Baking soda is one of the best odor eliminators for carpets. It is natural, non-toxic, and effective at neutralizing odors. To use baking soda, simply sprinkle it evenly over the carpet and let it sit for at least 30 minutes. Then, vacuum up the baking soda.
Start by mixing about a cup of baking soda with 10-20 drops of your favorite essential oil (make sure it's pet-safe if you have critters). Citrus like lemon or orange is a great starting point because those scents naturally fight bad smells. Sprinkle the mixture on the carpet and leave it in place for a few hours.
You can use baking soda (aka bicarbonate of soda) to clean and deodorize all kinds of carpet and area rugs, but the method used depends on whether the stain is grease-based (think pizza, oil, mayonnaise) or non-greasy (like mud, wine, blood). In all cases, the process starts by sprinkling baking soda over the stain.
It's also great for smells due to mold or mildew, as it can actually remove the fungus as well as the odor. To treat your carpet, mix white or apple cider vinegar with warm water in a ratio of one part vinegar to two parts water. Spray your carpet evenly and let it air dry.
'Leave a bowl of vinegar out overnight,' advises Saskia Gregson-Williams, cookbook author and founder of Naturally Sassy. 'In the morning, the vinegar will have absorbed all the unsavory smells and your kitchen will be as fresh as a daisy. '
Less is more with any cleaning product, including vinegar. Use the least amount of vinegar you can get away with to minimize smells. If you use a light hand with the vinegar, the aroma will go away on its own in 30 to 60 minutes, particularly on solid surfaces. If it's on a soft surface, it may take a day or so.
Mix ½ cup of baking soda with 30 drops of essential oil. Pour this mixture into something that resembles an old spice container (any mixing container that has holes in the lid will work). Let the mixture sit overnight for 24 hours. Sprinkle the mixture lightly over the carpet.
Add about 25 drops of your favorite essential oil to 2 tablespoons of baking soda and stir to combine. Lemon and lavender are great choices, but eucalyptus is my favorite because of the refreshing scent. Pour the baking soda and essential oil mix into the water and stir. Then funnel the water into your spray bottle.
For tough carpet odors, try mixing in equal parts of borax to the baking soda for a homemade carpet odor eliminator (with or without the addition of fragrant oils or spices). Leave the mixture on the carpet for an hour or longer, then vacuum like you would when using plain baking soda.
The most common reason for a bad-smelling carpet after a homeowner cleans it is that the underlying backing or padding got wet and wasn't dried properly. This isn't something to let go, because it can cause mildew.
The Main Reason for Musty Smells After Cleaning
If that bottom layer gets wet and isn't dried properly, it can give off an odor. The good news is that as the backing or padding dries out, the sour smell should go away all on its own. The bad news is this takes (just a bit of) time.
What Is the Hardest Smell to Get Out of Carpet? So many chemical cleaners exist, and there are still odors that are hard to get out of the carpet. These are usually strong smells, such as pet urine, and cigarette smoke, as well as mold and mildew.
Ventilation is the Best Way to Eliminate New Carpet Odor
So, during and after installation, open your windows, turn on several fans on the high-speed setting, and point some at the windows to help push the fumes outside. Keep this going for about 72 hours or until the odor goes away enough for you.
There's another thing you can do, though: Pull out a bottle of distilled white vinegar. The acetic acid in vinegar neutralizes alkaline odors, which means it can help get rid of cooking smells cheaply and easily.
So, keep the vinegar for use in your kitchen and bathroom, but don't let it get near your fabrics or rugs. “But what about those videos that shows vinegar removing stains?” you may ask. Trust us on this; the vinegar will not remove stains that are embedded in your carpet and may, in fact, harm your carpet fibers.
Sprinkle baking soda onto wet carpet areas, then let it dry for at least 24 hours. For tough stains, mix 1/4 cup of white vinegar with 2 cups water and pour onto the area before letting it dry for at least 24 hours. This will help remove odors and kill bacteria in your carpet. You may need to do this more than once.
Deodorize the Room
Unpleasant odors lurk in the carpets, rugs, and upholstery. To remove these musty smells, fill a dish with half an inch of white vinegar and leave it out in the room until the smell dissipates.
Similar to boiling lemons or making stovetop potpourri, vinegar steam is a great way to neutralize potent smells. Add half a cup of vinegar to one cup of water and simmer on the stove while you cook (or after) to absorb any smells in the air.
As the vinegar evaporates, it takes those neutralized molecules with it, leaving behind no scent at all. You don't have to spray vinegar around to reap its deodorizing benefits. Just fill a small, shallow dish, stick it in the corner, and wait. After a few hours, that odor will be long gone.
How Often to Clean and Deodorize Carpet with Baking Soda. Stains that can be effectively removed with baking soda should be treated as quickly as possible after they occur. Carpets and area rugs can be cleaned and deodorized with baking soda weekly, monthly, or as often as you'd like.
First, the bacteria and ammonia in the urine reactivate. Second, the water causes the urine to spread out further. If the cleaning chemicals did not include products designed to treat urine problems or the wrong amount of such a product was used, it can actually make the situation worse than it was prior to cleaning.