Are you hoping to hold onto that new carpet smell for as long as possible? Or maybe your carpet has been through a few years of spills and dirt and needs a little freshening.
Our carpet cleaning tips help your flooring at any stage, from carpet installation to the end of its life in your home. Regular cleaning can minimize odors while carpet deep cleaning gets rid of smells that are already there.
Keep reading for deep cleaning carpet tips and deodorizing advice to keep your carpet fresh and clean.
Vacuum Carpet Regularly
Following easy carpet cleaning tips, you can keep dirt, crumbs, and debris from building up between the fibers where they can cause odor issues. Vacuum all of your carpets at least twice per week. If you have pets or a busy household, you might need to vacuum more often to keep up with the debris, as often as daily for extra dirty carpets.
If vacuuming doesn't seem to help, consider upgrading your vacuum cleaner. HEPA filters do a good job of catching even the tiniest particles to make your carpet cleaner. Robotic vacuums keep up with the task regularly without you doing the work.
Deep Clean Occasionally
A carpet deep clean at least twice per year can remove the deep-down dirt, grime, and odors that can make the fibers stink. You can hire a company to handle deep cleaning for you or you can learn how to clean your carpet with a commercial-grade shampooer to do it yourself.
Steam cleaning is often an effective way to deep clean carpet. The steam helps to loosen the gunk that's deep in your carpet fibers. This makes it easier to suck up those contaminants, leaving your carpet cleaner and fresher smelling.
Leave Shoes at the Door
Your shoes bring in lots of visible dirt and invisible bacteria from outdoors, public bathrooms, and everywhere else you walk. Over 90% of the bacteria on your shoes ends up on your carpets and other flooring when you wear your shoes indoors. Not only can you drag in bacteria that can make you sick, but you can also bring in contaminants that add to the odors in your carpet.
Establish a no-shoe policy in your house for your family members and guests. Set up a shoe storage area near the entrance in a convenient spot, such as a garage or mudroom.
Improve Ventilation
Carpet fibers can absorb any odors in your home. Improving ventilation inside your home can help dissipate those odors before the carpet absorbs them. Keeping windows open when the weather allows is an easy way to get in fresh air and let out the odors.
Exhaust fans in bathrooms and your kitchen also help draw smells out of your house. Run the exhaust fans when you're cooking or using the bathroom to reduce odors.
Ceiling fans and floor fans can also help dissipate odors if you don't have exhaust fans or if you have a heavy amount of odor. Use fans with open windows for extra odor-dissipating power.
Use a Dehumidifier
If your home has high humidity levels, it can increase the chances of mold and mildew growth. That can lead to a musty smell in addition to causing some health problems. Running a dehumidifier in high moisture times, often in the summer months, cuts down on the humidity to reduce the risk of mold and mildew.
Deal With Spills
Spills on your carpet can lead to odors, especially if you spill food. Drinks such as milk can also cause strong odors as they rot.
Food and drink spills can soak deep into the padding and the subfloor below if you don't take care of them immediately. Carefully pick up or scrape up chunks of food from spills.
Use a clean cloth to soak up liquid spills, dabbing instead of rubbing. If you rub, you can press the stain deeper into the fibers. Rubbing can also damage the fibers.
Water can help remove some stains. Add a little dishwashing detergent for extra cleaning power.
Hydrogen peroxide is a suitable option to remove blood. Vinegar is effective on many stains, especially pet accidents. Try club soda for wine.
Deodorize With Baking Soda
You can buy commercial carpet deodorizer powders, but you can also make a simple carpet powder at home with baking soda. This household item neutralizes odor, which can make your carpet smell better.
You can use plain baking soda or stir in essential oil to add a pleasing scent. If you have pets, choose essential oils carefully or avoid them completely. Some essential oils, including eucalyptus, tea tree, citrus, peppermint, wintergreen, and pine, can be toxic to pets.
Sprinkle the baking soda all over the carpet, but keep your pets away from the areas. Leave it on the carpet at least a few hours or overnight. Vacuum up the baking soda.
Another option if you have a smelly area is to use vinegar. Dilute the vinegar with water in a spray bottle, and spritz it on the stinky areas. The vinegar smell goes away as it dries, and it helps get rid of the carpet odors.
Limit Activities That Cause Odors
Carpet fibers can absorb any odors in the area, so keeping your home smelling good overall can help keep your carpets fresh. Never smoke inside your home, as the cigarette smoke embeds itself in the carpet fibers.
When cooking, run exhaust fans and close doors to nearby rooms with carpet if possible to limit odors in those areas. Cooking outdoors with a grill can also reduce cooking odors.
Use Rugs
Shielding your carpets in heavy trafficked areas with rugs can minimize wear and odors. Instead of dirt and odor-causing bacteria getting into the fibers of the carpet, the rugs catch them. Rugs are often easier to wash, vacuum, or shake out to keep them clean while your carpet stays fresh.
Follow Our Carpet Cleaning Tips
With these carpet cleaning tips in mind, you can keep your new carpet smelling fresh or deodorize your existing carpet. Regular care is one of the best ways to keep smells out of your carpets.
If your old carpet comes up short in the look and smell department, schedule a free in-home estimate with us. We can help you explore replacement carpets as well as other flooring options.
