A lot of foot traffic or having pets in the house can lead to a dirty carpet. Even though you may clean it regularly, the smell left behind may be hard to get rid of. one way of getting rid of the smell is by using baking soda. Baking soda is a common household ingredient that is used mostly for baking purposes, but the truth is that it is great for many other uses around the house, such as cleaning, removing some particular types of stains, and removing odor from the house.
You can use this odor remover anywhere in the house; it is great to remove almost all types of odors from the carpet, including the smell of animal pee. If you want to use baking soda as an odor remover then its best to use a fresh box of baking soda; we say this because an opened box may have already absorbed all the smells around it, so using it on the carpet will not be effective.
Getting rid of the smell with baking soda
Before you begin sprinkling baking soda on the carpet, vacuum it good and proper, baking soda will not be as effective on a dirty carpet. Make sure that the carpet is clean as it can be. Vacuuming will make sure that you pick up all the fibers, pet hair, and dirt, all particles big or small. If you have the habit of walking with shoes on your carpet, especially those that you just wore outside will result in dirt and oil grinding away the carpet from the top. The dirt will be left behind deep down in the fibers of the carpet which you will need to take out.
As soon as your carpet as clean as it possibly can be, make sure that you keep your family or pets away from the area that you are about to treat with baking soda. If the carpet you need to clean is where there is a lot of traffic, then you should make sections and treat with baking soda one by one. This way the treatment area will be left undisturbed.
Once your carpet is ready, make sure that you add a good amount of baking soda. Don’t hold back or hesitate in the amount you want to use. It’s okay if you end up using one or two boxes of baking soda. You need to make sure that the carpet is covered in a way that you can tell the color of the carpet; it should look next to white. Don’t worry about baking soda causing health hazards to anyone in your family as it is harmless.
If the carpet you want to clean is too big, then the best thing to do is divide it into sections and cover them up one by one. If the fibers of your carpet are very long then use a good brush and scrub the baking soda in so that it reaches the depths of the carpet. Pouring baking soda out of the box can be a little difficult as it can get clumpy so distribution may not be as even. The best thing to do is to take a shaker and use that to cover your carpet. If you are worried about using a brush on your carpet because of its unique texture, then take a cloth or a sock to rub it into the carpet so it gets to the roots.
Make sure that you leave the baking soda for at least 2 hours or even overnight. The longer you let the baking soda sit on the carpet, the better it will be able to absorb the smell. Baking soda works by neutralizing the smell. Stay off the area with the baking soda, this way you will not be able to drag it all over the house. Remember, the baking soda will not work until it is properly touching every inch of the smelly area.
Once you are ready to pick up, use the vacuum cleaner to pick up the baking soda. Use it thoroughly all over the carpet and make sure you do it slowly so that you can pick up all the baking soda on the carpet. If the smell is really bad, then it is possible that the odor does not vanish in just one use; make sure to apply it as much as necessary until the smell is completely gone. Make sure that the baking soda does not get wet or picking it up will prove to be a nightmare.
What to do if the smell is tougher?
Once you are done with the treatment, take a good sniff, if you need, take the entire day to check how the carpet smells. One time treatment will be effective for most bad smells, but if the smell is very strong, then the smell may not go with just one treatment. Best to go for a second treatment, just remember that the longer you keep the baking soda on the carpet, the better it will be able to neutralize the smell.
If your carpet is very dirty, then baking soda alone will not be effective; the best thing to do then would be to shampoo your carpet good and proper before you start the baking soda treatment. Make sure that you clean it as deep as you possibly can, this way you can be sure that the treatment will neutralize the smell. You don’t have to invest in carpet shampoo, you can simply mix white vinegar and water half and half, it will do the trick. Once you are done, make sure that the carpet dries up completely before you use baking soda.
If you want the carpet to smell nice, then you can add scent into the baking soda and use it. The fresh scent will help mask and remove the old smell of your carpet. Adding the scent is quite easy, all you have to do is add baking soda into a big bowl, add a few drops of the essential oil you like and mix the contents, put the baking soda into a shaker and pour it over your carpet. In case you have pets, make sure that the essential oil you use is safe for them.
Make sure that you repeat the process after every few weeks so that your carpet stays clean and great smelling. And baking soda will be more effective if you use it on smells that haven’t been around for a long time.