How to Get Smell Out of a Rug

ByEdwin Knight

Despite opening the windows, dusting, sweeping, changing your linens, and finishing with a spritz of your preferred room freshener, a bad smell remains in your room after cleaning? Are you wondering what might be the issue? Warning: it’s most likely your large rugs. Unintentional spills of liquid, muddy shoes, or food particles lodged in the rug’s fibres can all cause odors that can be challenging to remove from rugs. Any substance that gets lodged in the fibres of your runner rug, whether it be liquid or solid, might start to smell.

Reasons why a Rug Smell:

  • Dampness or Moisture: Sometimes, a rug’s musty odor is caused by its saturation with moisture. Numerous situations, such as potted plants, general spills, damp storage areas, floods, leaking humidifiers, or wet shoes, might result in this smell of wet carpets. The most frequently impacted rugs are those found in bathrooms, kitchens, or cold, wet areas like basements.
  • Pet Problems: Sometimes, our adored pets may use our rugs as toilets, which leaves the unpleasant scent of urine to linger unduly throughout the house. Since liquid rapidly seeps into the fibres of wool rugs, odors are easily absorbed and leave a strong, difficult-to-get rid of stench. Over time, the smell of urine may get stronger even after cleaning. This is because water activates the bacteria, causing the stench to reappear but with greater intensity.
  • Latex Backing: A latex backing is occasionally sewed into tufted rugs to help hold the rug together, though this is not common. This can occur frequently in some Persian rugs and calls for particular techniques for cleaning Persian rugs. Unfortunately, insufficient quality control might occasionally cause the latex to degrade and smell bad.

Ways to Get Smell Out of Rugs

  • Baking Soda– The best thing to do if you can smell smoke on your hands is to use baking soda. One of the simplest odors to eliminate is smoke. To treat the affected regions, just pour baking soda, which is a natural absorbent, into a bowl and mix it well. It can also be used together with borax to boost its effectiveness. It’s a good solution because it permeates all the way to the rug’s bottom. To smooth out the coating, walk around in your slippers on top of the spots where you sprinkled the soda. After letting it sit for thirty minutes, vacuum it. This ought to eliminate the smoky odor.
  • Vodka– Vodka is the greatest immediate treatment for odors brought on by germs and mould. Because alcohol displaces odor-causing substances, it is crucial for rug maintenance. To address the scent, simply fill a spray bottle with a small amount of vodka and mist any areas that are releasing it. After 15 minutes of sitting, dab it with a rag. To get rid of any lasting alcohol smell, use baking soda.
  • Vinegar and Water– Vinegar and water is one of the simplest remedies to have on hand in case of any mishap involving rugs. Use an air humidifier or multiple downward-pointing fans to dry your carpet if a spilled liquid is the source of the odor. After the rug dries, lightly mist the entire rug or the damaged area with a solution made of one cup clear vinegar and two cups warm water. The acidity of vinegar helps the rug become odor-free by removing the components that are generating the odor. It’s important to avoid using this solution on a wet rug while cleaning rugs. The importance of having a dry rug cannot be overstated in order for this to function.
  • Essential Oils– Essential oils may get rid of bacteria and germs and are an excellent natural alternative to air fresheners. They also aid in air purification, which leaves your room smelling nice.
  • The essential oil comes in an array of scents, such as peppermint, eucalyptus, lavender, orange, and lemon. Apply by sprinkling the afflicted regions with a white wine-vinegar spray bottle filled with 10–20 drops. As an alternative, add 10–20 drops to a bowl of baking soda and thoroughly stir. After thoroughly vacuuming the rug’s pile, work the baking soda into it. You can work deeply into the troublesome region with this procedure.
  • The Onion Hack– The only scent that can come from a rug kept in your storeroom or basement and waiting to be exposed to daylight is that of the cellar. The stain must be removed if you wish to bring it and restore its usability. And onions, yet another pantry staple, come to the rescue! Just peel, cut in half, and leave on a platter in the basement or storeroom overnight.
  • The Chemical Way– Eliminating mildew odors from your floors can be done successfully by applying hydrogen peroxide. Make sure the material of your rug can withstand hydrogen peroxide before pouring it all over it. You can contact the manufacturer of your rug or look for information on the label.
  • If your rug is safe for hydrogen peroxide, you should use a spray bottle to combine one part hydrogen peroxide to five-part water.
  • To get rid of the smell, spray the rug’s back. This will aid in the mould spores’ eradication as well.

You can shampoo your rug to eliminate its odor.

  • To remove dust and debris from your rug, vacuum it.
  • After applying the shampoo, massage it into the rug with a sponge.
  • Let it sit until it dries, which should take about 30 minutes.
  • Once more, vacuum.
  • Sunshine– One of the best ways to get rid of bacterial odors from your rug is to expose it to sunlight. Sunrays help in eliminating the odors from all kinds of rug materials, but its exceptionally helpful for Pure wool rugs. That’s because the UV rays from the sun damage the DNA of fungus and bacteria- embedded in your area rug. Additionally, microscopic organisms that emit strong odors can be eliminated by ultraviolet radiation. On a dry, sunny day, you should move your rug outside. Try hanging the rug over a chair, on a fence, or on a sturdy clothesline.