Carpet Odors Removal

by S Tennant
(New Zealand)

Firstly, try to identify the odor. Sometimes when looking for carpet odors this is all too obvious and other times, you may have to have a good sniff to determine the cause, or even the location, of the offending smell.


Occasionally the problem does not lie in the carpet at all and a musty smell might be caused by rotting or mold in the flooring beneath the carpet, following a flood or spill that was never thoroughly dried.


If it is definitely the carpet which smells, knowing whether the odor comes from a pet urine stain, a food stain or some other cause may help to determine how to tackle it.


For a more general eau de unpleasantness, myriad commercial carpet cleaners and deodorizers exist such as NilOdor and Febreze. Or, you could opt for some more old-fashioned techniques and sprinkling baking soda or tea leaves, leaving for a few hours and then vacuuming the smell away.


Commercial cleaners exist for those specific smells as well. Pet (or human) urine can be deodorized, appropriately enough, with products used for soaking baby's diapers; alternatively, vinegar can help to neutralize the ammonia. This last option apparently deters cats from reoffending, so it's worth a try!