How to Get Smell Out of Carpet and Make Them Smell Good

Carpets easily soak up odors over time. Spills happen and pets have accidents. Before you know it, your carpets give off unpleasant smells. While you may be tempted to mask odors with air fresheners, the source of the smell is still there down in the carpet fibers and padding.

To get rid of carpet odor, you need to remove as many of the smell molecules as possible. Then you can replace the bad smell with a fresh, clean scent. So, now you need to figure out how to get dog poop smell out of carpet and make it smell good. With some simple household products and a bit of elbow grease, you can get unwanted smells out of your carpets.

How to Get Smell Out of Carpet?

Before choosing cleaning solutions, sniff around first. Figure out what areas smell the worst or what may have caused the odor. Food spills, pet messes, smoke, and mildew have distinctive smells. Knowing the source of the odor will help you treat it effectively. You’ll use different techniques, for example, to combat a wine stain smell versus cat urine odor.

Prepare for Cleaning

Getting ready to clean takes some work but makes eliminating odors much easier:

• Remove all furniture, rugs, and anything sitting on the smelly carpet. The more bare floor space around the area, the better.
• Vacuum thoroughly to suck up loose dirt and odor particles from old spills. Use an odor-eliminating vacuum product if possible.
• Pre-treat any visible stains you find with a stain remover or hydrogen peroxide.
• Run a carpet rake across traffic areas to fluff up the carpet threads so solutions can penetrate better.
• Sprinkle an even layer of baking soda across the whole carpet. Let sit for several hours or overnight if possible. This will help absorb smells from spilled liquids.

Choose the Right Solution

Now comes the fun part – attacking those carpet smells! Arm yourself with these odor eliminators:

Vinegar:

White vinegar gets rid of smells, not just covers them up. Consider using a mixture of vinegar and water to apply. Use a clean towel to soak up any extra water.

Hydrogen peroxide:

Its oxidizing properties destroy odor molecules. Use a 3% solution. Apply to carpets with a spray bottle, wait 5-10 minutes, then blot up.

Enzymatic cleaner:

Breaks down odor compounds. Use pet urine cleaners for animal accidents. Spray or dab on stains and let sit for 30 minutes before blotting.

Baking soda:

Absorbs odors rather than covers them up. Sprinkle liberally over the carpet. Let sit for a few hours up to overnight, then vacuum up.

How to Make Carpets Smell Good

After deep cleaning carpets to remove odors, it’s important to leave behind a fresh scent. Choose natural options whenever possible instead of masking smells with chemical room sprays. Making your carpets smell inviting with pleasant scents is the finishing touch to complete odor removal.

Use Aromatic Plants and Herbs

One easy way to make carpets smell good without any artificial fragrances is to use plants. The leaves, stems, flowers, and oils naturally emit feel-good scents. Plus, breathing plants’ purified air has health benefits.

Strategically place bowls of fragrant rose petals around the room. Set out small dishes of lemon or orange peels. Hang eucalyptus branches over smelly spots. The key is placing aromatic plants near carpet level so their scent diffusers downwards. Let nature freshen up the floor!

Simmer Herbal Potpourri

To give carpets a nice, clean smell, boil up some homemade potpourri. For a warm, inviting smell, simmer water with whole nutmeg, cinnamon sticks, and apple peels. Steep rosemary, lemon verbena, and lavender buds to make the room feel better.

Keep the pot simmering on low to permeate the room with scent molecules. The carpet fibers will soak up the fragrance. It’s like a spa treatment for your floor!

Use Essential Oils

Essential oils distilled from plants have very concentrated scents. Just a few drops go a long way to leave carpets smelling fresh. Strategically place cotton balls with lemon, peppermint, jasmine, or other appealing oil around the edges of the room. The aroma will subtly spread without being overpowering.

You can also mix a few drops of certain oils into water. Put into a spray bottle to mist over carpets. Great options include lavender, wild orange, grapefruit, eucalyptus, and tea tree oil. This leaves a pleasant lingering scent.

Conclusion

You should never let your carpets smell bad! Follow these above mentioned methods if you don’t know how to get the smell out of the carpet and make it smell good. Break down the chemicals that cause smells with vinegar, peroxide, and enzymes. Over time, baking soda also takes in smells. Lastly, use natural ideas from a pro flooring guide, such as herbs and spices, to fill your home with fresh air. This full method will get rid of all smells, so your carpets will smell as good as they look.