in baking soda.
- If you don’t want to harm the rug’s texture, wipe it down with an old sock or t-shirt instead of scrubbing it.
- It’s advisable not to walk on the rug at this point until you’ve done the job. If you can’t dot it perfectly so choice the best carpet cleaning company.
- Set aside the baking soda for a few hours or overnight. It will be much nicer if you can let it sit for 24 hours. The better the outcomes, the longer it sits. Baking soda, rather than disguising odors, naturally neutralizes and absorbs them.
- During this time, keep off the carpet to avoid spreading the baking soda around the house.
- Fill in any spots on the carpeting that haven’t been covered with baking soda. It won’t work until you thoroughly clean all of the odor-infested areas of the carpet.
- Use a vacuum to remove the baking soda. Work slowly because this will take time. To finish the process, you’ll need to clean each patch of carpet multiple times. [2] The baking soda will work as long as it does not get wet.
Deal with scents that are more potent.
- After the initial baking soda application, vacuum your carpet. Has the noxious odor been eliminated? Most odors can be neutralized with just one treatment. You may need to give the rug a second treatment if it had a really strong stench. Remember that the longer you leave the baking soda on the carpet to neutralize scents, the better.
- Prior to treating your rug, consider shampooing it. If your carpet is particularly filthy, baking soda alone may not be sufficient to eliminate the odor. As a preliminary to a baking soda treatment, you might give it a deeper clean by shampooing your carpet. This will improve the treatment’s chances of success.
- Instead of ordinary carpet wash, try a half-and-half solution of white vinegar and water.
- If the rug has been washed, wait until it is completely dry before using baking soda.
- To assist cover the odor, consider scenting the baking soda. You could replace the old smell with a fresh aroma if the rug is particularly nasty. Pour your baking soda into a big mixing bowl to smell it. Drop five to ten drops of essential oil into the mixture. Toss the fragrance into the baking soda with a mixer. Fill a cocktail shaker halfway with baking soda, then treat your carpet as indicated. The fresh scents listed below will assist to mask the odor:
