The foul smell of carpet creates a lot of trouble, due to which people often ask, “Does Carpet Hold Odor?” This foul odor remains on the carpet for so long, which sometimes doesn’t fade away even after cleaning. And with time, this stinky smell spreads everywhere, such as your room’s floor, couch, bedsheets, and even at your feet.
To get rid of this, you must have used a washing technique by adding laundry detergent for cleaning. But it is possible that this stinky smell does not go just by a regular washing method. So, what can be done else?
In this post, we will discuss the reason for its occurrence and tips on how to get rid of this smell to give a fresh fragrance to your home.
Why Does My Carpet Smell?
There could be many possible reasons for a smelly carpet, which you might not have wondered about as well. Let’s discuss them one by one, and after that, you have to decide what could be the most suitable reason for your carpet stinking.
- Carpet smells when it traps foul odor from surrounding, especially when it holds any moisture.
- The carpet may have soaked some food or oil spill, your pet’s pee, moisture of sweaty feet, and filth that gets along with you from your garden or terrace.
- Sometimes, a newly bought carpet also smells due to the presence of volatile organic compound (VOC), which is developed due to many chemicals during its manufacture.
- An old carpet also stinks because when its fiber breaks down, it releases its own odor.
- The presence of molds or mildews can develop a musky smell, and this does not go without treating well. And if your carpet has these little fungi, then this indicates that your carpet has moisture trapped in it.
- At times, the floor beneath the carpet has some cracks or gaps, which contain moisture in it. This moisture evaporates from its space, and it is absorbed by the carpet.
Does Carpet Hold Odor?
The carpet does not hold any odor until it traps something filthy from its surroundings or some problem arises within it due to improper wash. When these filthy trappings contain moisture in them, it leads to the growth of molds and mildew, which may become a reason for a musky smell.
The carpet may stink due to any of the above-discussed reasons, but will this smell go away on its own? or do we have to put some extra effort into its cleaning? If yes, then what are the ways that we need to follow to discard this unpleasant odor completely? Let’s discuss all these possibilities in the upcoming points and explore some ways to bring them out.
Will The Bad Odor Of Carpet Go Away On Its Own?
If your carpet holds a slight citric or sweaty feet-like smell, then it can fade away within a few weeks. But it doesn’t mean that it will fade away on its own, and you don’t have to do anything for its removal. This is because carpets are thick enough to keep the filthy odor trapped in their fiber for a long time. So, to get rid of such odor, you have to wash your carpet properly and dry it under the sun to evaporate some musky smells with moisture.
To speed up this process, ventilate your room to make space for fresh outdoor air and switch on the fan present above the carpet to maximize odor removal. By this, your carpet’s foul odor may vanish entirely within 72 to 75 hours.
How To Get Rid Of Foul Odor Of Carpet?
To remove the stinky smell from the carpet, cleaning is the only technique that you can follow, and for this, you must know exactly what cleaning methods will help you the most.
But before getting into this, let’s discuss some methods that will help you in regular cleaning and keep your carpet away from bad smells.
- Vacuum your carpet daily to remove dry debris from it.
- If you find any spill of food or oil on your carpet, then apply some spot cleaner immediately before it dries to turn into a stain.
- Check the floor underneath the carpet. If it has cracks or gaps that can produce moisture, fill them with putty.
- Give a deep cleaning to your carpet once every 12-18 months.
- Dust your carpet off with a beater every 3-4 months, and for this, hang the carpet on reeling and beat your carpet hard until the whole dust is blasted out.
Doing these preventive measures can avert you from asking, “Does Carpet Hold Odor?” and will keep your carpet smooth and fresh for the long run.
Now, let’s talk about the cleaning techniques you can follow to remove foul odor from your carpet. And for this,
Vinegar
Because of its acidic properties, vinegar has become a favorite for many carpet cleaning professionals. It deodorizes the carpet and provides a spotless finish, but this is only possible if you know how to use this method correctly.
Vinegar may stiffen the carpet’s fabric or cause discoloration, which is why it is essential to be attentive while preparing vinegar solution and its application. To use this method,
1. Pour 1 cup of white vinegar into 2 cups of hot water and use a spray bottle to store it.
2. Use the solution on a hidden part of the carpet to check if it causes discoloration or not.
3. Spray the solution evenly on the carpet and leave it to sit for 30 minutes.
4. Now, add tap water to your carpet cleaner and pour any carpet cleaning solution for better cleaning.
5. Drag the cleaner over your rug to draw out dirt and solution from your carpet.
6. By this, you will remove all the embedded filths and mildews from the carpet that have been detached due to the vinegar solution.
7. Dry your carpet under the sun for 6 to 10 hours until the moisture is removed completely.
Baking Soda
Like vinegar, baking soda also acts as a cleaning agent, which can deodorize the carpet naturally. But its biggest advantage over vinegar is that it does not harm the carpet’s fabric and acts as washing soda, which cleans the carpet thoroughly. Even after that, it is recommended to make a correct mixture of this cleaning agent so that it works perfectly in reestablishing the natural odor of your carpet. To prepare this solution,
1. Spray water on a hidden part of your carpet and sprinkle a little amount of baking soda to check its side effects.
2. If it does not dull your carpet, then you are good to use it on the whole carpet.
3. Shower a generous amount of water on your carpet and sprinkle the baking soda with your hands to spread it evenly.
4. Use a scrubber and brush it over the rug to distribute baking soda evenly on the carpet.
5. Leave the sprinkled soda for 24 hours, and then vacuum your carpet to clean this powdered cleaning agent.
6. You can wash the carpet using carpet cleaner to remove remains of baking soda.
Steam Cleaning
This method will not only help you to get rid of the stinking of your carpet but also help you to remove germs, molds, mildew, and bacterial infections that may be trapped deeply in your carpet’s fiber. But make sure you do not pour boiling water as it can stiffen the carpet fibers. To make the cleaning process easy, you can use Tineco on the carpet.
To get this cleaning method right,
1. Pour hot water from 100 degrees Fahrenheit to 150 degrees Fahrenheit into the clean water tank of your carpet cleaner.
2. Add any carpet cleaning solution that has deodorizing properties.
3. Close the lid of the clean water tank and fix it in your cleaner well.
4. Plug your cleaner on and drag it on the carpet steadily.
5. Make sure to cove small region at a time while cleaning.
6. Remember to clean corners, as they suffer from foot traffic the most.
7. Dry the carpet under the sun to evaporate moisture and stinky odor well.
Why Does My Carpet Smells Even After Cleaning?
This is the most common question that people often ask, and the main reason behind such an occurrence is not drying the carpet perfectly after washing. This situation can end up making your carpet stink more and inviting molds and mildew over it.
So, what can be done now? Well, the answer to this is quite simple, and for this, you have to be attentive as soon as you smell some foul odor in your carpet.
Hang the carpet under the sun just at the moment you find it stinking, and let it dry until the whole moisture evaporates well. Sun’s ultraviolet rays will kill all the bacteria that may be present in your rug and make it smell fresh.
Does The Carpet Hold Odor? | Conclusion:
Stinking of carpet can indicate the presence of germs, mildew, or bacteria. And if you find that your carpet smells terrible very often and ask yourself, “Does Carpet Hold Odor?” then it is a sign that you must take action right now.
Go through the article thoroughly to find ways to get rid of such smell quickly. Also, make sure to follow regular cleaning methods as discussed in the article to avoid such happenings in the future.
Does Carpet Hold Odor? | FAQ’S:
In how much time should I replace my carpet?
Carpets may develop some bad odor due to dirt, allergens, and other air pollutants. That is why you should replace your room’s carpet every 5 to 10 years, depending on the material of your carpet and your washing frequency.
What are the indications that your carpet can harm your health?
If your carpet has molds and mildew in it, then there is a high chance for you to suffer from some respiratory problems and nose irritations. Unclean carpets can also cause some allergic problems and rashes. To prevent this, vacuum your carpet daily and wash it once every 12 to 18 months.
What can kill molds and mildew present on the carpet?
To kill molds and mildew, use a solution of vinegar or baking soda. This natural cleaning agent will also help deodorize the carpet and remove stains from it.
Daleyza knows a lot about carpets! She has worked with carpets for over 7 years and can help with things like putting them in, keeping them clean, and replacing them. She really likes carpets and spends most of her time learning about new ways to work with them. When she’s not learning about carpets, she enjoys reading books. She’s really good at helping people choose the right carpet for their homes and making sure they’re happy with it. If you want to know more about carpets, Daleyza is the person to talk to!