How to Eliminate Carpet Odors Quickly

How to Eliminate Carpet Odors Quickly

5 min read


The smell in your Staten Island home that won't go away can be both annoying and embarrassing. You might have vacuumed or even shampooed, but the smell still persists. It looks like it comes from the fibers in your carpet. To eliminate carpet odors for good, you need to know that they aren't just on the surface, they're a sign of a bigger problem. This guide will show you exactly how to eliminate carpet odors and make your home smell clean and fresh again, no matter if they come because of pet accidents, spilled food, or Staten Island's humid weather.

Why Do Carpet Smells Come Back After Cleaning?

The smell keeps coming back because most cleaning methods only clean the surface. To eliminate carpet odors for good, you need to find the source, which is usually deep inside the carpet.

  • Deep-Seated Contamination: Urine, mold, or spills can smell bad and get into the carpet padding and even the subfloor below.
  • Uric Salt Crystals: Pet urine forms crystals that are reactivated by moisture, which lets out the smell long after the first accident.

Figure Out The Source Of The Smell

Before you choose a carpet odor remover, you need to know what you're up against. You have to use different methods for different smells to eliminate carpet odors.

Mold or Mildew: It usually happens in basements or rooms with a lot of moisture. This means that moisture has been trapped, which can lead to mold or mildew growing in the carpet pad.

Pet Urine Smells: It's hard to get rid of this strong, ammonia-like smell because it sticks to carpet fibers and backing. It needs special enzymes to break it down.

General Staleness: This is often because food, dirt, and dander get stuck deep in the carpet pile, which makes it smell bad when you walk on it.

How to Get Rid of Carpet Smell in Your Home

You can usually fix the smell with things from your kitchen if it's new or not too strong. These are great first steps to take if you want to eliminate carpet odors.

  • Baking Soda: Put a lot of baking soda on the dry carpet. Leave it alone for a few hours or overnight so it can soak up smells, and then vacuum it well.
  • The White Vinegar Mist: Put equal amounts of water and white vinegar in a spray bottle. After checking to see if the color will stay, lightly mist the area. The acetic acid gets rid of a lot of common smells as it dries.

Enzymatic Cleaners: The Best Way to Get Rid of Pet Smells

If you want to know how to eliminate carpet odors, you need enzymatic cleaners. They are made in a way that is scientifically sound to break down the organic matter that smells.

  • How They Work: These cleaners have good bacteria in them that break down the proteins and uric acid crystals in urine. This gets rid of the smell instead of covering it up.
  • Proper Application: Make sure the solution gets all the way to the carpet backing by soaking the area well. Wrap it in plastic to keep it wet for the time shown on the label.

When to Get Help from a Professional

If you've done a lot of things and the smell is still there, it's a sign that something is very wrong. In these situations, you need to hire a professional to get rid of the smell for good.

Smells of Water Damage or Flooding: You need to use professional-grade drying and antimicrobial treatments on your wet carpet to stop mold from growing and eliminate carpet odors for good.

Recurring Pet Accidents: If the smell comes back after you clean it yourself, the urine has probably gotten to the subfloor. You need to hire a professional to extract and seal the carpet to get rid of all the smells.

Common and Uncommon Smells: Even if the area is big or you can't find the source, professionals have the tools and knowledge to find and treat the whole thing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: Does baking soda really work to eliminate carpet odors?


Yes, but only for smells that aren't too strong. It can absorb smells, but it can't break down the uric acid crystals in pet urine.

Q2: Why does my pet's smell come back after I clean it?


This means that the urine got into the subfloor or carpet pad. Cleaning the surface won't eliminate carpet odors, you’ll need to use professional methods.

Q3: Can a steam cleaner get rid of smells in carpets?


Steam cleaning can sometimes make pet smells worse because the heat makes the uric salts work again. It works better to clean dirt than to get rid of smells.

Q4: Q4: How long does it take to get rid of the smell of carpet?


If you cleaned your carpet properly, it should smell fresh when it's completely dry.

Q5: How can I get rid of the smell of smoke on carpets?


There are a lot of things you need to do to get rid of carpet smells: vacuum well, use a special spray that gets rid of smells, and sometimes get ozone treatment from a professional.

Don't Let Bad Smells Take Over Your Home!

You have tried every home remedy you can think of, including sprays and powders, but the smell in your Staten Island home won't go away. If nothing has worked, it's a clear sign that the contamination has gone too deep for you to fix it yourself. You need professional-grade tools and solutions to fix this area. Staten Island Carpet Cleaner is the best place to get rid of smells for good by using strong enzymatic treatments, powerful truck-mounted extraction, and cutting-edge deodorizing methods. Contact us today for a professional assessment and get rid of the smell problem for good.