Whether in your home or place of work, a bad-smelling carpet is not a pleasant thing. Not only does it not smell great, but it may be festering a ton of bacteria and other germs.
So, what do you do if your carpet has a nasty odor?
Well, you have two options: you can clean the carpet yourself, or you can call in a team of professionals to do it for you, including the team at Eco Clean Texas. Contact us today for home and office carpet cleaning.
If you want to clean the carpet yourself, then this article will teach you how to remove carpet odors for a clean, and fresh-smelling home.
Where is the odor coming from?
First, you’ll need to find where the odor is coming from.
Maybe your pet had an accident, you spilled a drink, dropped some food, or maybe the odor is from something else.
Whatever it is, you need to find out where it’s coming from.
And while you should clean the carpet in its entirety anyway, it doesn’t hurt knowing where to pay a little extra attention to.
Also, you should be vacuuming at least once a week and cleaning your carpet properly one to two times a year. And that’s even more frequent if you have kids or pets.
Vacuum first, clean second to tackle those nasty odors
As a general rule of thumb: vacuum first, and clean the carpet second.
You should vacuum to remove any loose debris. Also, if you have a steam cleaner or standard carpet cleaner, then going over the carpet once or twice is also a good idea.
Once again, this loosens up the debris and ensures a deep clean.
When vacuuming, if you notice any stains or nasty smells, you should consider a deep clean anyways.
And as previously mentioned, you don’t need to wash or clean your carpet all too often. But if it’s starting to smell bad, then it’s time you do something about it… just saying.
Looking after your carpet by removing stains and other debris will help it last longer, saving you money in the long-run.
How to clean your carpet to remove those nasty odors
Once you’ve attacked the carpet with the vacuum cleaner, you’re going to want to actually clean the carpet to remove those nasty odors.
There are numerous ways you can do this. For example, you can make your own cleaning solution (distilled vinegar mixed with cold water), or alternatively, you can purchase a shop-bought carpet cleaning option.
Whatever you choose should work, but you want to work this solution into those nasty stains.
If the carpet is not stained, but there is an odor coming off it, then it’s best to clean the whole carpet thoroughly.
You want to rub your solution into the carpet, work out the stains, and get rid of those nasty odors.
Once you’ve finished cleaning the carpet, let your DIY or shop-bought solution dry.
And then once it’s dry, you want to vacuum for a second time.
Cleaning the carpet will loosen more debris, get rid of some of the bacteria, and kill some of the germs. But this dirt will become loose from the carpet, so it will need to be vacuumed.
It goes without saying that you shouldn’t vacuum a wet carpet – so give it some time, first before vacuuming.
Act quickly to prevent damage to your carpet
In the event of a spill, whether alcohol, a soft drink, food, or even an accident from a pet, it’s essential to act quickly.
The quicker you act, the easier it is to remove those nasty odors.
Also, cleaning the carpet sooner rather than later prevents any unnecessary damage, not to mention those horrible odors you’ll have to deal with later anyways.
So, here’s a quick lesson: tackle any spills or stains early to prevent further damage.
How to remove pet odor from dirty carpet
If you’re dealing with a nasty odor from a pet, whether urine or another accident, then you need to take a slightly different approach.
You should use an enzyme cleaner or dedicated carpet cleaner for pets for the best results.
But you should not begin with a vacuum – this will only make things worse.
And most importantly, once you’ve finished cleaning the carpet and you’re leaving it to dry, do not let your pets run free in the room. This will only make the carpet smell worse… if you thought the smell of wet dog was bad, then you’re in for a surprise.
So, use common sense, don’t vacuum anything that you shouldn’t, and use pet-friendly products or homemade solutions to tackle those odors.
How to remove carpet odor and make your carpet smell good naturally
Once you’ve finished cleaning your carpet, you need to let it dry properly.
Ideally, you should let it air-dry – open a window, or if it’s summer, open a door. And most importantly, keep the dog (and other pets) off the carpet until it’s dry.
Failure to properly dry out your carpet may lead to a damp smell, making it smell worse than before… and that’s not the goal. As you likely already know.
How long does it take to clean a carpet?
This largely depends on the size of the carpet and the extent of the damage.
If it’s just a routine clean (with no stains), then you can set aside a few hours for a deep clean.
But if your carpet has a horrible odor and a ton of stains, then you could be looking at a multiple-day carpet cleaning event.
For example, you may need to vacuum, clean, and then repeat multiple times to get rid of a nasty odor.
As previously mentioned, this really does depend on how often you currently clean your carpet and the extent of the damage or odor.
The bottom line
Removing carpet odor does not need to be a chore. Instead, we recommend cleaning up any stains or spills immediately to prevent any unnecessary damage and nasty smells.
If you look after your carpet and clean it regularly, then it will smell fresh, look great, and will look after you – lasting years to come.
