Several situations every day can make your carpet becomes a smelly mess. Pets, children and even adults can leave unpleasant odors trapped in the fibers of a carpet. These odors can last for weeks and resist to normal carpet cleaners. There are several ways to freshen smelly carpets using nontoxic and common products available in all households.

Vinegar

Natural and cheap, vinegar does not mask odors removes it. Pour undiluted vinegar in a spray bottle. Start at one end of the carpet, and sprinkle the bottle while moving forward and backward. Continue in this manner while moving across the carpet until you have saturated the fibers. As the vinegar dries, eliminates odors that are trapped.

Sodium bicarbonate

Very used to clean and deodorize, sodium bicarbonate naturally eliminate pet odors, smoke and many other unpleasant odors from carpets. It covers the entire carpet with a thin layer of baking soda and wait several hours. If odors are strong, let the baking overnight. After last time, remove the soda with a vacuum cleaner. Repeat the process as often as needed to refresh carpets that smell bad.

Corn starch and herbs or spices

Instead of buying expensive carpet powders, create your own all-natural powder using common household items. Fill a plastic container with a lid with cornstarch. Add dried herbs or spices and mix with a spoon. Choose herbs and spices that are to your liking. Lavender, clove, cinnamon and rosemary are just some of the options available. Sprinkle the carpet with household dust and rubbed between the fibers with a scrub brush. Wait a few hours and vacuum to remove dust from the carpet.

Borax and cornmeal

Borax is a versatile cleaning powder, when mixed with corn flour, eliminates bad odors trapped in the carpet. Pour 1 cup borax in a container. You can find borax in the laundry sector in supermarkets. Add 2 cups of cornmeal and mix borax with a spoon. Cover the carpet with this mixture and let stand for an hour before removing it with a vacuum cleaner. Repeat the process when the carpet smell begins to develop.

Considerations

Before removing odors from a carpet, pass the vacuum cleaner to remove lint, hair, dirt and other debris from the surface. Suck the carpet daily to keep it at its best and prolong its life. Use a sweeper equipped with a HEPA filter that helps reduce odors in the air during vacuuming the carpet.