Have you ever noticed an unpleasant smell coming from your carpets? Does the odor remind you of stinky feet? Even the nicest decorated rooms can be ruined by smelly carpets. The unflattering odor can be due to many reasons, but if you try to clean the carpet using water, this can make the smell even worse. Thankfully, there are a number of ways homeowners can remove stinky feet odors from carpet using natural and cheap solutions.
Here we’ll teach you the best methods that eliminate unpleasant carpet smells – and save you a lot of money and stink in the long run! But first, let’s examine the main causes of stinky feet carpet…
Possible Causes of Stinky Feet Carpet
Before you start learning how to curb the stinky feet carpet smell, you’ll need to figure out why your carpet stinks in the first place. This odor might be related to one or some of the following causes:
- Your carpet may be due for a good clean. In addition to vacuuming, you should also steam or dry clean it professionally.
- If your carpet was improperly or partially cleaned, this can often contribute to stinky feet odor.
- Carpets that undergo a deep clean usually smell foul because of their underlay. The underlay is the padding part of the carpet underneath. It is not exposed to adequate airflow or light so it takes a lot longer to dry properly. As a result, the excess moisture within the underlay will lead to an unpleasant odor like smelly feet after the carpet has gone through deep cleaning.
- Improperly trained pets are the other reason for foul odors in carpets. Cats or dogs often make a mess on the carpet; thus, it must be cleaned regularly – there are some pet safe carpet deodorizers if you want to check. Pet urine is extremely difficult to remove from fabrics, and it can often leave a stain behind. Once the odor penetrates through the carpet and its underlay, it will leave a stinky smell.
While some of the above causes of carpet smell may sound a little on the dramatic side, there are various tried-and-tested methods you can use to eliminate most odors from your carpet including stinky feet! Keep reading for our best suggestions and tips:
How to Eliminate Stinky Feet Odor from Carpet: 6 Proven Methods
Deodorize Your Carpet with Baking Soda
Baking soda is one of the most commonly used odor neutralizers, plus it’s natural and inexpensive. The particles of baking soda penetrate deep into the carpet in order to absorb odors. Once you’ve applied the baking soda to your carpet, it must be vacuumed thoroughly. Follow these quick steps to achieve the best results.
How to Apply
Step 1. Move any furniture you have from the carpet area.
Step 2. Vacuum the carpet to remove any pet fur, dirt, or debris.
Step 3. Now sprinkle generous amounts of baking soda all over the carpet. You may either use a mesh sieve or just straight from the box. For deep-fiber or pile carpets, sprinkle small areas at a time before working the baking soda into the carpet using your fingers. Repeat until you’ve covered all the sections.
Step 4. Let the baking soda sit for a few hours or ideally overnight to absorb the odors.
Step 5. Finally, vacuum the carpet thoroughly and put your furniture back where it belongs!
Baking Soda and Essential Oil
If you’ve tried baking soda on its own but want to add a fresh scent to your carpet, mix it with your favorite essential oil. These herbal oils are extracted from plants or fruits and have a powerful scent that’s excellent as a deodorizer.
Any essential oil you have on hand will do the job. However, take care not to apply too much as the strong scent may irritate you or your family. There are also your pets to think about as citrus scents can be toxic to them.
To be on the safe side, try lemongrass, lavender, or thyme oil to bring a fresh scent to your home and carpet. Mix two cups of baking soda with 10 drops of your chosen essential oil in a container. Mix everything thoroughly before sprinkling liberally to cover the entire carpet.
If the odor is mild, you can leave the solution for an hour before vacuuming the carpet. But if the smell is too strong, leave it overnight before vacuuming the carpet. The smell of essential oil will remain while the baking soda will have removed the stinky feet odor.
Baking Soda, Essential Oil, and Borax
For an even more powerful deodorizing effect, go for a mix of baking soda, borax, and essential oils. This method isn’t only effective in removing stinky feet odor from carpets; it’s also very useful in removing mold, mildew, or bacteria.
The main ingredient that makes this mixture so effective is borax. It is an acid used for killing mold and pests. As mold can leave a musty smell on the carpet, the best way to eliminate such odors is by combining half a cup of borax with a cup of baking soda powder.
Add 15 drops of your favorite essential oil to complete the job. Sprinkle the mixture on the carpet and leave for an hour before vacuuming thoroughly. The baking soda, borax, and essential oil treatment has to be the ultimate treatment to remove all kinds of odors from carpet, including stinky feet!
Remove Bad Odor with Vinegar
Vinegar is a better carpet odor remover than the previous method as it’s readily available in most grocery stores. You might be asking how vinegar could possibly remove such odor when it doesn’t smell very nice itself.
But vinegar has always been the go-to solution for removing unpleasant odors from fabrics. This is by far the most cost-efficient and effective way of getting rid of stinky feet carpet odors.
To apply, simply combine 1 cup of distilled vinegar with 2 cups of warm water in a spray bottle. Shake the bottle well before spraying the entire carpet with the solution. Allow the carpet to air dry, and that’s it! The powerful scent of vinegar will neutralize the stinky feet odor on the carpet.
Sanitize Your Carpet with Vodka
Vodka is an excellent option for refreshing your carpet and getting rid of the bad odor. Alcohol kills bacteria, so vodka can be used instead of chemical carpet deodorizers.
To apply, spray some pure vodka on top of the carpet and let it sit for 15 minutes. Use kitchen towels to absorb the excess moisture before sprinkling some baking soda on the remaining moisture. After 2 hours, vacuum the carpet, and you’re done!
Home-Made Enzyme Cleaner
Stinky feet smell in the carpet can sometimes be difficult to remove, especially if the carpet is in a high-traffic area. The best way to get rid of such odors is to use a homemade enzyme cleaner.
This treatment is known to have positive effects on smelly carpets, and it’s basically just a combination of old lemon or orange peels, some brown sugar, and water. The only catch with this enzyme cleaner is that it needs three months to ferment before use!
How to Protect Your Carpet from Stinky Feet Odor
Taking some preventative measures is always easier than trying to remove unpleasant odors. Here are some useful tips on how to protect your carpet from stinky feet smell:
Ensure Proper Ventilation
Proper airflow is the most important rule in preventing stinky odors, especially if you smoke inside your house. Adequate ventilation will ensure bad odors don’t linger or get trapped in the carpet.
Humidity is another problem that can result in bad odors. Too much moisture inside your home will leave your carpets smelling less than fresh. To reduce humidity, consider buying a dehumidifier for a more comfortable living environment.
Clean the Carpet Regularly
Cleaning your carpet regularly will keep bad odors at bay. If your carpets are in high-traffic areas of the house, try to vacuum them every week to get rid of dirt or bacteria. You can also deodorize your carpet weekly using any of our mentioned methods. Cleaning and deodorizing often will keep your carpet in tip top condition.
Clean Spills Immediately
Spills are one of the biggest causes of carpet odors. If you have pets or small children, you may have seen your fair share of stains. As soon as you notice spills on the carpet, remove them by using a spot cleaner in a spray bottle, such as baking soda or vinegar.
What If Nothing Works?
If you have tried all the methods we’ve mentioned here and still haven’t succeeded in removing stinky feet odor from your carpet, then it’s time to resort to a more expensive option. A professional carpet cleaning company will examine your carpet and will be able to advise on the best solution.
Alternatively, you may buy some carpet shampoo and cleaning equipment to carry out the task of deep cleaning your carpet yourself.
