It is evening and you are tired to your bones after a hard day’s work. Then as you open the door and walk into your house, a pungent smell hits your nostrils hard and square. On scrutiny, you realise the irritating smell is originating from your beloved carpet.
Sources of carpet smells
The genesis of the odors wafting from the carpet include urine from pets such as dogs and cats, livestock like goats and sheep, cooking and dirty socks, spilled food, drinks, human activity like kids relieving themselves on the carpet, newness of a carpet and the condition of the floor, whether it is dirty or wet.
Getting rid of carpet smells
Identifying the source of the odors and getting rid of or minimising it is the surest way of getting rid of the carpet smells. This is, however, difficult if not impossible. So you may need to look for other effective ways such as enlisting the services of a professional cleaner like Mvir Cleaning.
Alternative ways of tackling carpet smells
Pet urine smells
To get rid of them will require you to soak up as much urine as possible, first by diluting with water and vinegar. Then soak it up again, applying baking soda, then working in a mixture of peroxide and dish soap. Allow that to dry completely and then vacuum it up. Shampoo your carpet regularly to get rid of certain odors that from just having dogs.
Mildew and wet carpet
They are not only irritating, but they are also potentially dangerous. Identify the source of your water leak -a spill, a leaking roof, or just condensation – and you will tackle mildew smells. Then decide if you can clean the carpet or pull it out and start over. You may roll up the carpet to reveal the floor beneath, clean it and allow it to dry or use a fan to dry it. Shampoo or steam clean the carpet and allow it to dry. If it still smells like mildew, replace it to safeguard your health.
Cigarette smoke smells
They are not only bad for your carpet, but also your health and that of your family. They are hard to remove because they are sticky since they form from tar. You will need to use a carpet cleaner and a solvent that will cut through the tar to remove cigarette smell.
Cooking smells
They are difficult to remove from your carpet because they are bonded to aerosolized grease and smoke. Use a soap that can emulsify that grease to remove them. After scrubbing, use a steam cleaner and extractor to remove as much of the liquid as possible and allow to dry.
New carpet smells
They are a product of the manufacturing process or possibly adhesives. They are full of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) and, therefore, unhealthy. They will disappear with time. Proper ventilating the house by opening windows and using fans is another solution. You can also steam clean the carpet. Always try and buy carpets that are guaranteed to be VOC-free and never use any potent carpet installation adhesives.