Life is often chaotic. You don’t always have the time to deal with each and every speck of dirt in your house (especially if you have kids or animals). But what do you do when those pesky little specks aren’t so little anymore? We decided to take a look at some of the most common household messes and give you our (Heaven’s) Best advice!
Without further ado, here are our tips and tricks to get a musty smell out of carpet.
How to Get Musty Smell Out of Carpet: DIY
Don’t feel like going to the store or hiring a professional? Well, our DIY methods might be an option for you! The ingredients needed are common household items, saving you money and time.
Au Naturel
For this carpet cleaning method, you will need two cups of warm water, one cup of white vinegar, and a box of baking soda.
The classic baking soda and vinegar combo! What does it NOT clean?!
- Dry out the carpet or rug as much as possible. Typically, musty and moldy smells are the result of excess moisture.
- When completely dry, vacuum the carpet to remove any loose carpet fibers or debris.
- Add two cups of warm water and one cup of white vinegar to a spray bottle and mix thoroughly. Then spray a light layer to mist the affected areas. Take care to not apply too much of the solution or you may find additional mold or mildew.
- After lightly spraying the carpet, sprinkle a good amount of baking soda over the areas with a musty odor. You can be somewhat liberal with this step, as baking soda is an excellent odor neutralizer, but be careful NOT to create a slurry or paste consistency.
- Let it sit. If you remove the mixture too soon, the mildew smell might not fully come out. Leaving it overnight is best.
- Vacuum the treated areas thoroughly again the following day.
With Chemicals
If the baking soda and vinegar combination wasn’t effective, the hydrogen peroxide method is a good next step. For this method, you will need a spray bottle, hydrogen peroxide, and water. The amount of which is dependent on the size of your carpet.
Before you begin, it is imperative that you verify that your rug will handle the hydrogen peroxide. You can do this by checking the label or contacting the manufacturer.
- Mix one part hydrogen peroxide and five parts water in the spray bottle.
- If the carpet isn’t tacked down (e.g. a rug), spray the solution on the back and top. If that isn’t possible, lightly mist the affected area and let it sit for a couple of hours. This should help to minimize smell and stop any further mold growth.
How to Get Musty Smell Out of Carpet: Cleaning Products
If you can’t be bothered with DIY methods, or they weren’t effective, foam carpet shampoos are a great option.
- Lightly spray your chosen carpet cleaner onto the affected area. Keep in mind that you don’t want to add too much additional moisture.
- Blot and scrub the area with a sponge or scrubber tool.
- Allow the area to dry. This process can be accelerated with the help of fans.
- Finally, vacuum up any debris.
How to Get Musty Smell Out of Carpet: The Professionals
In some cases, DIY and store-bought methods might not be enough, or the cleaning process might be too much of a hassle. If either is the case, let our professionals take over! We offer a wide range of cleaning services for your various needs. However, this particular issue would benefit the most from our carpet cleaning or deodorizing and disinfecting services.
Any further questions or concerns? Don’t hesitate to contact us. We look forward to serving you!
