Will vinegar alter the color of my carpet? Any other ways to de-odorize a burbur carpet?

Question

I have been told to use vinegar to get the dog's peepee smell out of my carpet after I clean the area. Every cleaner I have tried doesn't not completely get rid of the smell, so I want to further de-odorize. I am worried that vinegar will bleach the carpet, though. I am also not a big fan of the smell of vinegar. I have a window above the area I need to de-odorize and two fans to work with, so I can probably manage to get most of the vinegar aroma out the window, but I would rather work with something not as repelling-smelling. Any suggestions? I would really appreciate it! Thank you!

I would LOVE to tear up the carpet, but I live in military housing and they won't let us do that. I have asked the supervisor at the housing office if there is a way we can arrange to replace the carpet and padding in that area, but I will be charged over $500 dollars to replace an area no bigger than 3x7. Until I can afford to do that, I will have to find other ways. I have a steam cleaner for carpets that works really well at getting the urine out of the carpet, but it still smells so badly. Baking soda is difficult to work with on a burbur carpet, it's hard to tell when it is all vacuumed up, and when used as a paste, it gets stuck between fibers and when it doesn't come out completely it dries hard and makes the carpet feel like sandpaper in spots. I prefer to not work with it.

Answer 1

Here's your problem. The dog urine has not only soiled the carpet but the padding along with the concrete or wood underneath. You can clean the carpet all you want with whatever you want, but you cannot get to the padding unless you literally pull up the carpet. Even soaking the area won't help because the padding will NEVER come totally clean. And soaking the area is NOT a good idea either, as that will take a long time to dry and could set up a mold fungus underneath. Vinegar will only WEAKEN the fibers of your carpeting, as will things like Mr. Clean that another poster suggested. You may not notice the damage right away, but eventually the fibers become weaker and begin to disintegrate in spots. NEVER use harsh cleaners or vinegar on carpets. You can try a scent neutralizer (found at most major pet stores like Petsmart, Petco, etc.). Those are usually better than vinegar for what you are trying to accomplish. However, no formula can thoroughly clean this as the urine is embedded int he fibers and especially in the padding. By the way, the maintenance supervisor is right!

Answer 2

Does Vinegar Stain Carpet

Answer 3

Vinegar On Carpet

Answer 4

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RE:
Will vinegar alter the color of my carpet? Any other ways to de-odorize a burbur carpet?
I have been told to use vinegar to get the dog's peepee smell out of my carpet after I clean the area. Every cleaner I have tried doesn't not completely get rid of the smell, so I want to further de-odorize. I am worried that vinegar will bleach the carpet, though. I am also not a big fan...

Answer 5

Janatorial suppliers and carpet cleaners stock deodorises which are specially made for getting odors out of carpets. Most of them smell of either apples or bubble-gum.

I wouldn't recommend using vinegar, the smell will linger in the carpet and there's a good chance it will stain the carpet unless you rinse it out thoroughly before it's had time to dry.

You can also absorb the smell using baking powder (bicarbonate of soda) by sprinkling it on the affected area.

Answer 6

Vinegar will deoderize the area, and not discolor the carpeting. The smell of vinegar does not linger. However, the best thing that you can do is to go to the small expense of having your carpet professionally cleaned. Since you have a berber carpet, it is a tighter woven carpet, making it harder for you to clean it effectively. The carpet cleaners can get down into the padding where the smell lingers and you can not get to. The longer that the urine remains in the carpeting, it can bleach out the carpet and cause bacteria to grow. They not only can clean, they can also deoderize and disinfect the area, making it easier for you to maintain afterwards.

Answer 7

Vinegar usually does not alter the color of clothes or carpets, but test a small spot underneath (if possible) to be sure. Your local pet store carries several different types of products that will not only remove the smell but will also keep your dog from peeing there again. The natural or orange products usually work the best.

Answer 8

I use vinegar all the time on all my carpets and it has never altered the color to them. To help with the smell dab the vinegar up once you let it sit that helps also what I use and if you have one is a carpet cleaner I go over the carpet with vinegar and then over it will soap and you can't smell the vinegar.

Answer 9

Vinegar won't bleach your carpet. There are no bleaching agents in it. But if you are still concerned try these:
In your local supercenter you should be able to find urine gone or something similar to it. It will either be in with the pet supplies or cleaning. That will take the odor out and it will help deter your dog from going there again. If it still smells try Febreze animal odor. It works great. Hope this helps

Answer 10

I use vinegar all the time on my carpet and kitchen floor. My kids have puked on our beige carpet many times and it cleans up like brand new. It never leaves it smelling like vinegar. Rinse it really good and blot it with a towel. It won't change the color either. It's great on kitchen floors. It cleans it so well and you can tell it's clean when you walk on it.