All homeowners know accidents are prone to happen when it comes to their beloved carpets. Mornings are hectic. No matter how much they might try to prevent the dreaded moment, the kids will eventually spill some orange juice or a fresh blueberry smoothie on the living room carpet, in their rush to catch the school bus in the morning. Evenings are not quieter either. The dog is all excited to see all the household members come back home, so you can expect some spilled glasses and torn fringes on your carpet. These are all part of life, and we need to get used to the thought. However, this does not also mean that we need to get used to living with nasty carpet odors that are usually an immediate consequence of these unfortunate accidents. There are times when even a professional carpet cleaner will fail to eliminate these bad odors from your carpets, after all the cleaning and washing. So what then? Are you doomed to live with the old smell of yogurt, pet accidents, mildew and mold until you are ready to invest in a new carpet? Not at all! There are things you can still do, and today we are going to provide you with a few useful tips that should help you get rid of nasty odors from your carpets with some homemade solutions.
Why Is My Carpet Smelling Bad?
One of the first signs your home has been taken hostage by mold or mildew is a bad odor coming out of your carpets. If you usually open your windows lots of times a day or use air fresheners, you may not immediately notice the distinct scent these nasty microorganisms are known to latch on your carpets. But where did the mold come from? If you have recently spilled water or another liquid on your carpet and failed to air dry the area properly, you are likely to deal with this issue. Plus, if your home has been recently flooded or the humidity is at an all-time high, you may be also looking at the same problem. An improperly dried carpet after a thorough cleaning will also eventually lead to mold. Pet waste is also known to have a very similar effect on the fibers of your carpet, once it is deeply embedded in.
Use Baking Soda To Get Rid Of Your Carpet’s Bad Odors
There are lots of natural carpet cleaning methods that could help you eliminate bad smells. And the good news is that most of them will not cost you a thing, as you most likely have all the necessary ingredients for the special recipes in your pantry. For example, use white vinegar to kill odor-causing bacteria and say goodbye to the smell. Acids are known to have a powerful effect on bacteria, but sodium carbonate is not to be ignored either.
Baking soda contains sodium carbonate, and it is the number one home remedy for eliminating nasty smells from your home. Mix some baking soda with water and spread the paste on both sides of your carpets. Let it sit, then use water and soap to rinse and let the carpets sit in the sun to dry out naturally. Any traces of odor will vanish with the help of the heat from the sun.
you can also sprinkle the soda on your carpet and let it sit for a few hours, then use a vacuum cleaner to remove the debris. This is one of the most effective solutions of cleaning a carpet without hiring a professional cleaner or an expensive machine.
White Vinegar Eliminates Pet Urine Smells
White vinegar is acidic and it will immediately kill bacteria once it will reach affected areas. It will also do a good job at removing nasty dog and cat urine smells. To obtain the best results, mix three cups of water with one cup of vinegar using a spray bottle. Spray your carpets with this cleaner and use a brush with soft bristles to scrub the carpet clean. You can also use this mix for removing the bad urine odor in your mattresses.
If Life Gives You Lemons…
Squeeze a couple, mix the fresh juice with lukewarm water and apply the mix on the mold on your carpets using a clean towel. It should help you eliminate the strongest of odors, provided you won’t forget to use paper towels to scrub the area and rinse with water and soap.
Remember to let the cleaned area dry in the direct sunlight or with the help of a floor fan, then use the vacuum cleaner.
Tea tree oil, liquid dish soap, or hydrogen peroxide also make for good carpet cleaning solutions when dealing with bad odors, mildew and mold.
Call The Pros
If none of these methods worked for you, or you would simply like to have professional carpet cleaners thoroughly clean your carpets once or twice a year, NYC Steam Cleaning is a fast, reliable, and affordable alternative. Give us a call today!
