Trust us on this; the vinegar will not remove stains that are embedded in your carpet and may, in fact, harm your carpet fibers. You'll end up with the same dirt you had before, but with the added problem of color fading and changes in carpet texture.
All you have to do is pour white vinegar into the steam cleaner where you'd usually pour the cleaning solution, and then run the machine as normal. Once the carpet is dry, your room will smell just as good as if you'd used harsh carpet cleaning chemicals. No rinsing is necessary after you're done with the job!
There's no set time that the vinegar smell will linger. It depends on the air flow in the space. However, vinegar actively looks for things to bind to. In most cases, it won't take more than 5-15 minutes for the smell to go away.
Just follow the usual procedure you'd normally follow when cleaning the entire carpet. You don't need a follow up rinse session. Although the room will smell like vinegar while you're cleaning, that pungent vinegar scent will go away once the carpet's dried and the room has been aired.
While vinegar is a magical cleaner that you can use on almost any surface, its strong odor can make cleaning a little bit of a challenge. Of course, over time, the smell will dissipate, but you shouldn't have to wait around for the smell to fade.
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. Air circulation can make the vinegar aroma dissipate more quickly. The vinegar aroma will go away when it's dry.
Try Baking Soda
If you know which surface you cleaned with vinegar, you can try cleaning it again with baking soda to neutralize the odor. Mix 1 teaspoon of baking soda, 1¾ cups of water, and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice in a spray bottle. Spray the vinegar-drenched area with the baking soda solution, and wipe it dry.
Don't worry about the odor; it's never long lasting since vinegar evaporates once it dries. If you're really sensitive to the scent, you can also mix-in a few drops of essentials oil for a fresh boost of fragrance.
You'll probably need to let it sit overnight, but the key is to wait until the vinegar has completely dried. As it dries, the smell of the vinegar should dissipate.
Is there any danger of vinegar staining your carpet? Although vinegar has been known for many years for its wide application – (used to clean up various contaminants), you should never trust it completely. Don't risk damaging your furniture, carpets, car upholstery, etc.
What is this? Of all the options, white vinegar is the best alternative for cleaning tough stains because of its main ingredient, diluted acetic acid. This makes it an excellent absorbent for most stubborn carpet stains.
According to the rug care experts at Aspen Carpet Designs, bleach and alkaline chemical cleaners can damage wool fibers. Vinegar is somewhat acidic and fairly gentle, making it ideal for cleaning wool fibers.
And the long answer goes like this: When used together, baking soda and vinegar will neutralize each other, effectively canceling out the benefits of low pH for vinegar and high pH for baking soda.
The most likely reason your carpet has begun to smell sour is that something was spilled on it and either wasn't noticed or wasn't cleaned thoroughly enough. It was probably food to drink of some kind, and the residue has begun to decompose on your carpet.
While the acidity of vinegar makes it such a good cleaner, this property unfortunately also adds a pungent smell. It's so strong in fact, that it can deter some from using white distilled vinegar as a household cleaner, particularly if you're cleaning in anticipation of guests.
Breathing vapours with high levels of acetic acid can cause irritation of eyes, nose and throat, cough, chest tightness, headache, fever and confusion. In serious cases damage to the airways, a fast heart rate and eye damage can occur. An accumulation of fluid in the lungs may occur and may take up 36 hours to develop.
Sweat can smell like vinegar because of diseases such as diabetes, trichomycosis, and kidney disease, or because of hormone changes, certain foods, or skin infections. Sweat is released by sweat glands that are found throughout the body. These are the eccrine, apocrine, and apoeccrine glands.
In heavily humid climates, your air conditioner may be overrun by the excess condensation and moisture. This standing water in the condensation pan can start to take on a pungent smell that has been likened to vinegar or a musty sour smell.
Both vinegar and olive oil evaporate. Only liquids containing water evaporate. Direct sunlight is needed for evaporation.
Pour milk over the vinegar and let it sit for a few minutes before wiping it away. If you're dealing with a large amount of vinegar, you can also neutralize it by pouring lime juice or milk of magnesia over the affected area. These substances are basic so that they will counteract the acidity of the vinegar.
The best and most risk-free solution for wool carpet stains is the white vinegar. It is safe and effective. However, if you use distilled vinegar, you might even get better results. Using essential oils for pre-treatment and final refreshment is also a good idea.
You can try using 1 cup of white vinegar in your Bissell Spot Cleaner. Pour in the Vinegar, then fill the rest of the Bissell Spot Cleaner tank with hot tap water. Just be sure to follow normal safety guidelines that go with using vinegar as a cleaner.