My adolescent son's carpet is stinky. Truly smelly. The carpet was there when I married my husband, and so is probably about twenty years old. I would say just rip it out but it LOOKS really, really good. The flooring beneath it is slab concrete. It has a musty/high odor, and sometimes actually wafts down the hall to the living room. I have shampooed the carpet numerous times, twice I have used full strength Febreeze in the shamp;ooer tanks.....this works great. For a few days. Right now we cannot afford new carpet, and this is just maddening. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
2006-10-27 01:16:16 · 12 answers · asked by Rebecca C 2 in Home & Garden ➔ Decorating & Remodeling
keep shampooing it like you have been (2x/wk) and air it out - keep the windows open as much as possible for ventilation - fresh air it totally under-rated. Also get a dehumidifier to use after you shampoo the carpet. They also have an odor remover liquid to add into the shampoo machine - it works pretty well. If it is just unbearable rip it out then paint and seal the his concrete floor.. you can make it look really cool... get him an area rug from a discount place if you dont like the bare concrete idea.
2006-10-27 01:25:02 · answer #1 · answered by !?!?! 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
We used to have a carpet cleaning company. We used a product called Milgo. You may need to hve it cleaned. Do not shampoo it. That just puts residue on it. Have it steam cleaned. You will be amazed at how much cleaner and fresher it is. I am always amazed at the people that go to their local grocery store, spend $20-$30 or more, drag a machine home, then attempt to clean their floor by spreading soap all over it. Call a carpet cleaner that steam cleans. You can often find a very good one that runs specials in your area for $6.95-$10.95 per room. Just don't let them talk you into a bunch of other stuff like stain resistants or odor killers. You could end up with a $200+ bill. Just tell them (after they are there) that all you want is steam cleaning, at the price they quoted.
But quit putting more chemicals like Febreeze and shampoo on the carpets. It's like washing your hair and not rinsing out the shampoo.
Good Luck!
2006-10-27 08:29:28 · answer #2 · answered by Momma Jo 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You may have more than a carpeting problem. You may have a foundation problem with a leak causing mold. Get it checked out soon.
Do It Immediately
Dealing with wet carpet, especially padding, is a situation that needs immediate response for health reasons. Once mold is present in the carpet and padding, the best advice is to discard these bacteria laden items. Mold can and will pose various respiratory illnesses. While one may feel frustrated at the cost of removing the floor coverings (especially the padding), in the long run you will be much better off.
The most important action taken in a flooding is to locate the source and act quickly to remove the water. Depending on the humidity, temperature, and dew point levels will determine how quickly mold will develop (24-36 hours in ideal conditions). Certain steps can greatly help to eliminate mold growth.
Lower the humidity and temperature with the use of many commercial floor fans and dehumidifiers, while setting A/C levels to coldest settings.
Tenting ones carpet to allow much needed airflow.
Spreading "Mule Team" Borax tends to slow and even kill mold spores, while being gentle on carpet fabric. The key is to act quickly making every effort to stop this hazard of mold in one's house.
2006-10-27 08:23:59 · answer #3 · answered by redunicorn 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's probably a moisture/mildew problem. First, you have to correct that problem...find where the moisture is coming from and stop it...then clean, including removing the mildew.
Once done, rent an ozone generator (about $50.00 per day) from a tool rental shop. Use it as directed or advised, and the odor will be gone for good.
2006-10-27 08:27:16 · answer #4 · answered by 4999_Basque 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would just sprinkle carpet fresh on and leave it sit for about 10 minutes th en vacumm. Because the rug is layed over concrete it is always cold and the padding gets damp. Try airing the room out as often as you can.
2006-10-27 08:24:18 · answer #5 · answered by tlc 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You have trapped odor in the padding. Old carpet (in my experience) can not be pulled up and redone without damage to it. If you go to that extreme, you need to replace it. The padding needs to be replaced. There may be mold underneath as well. I wish I could help, but the carpet really needs to be replaced along with the pad.
2006-10-27 12:25:42 · answer #6 · answered by Doug R 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Rip the carpet, apply epoxy sealer, install new carpet. Purchase the Ionic breeze GP Pro model which has UV ozone to kill odors and germs. I have one in my basement and am very happy with it.
2006-10-27 08:33:13 · answer #7 · answered by normy in garden city 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Buy some oxi-clean and use it in your shampooer and see if this will eliminate the problem. It surely do works for me.
2006-10-27 08:21:00 · answer #8 · answered by JoJoBa 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
you may need to pull it up and replace the padding underneath because it usually holds odors.
2006-10-31 02:36:38 · answer #9 · answered by misse 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You might have to go for a commercial cleaner
2006-10-27 08:22:58 · answer #10 · answered by Biggie 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋