Sandra asked, “How can I get rid of a horrible smell in my carpet? A big storm went through and knocked out our power for a couple of days. I took all the meat out of the deep freeze, but didn’t even think about it defrosting until it was too late. In the middle of the night, the water ran out of the freezer and onto the floor. The deep freeze is in the laundry room, so there was no problem cleaning the floor there. However, the laundry room sits next to my closet wall, and the water ran under the wall into the closet carpet. I have steam cleaned the carpet, put baking soda on it and let it set overnight. The smell is better, but it still stinks! Any suggestions?”
Carpet 
seems to capture odors and hold onto them for dear life. These odors can be removed, and the time and effort will depend largely on the type and intensity of the odor. If the odor is strong, be prepared to repeat the odor removal process several times. Persistence is key. When possible, adding fresh air always helps to expedite the process. Choose a method below, Surface Odors or Deep Odors, and follow the steps to become odor-free.
Surface Odors
This method works well for general carpet odors and anything that has landed on the carpet, such as a food spill, and is now causing an odor.
You Will Need:
- Baking Soda
- White vinegar
- Water
- Spray bottle
- Vacuum
- Broom
- Dustpan
- Soft cloths
Steps to Remove the Odor:
- Baking soda is well known for removing odors. It’s easy to use and effective for removing odors from carpeting.
- Sprinkle the area liberally with baking soda. For odors that go beyond the surface, brush the area lightly with a broom to work the baking soda down into the fibers.
- Sprinkle an additional layer of baking soda on top of the carpet. Thin layers of baking soda will not work as effectively. Do not be afraid to use enough to get rid of the odor.
- Allow the baking soda to set at least overnight on the affected area. Two days is even better, if possible. If you need to walk on the area during this time, cover it with a sheet or blanket and tape the edges of the sheet in place if needed.
- After 1-2 days have passed, sweep the top layer of baking soda into the dustpan with a stiff broom. If the baking soda was placed on a rug, it can be shaken off outdoors.
- Vacuum the remaining baking soda from the carpet with a strong vacuum. Do not vacuum the top layer first, as this can damage the vacuum.
- Baking soda does not damage the carpeting, so the process can be repeated as often as necessary.
- If the odor is not removed, use a mixture of equal parts white vinegar and water. It can be sprayed over the surface or blotted on with a soft cloth.
- Allow the vinegar to set on the carpet for 15 minutes or so. The acid in the vinegar can work through the odor-causing bacteria in the carpet.
- Blot with a clean cloth to remove.
- Rinse by spraying and/or blotting the area with clean water.
- Press with a clean cloth to absorb any remaining water.
- Allow to air dry completely.
- Repeat as necessary until the odor is removed.
Deep Odors
This method is for odors that are caused by liquids, which have soaked through the carpet and into the carpet padding.
You Will Need:
- A cleaning solution (choose one):
- Pet enzyme digester, such as Nature’s Miracle or Kids ‘N’ Pets
- Isopropyl alcohol
- A towel
- A fan
Steps to Remove the Odor:
- Locate the source of the odor.
- Select a cleaning product from the list above. (Many thanks to Brandon who originally posted the idea for using alcohol and to all the commenters below who have let us know how well it works!) It is better to use isopropyl alcohol than rubbing alcohol as rubbing alcohol contains other chemicals and dyes that could stain the carpet.
- Test your selected cleaning product on a small hidden area of the carpet to look for any adverse reaction, such as a lightening of the carpet color. Wait for the test area to dry before verifying the results.
- If the test goes well, pour the cleaning product onto the area. It is necessary for you to pour on as much cleaner as there was problem-causing liquid so that the cleaner can reach equally as deep into the padding.
- Wait about 15 minutes, then use a towel to soak up as much liquid as possible.
- Point a fan on the area to help it dry more quickly.
Additional Tips and Ideas
- Hydrogen peroxide can also be applied to odor-filled areas. Check a small area first to ensure there is no damage to the color of the carpet.
- If the rug is small enough that it can be placed in the washing machine, it may be fastest and easiest to wash it as normal. Adding a cup of vinegar to the wash cycle will offer additional odor-fighting power.
- Steam cleaners can be rented at most grocery and department stores and can be used to clean the carpets more deeply than blotting. There are also odor-fighting cleaning solutions that can be added to the water for extra cleaning.
Rubbing alcohol is cheap and does wonders for carpet odors, especially those caused by damp padding under the carpet that’s gotten moldy. The process is simple; buy several bottles of rubbing alcohol from any store (the kind in the clear white bottle). Pour it directly on the rug or carpet, concentrating on the areas where the smell or dampness is heavy. Then, go turn on your air conditioner or heater to start the dehumidification process and make sure to leave the door to the room you’re treating open so air can circulate. The alcohol will seep down into the pad beneath the carpet and effectively kill the mold and mildew there. As an added bonus, alcohol evaporates MUCH more quickly than water, so your carpet dries quicker and if any bit of moisture from the treatment DOES hang around for any length of time, you still don’t have to worry since it’s alcohol-based and nothing that makes an unpleasant smell will set up a home in it. For persistent problems, a second treatment might be necessary, but it’s worked wonders for me in most cases after only one.
This worked amazing!
I just steam cleaned the carpet where the dog peed and it still smelt bad, like a sulfur and musty smell. I poured an entire bottle of rubbing alcohol on it and put the fan on it to dry and now, no smell! It is great because you could literally smell the musty smell from just about anywhere in the house. Thanks for the tip! The steam clean was needed, but this just knocked it out of the park.
I think it must be stated what an extreme fire hazard this could be. I’m not saying that I wouldn’t do it, but I would be very very careful; perhaps even having a fire extinguisher on standby and making sure that this experiment was no where near where an automatic pilot or burner might come on, like a gas water heater or heating unit.
Thank you! Rubbing alcohol saved my carpet!!!!
Brandon, you’re the best!
Brandon,
I can’t thank you enough! That did it! That finally got rid of the wet dog odor. You’re awesome, dude!
Thanks!
My toilet overflowed and soaked about three square feet of carpet, and I haven’t been able to get rid of the odor. All of these ideas sound great, and I am going to start trying again right away. Thanks.
This is fantastic advice, and so simple! I have moved into an apartment that reeks of cat. I can’t wait to get rid of that smell!
My son spilled Amoxicillin on our carpet, and I tried steam cleaning it with soap and water. It is still so smelly (like rotten eggs), and foot traffic only kicks up the smell. I can’t stand sitting on one end of the couch because of it. It also has a stiff feel to it as well. I will have to try one of your remedies unless there is another way to clean it. I steamed for 20 minutes in the same spot, and it seems to have only made it worse.
Alright! Just used the baking soda and a scrub brush on the area and it no longer smells! Yes! You have no idea how nauseating that smell was! I am going to let it sit there for two days and then run the vacuum over it. Thanks!
I started with the baking soda tip. I hope it works, because I’m scared to use the vinegar, and that the room might get a sour smell.
Hey, did any of these ideas really work?
I have heard of the alcohol. I will try it because I think the smell is in the padding. I tried the baking soda, but I didn’t rub it into the fibers. The smell went away when I sprinkled the baking soda, but when I vacuumed it up, a couple of days later the smell came back.
I’m going to try both baking soda and alcohol. I just moved into this apartment where the bedroom carpet smells like old, dirty socks! I can’t even go into that room due to that smell. I tried everything available out there – steam washed the carpet with odor fighter, the smell came back before the carpet could get dry; Sprayed Febreze in the entire room, odor came back within 24 hours; odor eliminating powdered and vacuumed the room, odor still there hiding behind the strong scent of powder. I’m out of options and all these solutions look good on this post – gonna buy tons of baking soda and alcohol to try again, fingers crossed!
I have been using vinegar to clean up pet accidents for over seven years without fail. It got both cat and dog urine out of rented carpets and I’ve never had to pay for carpet replacement when I move out. I will spot treat immediately with it, always getting to the padding, and then I have a Hoover steam cleaner so sometimes I’ll put vinegar into it instead of cleaner, or just straight water. The shampoo for the steam cleaners always leaves a residue that seams to collect dirt like glue, so I never use it. Although the vinegar stinks while wet, it dries odor free!
My old roommates left a bad odor on the bedroom carpet and after they moved, we discovered that they hid their dog’s pee stains under the couch. We have a small dog and he re-soiled when he first got there (he is house broken already). Even if I clean it really fast and use the carpet steamer, the smell is still there and it drives me nuts. I gave up on the old stains, but I want to get rid of the pee odor. What method would be better? I tried several products and nothing works – they mask the smell for a couple weeks, but them it comes back. I tried the baking soda, but not the way they say here. Anyone else know about an effective method? Would rubbing alcohol help me with this? Please keep in mind that I’m asthmathic and can’t handle strong smells of some products.
Thanks! 🙂
My hubby left the dog in our bedroom and he urinated in there and hubs didn’t shampoo until next day; the urine smell was so strong I couldn’t stand it. I mixed 2 parts vinegar to 1 part water and drenched the carpet, making sure it got into the padding. I let it sit overnight and sucked up all excess liquid and used a very small amount of Gain fabric softener in water to shampoo the spot. The vinegar smell was very strong for almost a week, but no more urine smell at all! Have used vinegar and water in the shampooer just to deodorize and it always works.
The best way to add “fresh air” is with a fan. Be patient; you may have to use the fan 24/7 to get the odor under control.
I have a 100-year-old wool rug that has a terrible odor. I sent it out to be cleaned, but it still stinks. How can I get this smell out?
Please help.
Prevention is better than a cure. Therefore, try to avoid walking around on your carpets with smelly socks. This is especially important with kids. So get them used to taking their socks off as soon as they get home. Leave slippers by the door for them to wear. We prefer to wear slippers and for our guests to do they same. Carpets are expensive and need care to keep clean and odor free. It is not as hard as some people think.
Do you put the vinegar on the carpet while the baking soda is still on it, or after the baking soda has been cleaned up? Sounds like some volcanic fun!
Seriously consider that maybe carpeting is not a good idea, certainly not carpeting that you can’t take out side and bash with a broom face down in the snow or have cleaned some other way off location. Glued-down and wall-to-wall carpeting was touted as a “luxury” in the ’70s and early ’80s, but just like cigarettes, morphine, tack-on-chrome, and having a thousand buttons on your blender, they turned out to be a disgusting el-cheapo curse. Replace with real wood. Polyurethane is your friend. Too hard on your feet? Ever hear of shoes or slippers?
Ummm, hello, IT’S ALL GARBAGE AND A WASTE OF TIME! Here are 3 SIMPLE steps…
1) Squirt a bit of shampoo (YES, HAIR SHAMPOO!!) in a spray bottle and fill with water and shake it up… Spray the carpet section by section and a little more on the stains…
2) Use a bagless upright or any bagless vac with a brush roll and vacuum the carpet. The moisture will not affect the vacuum NO MATTER WHAT THEY TELL YOU BECAUSE IT’S ONLY A MIST OF MOISTURE and by the time the brush hits it and sucks it up it will disperse. Once u have done that, allow a half hour to dry…
Step 3) Use one or two capfulls of your nice-smelling FABRIC SOFTENER in a spray bottle and fill with COLD water and mist spray your entire carpet and your home will smell like roses from a mile away!
But how long before the odors return??? Lol.
Man…It’s a good thing you are here to let everybody know that your method is not only better, but that the other ideas that have worked for many people are actually “garbage”. What a jerk you are. Nobody listen to this clown!!! Using rubbing or isopropyl alcohol really does work. And so does using vinegar, baking soda, and hydrogen peroxide (depending on depth of smell in carpet).
You are absolutely correct.
Both my daughters are dog groomers and I have shampooed so many dog pee accidents from all kinds of carpets with and without padding, thick rugs, floor rugs and mats and the ONLY THINGS that get rid of dog piss is VINEGAR, BAKING SODA, H. PEROXIDE, AND RUBBING ALCOHOL! And trust this, you go ahead and use hair shampoo and fab softener, lol, and you go ahead and take all that time and back pain spraying and wiping your carpet and I guarantee it the first time any moisture is spilled on it or it’s humid, your carpet WILL stink!
Now, if ypu have nice new carpet and you want to freshen it, go ahead and use the shampoo and softener method, your carpets will smell wonderful, but it won’t get rid of dog urine from your carpet and padding.
I recently purchased an older fifth wheel. I have made it my home. When I flooded the carpet in the bathroom, I was sure I had to move or replace the carpet. I have no way to do either. The smell was unacceptable. I Googled a home remedy for removing carpet odor. I followed the link here and found Brandon’s comments. This stranger is my new hero!!! I am thrilled to tell you that this works. The method is easy, affordable and effective! Thank you Brandon!
The alcohol worked like a charm. We were absolutely stumped as to how to get this odor out. The alcohol and running the fan for a couple of days did the trick. Thanks for the tip.
A few months ago, I set a bag of garbage near my front door. It was sitting on the carpet. I had it double-bagged so it wouldn’t leak, but somehow it got a hole in both layers. Probably from some sharp aluminum foil. At any rate, it was mostly moist vegetable matter. It leaked overnight, and boy what a smell! It was mostly dry before I found that is where the smell was coming from.
So, I wet it down with water and put baking soda on the wet spot. I let it sit for a couple days and vacuumed it up. The smell was still terrible! I repeated it to no effect. For the last six months, I have kept a huge pile of baking soda over the top and changed it once a month. I mean it is about an inch high. An entire jumbo box every month. The spot is about twelve by twenty inches. Huge.
Today I learned that 91% rubbing alcohol kills bed bugs on contact if it touches them. Not that I have bed bugs; I don’t. But I got some to spray on my shoes because I had to go into a thrift store today, and they have been known to harbor the little beasts. When I sprayed the rubbing alcohol, I noticed how clean things smelled in the house. Then, I got the idea to spray down the garbage spot with rubbing alcohol, then top it off with baking soda again. It only makes sense this will help because that strength of rubbing alcohol is a sanitizer. It kills germs. I will try it tomorrow. Theoretically, it should work. If it doesn’t, I will come back and let you know.
Hi, please, I need help. I washed the bedroom carpet with my carpet shampoo machine and it has left this horrible, terrible smell. How can I get rid of this? Please, is there any home remedies I can use? Kind regards, Mercia
I sit a bag of garbage outside my apartment just outside my kitchen door and dining room door in the hallway. I left the next day to go on vacation, but I took the trash bag down with me. When I got back home, I found there is a real foul smell there. I have tried everything to get that odor to go away. It’s old carpet. What can I use to get this scent to go away? From reading some of the comments, it seems like baking soda and alcohol might work, with a little fabric softener. I think I will try this. If anyone has any more suggestions, I would appreciate if you share them with me. Thanks.
Leona,
The smell in your carpet is likely caused by some juices from food in the trash, which are organic. For that, you can try using an enzyme cleaner, such as a pet stain and odor remover made for carpet. Apply the cleaner to the area according to the directions on the label of your selected product, and reapply as needed for the smell to be removed. However, if your carpet is wool, make sure that the enzyme cleaner you select is safe for wool.
Would just like to say a big “thank you” for all your advice on how to get the awful smell of sick out of my carpet. I have used baking soda and it really works. Thanks for advice guys. x
The back on my wool-rich carpets smells. How do I get that odor out?
Hi, please help. I just moved into a new apartment. Brand new rugs. Before I started to send my dog to doggie day care, she was peeing on the rugs. My daughter came over one day and said it smelled horrible. I rented the Rug Doctor and the smell not only was not gone, but the smell got worse. I have used baking soda, and vinegar. It’s really started to go away. I thought I would go one step further and days later used rubbing alcohol, thinking I would then remove any slight remaining smell and prevent it from coming back. It came back again. I’m so upset because these were new rugs. What should I do?
Deb,
Use an enzyme digester. Look for a pet enzyme cleaner for carpets that says it is specifically for urine or for removing odors. There are many available; Nature’s Miracle is a common brand that tends to work well.
Source: HowToCleanStuff.net – How to Clean Dog Urine
Used Zep to take out stains in the carpet. It contains “2butoxy ethanol”. I am unable to get the odor out of the apartment. Please help.
I’ve recently moved into a university dormitory where there has been lots of “man juices” or “erotic juices” “spilled” onto the carpet and after washing with water, it smells really sour. Help!
Jack,
Try using a pet enzyme digester for carpet, such as Nature’s Miracle Pet Stain and Odor Remover. Follow the instructions on the bottle of your selected cleaner.
Brandon’s idea of pouring rubbing alcohol worked great for me! I had a leak into my basement, which soaked a 4×4 area of carpet and left a musty odor after it dried. I tried baking soda and Febreze first–nope–then poured one entire bottle of 90 percent rubbing alcohol on the carpet. By the next day, it was almost dry and odor-free. Three weeks later, it is still odor-free and it did not affect the color of the carpet either. Thanks Brandon!
I bought a new rug that came through customs. It must have been sprayed with insecticide. The smell is toxic and I can’t have the rug in the house. Can anyone help?
Sandra,
There are many comments on the article How to Remove Chemical Odors from Jeans with accounts of people trying to remove a similar toxic smell; there is much speculation over what the cause of the smell is, but one theory is that some clothes are also sprayed with pesticides for transport overseas. To remove the smell, one commenter suggested using Resolve Carpet Foam, and someone else reported having luck with castile soap.
For the Resolve, follow the instructions on the bottle.
For the castile soap, you can wash the rug in the laundry machine and use the castile soap instead of laundry detergent; use a laundromat if needed since they have larger commercial washers. If the carpet is too large for a washing machine, mix some of the soap with water to make suds, dip a cloth in the soapy water, wring the cloth out so it’s damp, not dripping, and rub the damp cloth over the carpet.
You can also try misting/spraying the rug with a mix of equal parts white vinegar and water.
Whatever you choose, test it on a small, hidden area of the rug first to look for any adverse reaction.
Mr. Vacuum is RIGHT! I went the baking soda route to no avail, so rather than have my living room smelling like vinegar, I tried the shampoo technique. It works; it really works!
Thank you Mr. Vacuum, you saved me from explaining to guests about the musty smell over the holidays.
Mr. Vacuum hit the nail on the head. The shampoo followed by fabric softener works like a charm.
My carpets smell divine. You’d never know that 2 large dogs live here.
Merryl,
I’m worried it will leave a mark on the carpet where I have cleaned just that area. Does it?
Nothing is working for me. I’ve tried baking soda, shampoo, Febreeze, carpet refresher…nothing is working. My carpet got flooded and the smell is unbearable. Please tell me something that will work!
Lisa, sorry for the very late reply; Have just seen your question. It didn’t leave any marks on my oriental wool carpets.
On Wednesday, February 24, 2016, after torrential rain and remnants of melted snow saturated and flooded the basement, I used towels and sheets to absorb the water. The next morning, I went to Home Depot to purchase a Wet/Vac, which worked, however, a foul smell remained behind. I’d tried the rubbing alcohol and it worked for me. You must keep the area well ventilated to allow the carpet to dry. I had to treat the area a second time, however, I’m pleased with the results.
Help–I accidentally spilled half a bottle of citronella bug stuff on my carpet. First, I scrubbed it with some leftover carpet cleaner and that didn’t work. So I’ve tried scrubbing it with shampoo, then applying laundry softener. I tried powder also. I’ve soaked towels with the softener even and laid them on it. Still it hasn’t worked. I even sprayed my strongest perfume and it only worked for a few hours. I don’t have a heavy duty vacuum, just an electric sweeper–so not sure if I could use the baking soda idea. Unfortunately, I spilt it in my bedroom and the fumes are making me have migraines at night even with door and window open to ventilate.
Pamel,
Getting rid of the spilled material would be the best way to get rid of the smell. To do that, you could use an extraction cleaner. (You can rent ones like a Rug Doctor at some supermarkets or hardware stores.) However, since so much liquid was spilled, it’s possible that it seeped down into the carpet padding. If you think that’s the case, extraction cleaning won’t work.
So, here is another idea: try using an enzyme digester stain and odor remover. Citronella is a plant, so you will need one that can work on plant matter (and that is safe for carpet – keep in mind that some of them cannot be used on wool, and some carpets are wool). The most common enzyme digesters are the ones for pet stains, so you will need to read the label to determine if they will also work on plant stains. If you see “cellulase” or “pectinase” in the ingredients list, then those will probably work. Some of the products don’t list the exact enzymes in their ingredient list, but may say on the product description whether it will work on plant stains, such as Kids ‘N’ Pets which says on its label that it works on grass stains. You will need to pour a little more of the digester onto the area than was spilled by the bottle of citronella stuff because you need the digester to soak equally as deep into the carpet padding. Unfortunately, using chemical cleaners like you mentioned (shampoo, etc.) can kill the enzymes and prevent them from working, so the digester might not work on the top portion of the carpet where you cleaned, only on the padding below. If so, then you will need to use a combination of the enzyme digester to clean the padding and the extraction cleaner to clean the carpet.
Also, instead of putting baking soda directly onto the carpet, you can put it on a plate or bowl and set it next to the spill to absorb fumes. Covering the area with a box and setting the plate under the box can help to contain the fumes so the baking soda can absorb more. Replace the baking soda with a fresh batch as needed.
If none of that is possible, you could just try covering the area with a thick folded towel and some books at night, although that will flatten the carpet pile over time. You can also try putting a fan on the area to help dissipate the fumes faster.
Source: Eco Baby Steps – Cloth Diaper Laundry Additives: Enzymes
Thank you Melanie, I will try all that. I have had a large fan going since it happened and the window open trying to dissipate the fumes and that hasn’t worked. I realize it probably is in the padding (I rent) since there is only one inch of carpet/padding on top of cement floor. Thank you for answering me quickly.
None of these ideas worked. But what did work was cat litter for 30 min. Then vacuum.
I, by accident, tripped over my dog’s dish water; it was big bowl of water anyway! Dumped the whole thing on my carpet. The thing is…I didn’t sop it up right away! (Still haven’t because it dried.) I don’t know how get the smell out of it. Oh blah, I can’t stand the smell. What do I do?? I opened windows to air the smell out even if it’s dry and not only that, now I’m getting bugs; yuck. Please help me!! What do I do now that it’s dry and I haven’t sopped it up! It’s been 7 days now. Help!! Thanks. Hope I can get rid of that mildew smell. Ok, thanks.
Sandy,
There was probably enough water for it to soak down into the carpet padding, so the Deep Cleaning method would be best. However, you can also try the baking soda method, which may help to dry out any remaining moisture in the carpet padding as well. As long as there is moisture in the pad (or in the air), mildew or mold will be able to grow there. Putting a dehumidifier in the room can also help. If you still can’t get rid of the smell, you can try steam cleaning the area. If the smell still remains, you may need to replace the carpet pad.
Source: International Association of Certified Home Inspectors – Carpet Mold: Identification, Prevention and Removal
Rent or purchase an ozone generator…they are relatively inexpensive and incredibly effective!
Oh my golly goodness. I have just sprayed white vinigar on my carpet…now my carpet stinks like vinegar! Someone please help!
Sean,
Don’t worry; the vinegar smell will disappear once the liquid has dried, taking any odors in the carpet away along with it.
Baking soda and mouth wash worked like a charm for me and left my carpet with a light mint smell. Filling a spray bottle with just vinegar and spraying the spot also works, the more the better; surprisingly the odor and smell of vineger goes away completely within two days even faster if you use a fan.
I’m so glad I found this webpage! We shampooed our carpets last year, triple-passed when sucking up the moisture because we didn’t want mold to set in, opened the windows, used fans… and a musty odor still settled in shortly thereafter that hadn’t been there before. We don’t own a carpet shampooer, so I tried using baking soda, Febreze, so many things, and none of them worked in eliminating the smell. We even tried shampooing again this spring using an odor-removing additive in the solution, with no luck. I read this thread, put some alcohol and 5 drops of tea tree oil (it has some bacteria-killing qualities, so I thought – “why not? It can’t get any worse” – my next step was to replace the carpet, if this didn’t work) in a spray bottle to test on a smelly patch of carpet. I sprayed the area and rubbed the mixture into the fibers. It’s dry now, and there isn’t a bad odor anymore!!! If the bad smell returns, I’ll do a follow-up post, but so far, so good.
I want to do my entire living room as I have a large german shepherd and 2 cats. They don’t pee on the floors or anything but just years of a dog laying and shedding all over the floor, the carpets stink even after vacuuming. So I want to try the alcohol approach, but I don’t want to dump it all over the entire living room. If I did a spray bottle, would that be enough? I don’t think it’s necessarily “deep” odors, just embedded into the fibers themselves well.
Bethany,
Using a spray bottle sounds like a good idea! You can always spray more or less in areas that are more/less used. Just be sure to test it in a small hidden area first; alcohol can have a mild bleaching effect on some dyes. If you get some overspray onto anything leather, wipe it off right away too (alcohol can have a drying effect on leather). Good luck!
Great tips! I work with kids & keep some Tupperware in the car in case they need to go. Pee ended up spilling all over the passenger side floor! The mat was removed at the time. I’ve used Nature’s Miracle; sort of works. Think I tried too long after & it’s too deep. Also tried Blue Coral Upholstery Cleaner. Sort of masks it better, still smell it & now those products smell. Can I use alcohol after having used the those? I don’t want some awful chemical reaction. Thanks!
LP,
The ingredients in Blue Coral Upholstery Cleaner are unspecified unfortunately. Check the label on the bottle to see if there is any warning. To avoid mixing chemicals, rinse the area with water and a cloth to remove as much residue as possible from the previous cleaner. The Nature’s Miracle contains alcohol, so there wouldn’t be any reaction with that one. When using an enzyme cleaner like Natures Miracle for spilled urine, the best way is to pour the bottle out on the area where the urine was and to be sure you use the same amount of cleaner as there was urine so that it soaks in equally as deep. Good luck!
Source: Household Products Database – Product Information
Source: Nature’s Miracle – Original Stain and Odor Remover
I had a bag of trash in a box that I was going to take out. The box had newspapers in it, so I thought it would be enough of a protection if there was a minor leak. But then I didn’t realize until too late that the bag had a huge leak and leaked through the box and into the carpet. It was old watermelon juice. I put a rag there to try to soak it up, but it was a lot. I thought it had to dry out first. Now it smells. Will the deep clean method work for not only taking out the smell, but making sure it’s clean and won’t have bugs growing in it? What, if anything, else should I be doing? I’m pretty sure it went down into the padding.
AE,
Yes, the deep clean ,ethod is what you need. The cleaner is poured onto the area so that it can soak down as far into the carpet or padding as the watermelon juice. You want to pour on as much cleaner as there was juice, or a little more, to be sure it reaches the same depth. In this case, the enzyme cleaner would be best as the beneficial bacteria in it will eat up all the organic matter (preventing bugs who would want to do the same). Thats it. If one trearment doesnt work (sometimes the product dries out before the bacteria are finished, and when it dries, they die), you can repeat the process as many times as needed. Good luck!