How do I get smells out of a carpet?
Removing pet, damp and general odours from carpet by treating the source rather than masking it.
- Difficulty
- beginner
- Time
- 1 hr 30 min
- Read
- 2 min
Short answer
Find the source first — usually a pet accident, spilled liquid that soaked into the underlay, or general damp. Treat organic smells with an enzyme cleaner, deodorise with bicarbonate of soda left for several hours, and make sure the carpet dries fast.
Carpet smell almost always has a specific origin, and the smell persists because the source is in the underlay rather than the pile. Deodorising the surface without dealing with what is underneath is why the smell keeps returning.
What you'll need
- Bicarbonate of soda
- Enzyme cleaner
- White cloths
- Fan
- Torch (optional)
Step by step
- Find the source before treating anything.Get down at floor level. A torch at a low angle shows marks the eye misses standing up.
- For pet accidents, use an enzyme cleaner rather than ordinary detergent.Enzymes break down the compounds causing the smell. Detergent removes the stain and leaves the odour, which encourages repeat marking.
- Apply enough enzyme cleaner to reach as deep as the original spill did.This is the part people under-do. If it soaked to the underlay, the treatment must too.
- Leave it for the time on the label — usually several hours — then blot up.Enzymes need time to work. Blotting early stops the process.
- Once dry, sprinkle bicarbonate of soda over the area and leave it several hours or overnight.It absorbs residual odour. Longer is better.
- Vacuum thoroughly, going over the area two or three times.Bicarbonate works into the pile and needs several passes.
- Dry the carpet fast with fans and open windows.Slow drying after any wet treatment causes its own musty smell.
- If the smell persists, the underlay may need replacing.Liquid that reached the underlay sometimes cannot be treated from above.
Tips
- A UV torch shows old pet accidents that are invisible in daylight — genuinely useful if you cannot locate a smell.
- Never use a steam cleaner on a pet accident before enzyme treatment. Heat sets the proteins and makes the smell permanent.
- General musty smell across a whole room is usually humidity rather than the carpet. Check that before treating the floor.
Common mistakes
- Masking with deodoriser — You add a second smell while the source keeps producing the first.
- Using ordinary detergent on pet accidents — It removes the stain but leaves the odour compounds, so the smell returns and pets re-mark the spot.
- Steam cleaning before enzyme treatment — Heat sets protein and makes the smell permanent.
Questions people ask
What is the best cleaner for pet smells in carpet?
An enzyme cleaner specifically. Enzymes break down the uric acid and proteins that cause the smell — ordinary detergents and deodorisers do not touch them.
Why does the smell come back when the weather is humid?
Residue in the underlay reactivates with moisture. That usually means the original treatment did not reach deep enough, and the underlay may need replacing.