If you detect a musty smell throughout the house, it could be the carpets. Often, moisture accumulates in the fibers and carpet padding, which opens the door to bacteria, mold, and mildew growth. Discover how to get a musty smell out of carpet with simple tutorials and cost-effective solutions.
Mold comes from certain species of fungi; each mold structure may contain millions of spores. Every mold colony spreads by producing airborne spores, and during this stage of the reproduction cycle, mold gives off gasses called microbial volatile organic compounds. Most of the gasses are odorless, but some of the gasses, called mycotoxins, emit that tell-tale musty stink.
Mold and mildew grow on almost anything: food, paper products, wood, insulation, and carpet fibers. While we don’t have much research on the effects of mold spores and the mycotoxins they spread, many people report migraines, sinus infections, and difficulty breathing. Fortunately, you can fight green mold on the carpets and eliminate bad smells in several clever ways.
- Top Tips to Know if the Carpet Smells Musty
- How to Get a Musty Smell Out of Carpet With a Vacuum
- How to Make an Odor-Absorbing Powder
- How to Remove a Musty Smell From the Rug
- How to Clean a Musty Smell From an Area Rug
- How to Kill Mold in the Carpet Permanently
- How to Get Rid of Pet-Related Smells in the Carpet
- Consult a Professional Carpet Cleaner
Top Tips to Know if the Carpet Smells Musty
Did you know that the clothes dryer, shower, radiator, and combustion stove raise the humidity in a home? High humidity means excess moisture and unwelcome mold growth on carpets and upholstery.
Once the mold and mildew take hold, you can’t fix the musty odor with an air freshener. Discover ways of getting odor out of the carpet naturally by eliminating mildew and mold growth wherever you find it.
How to Get a Musty Smell Out of Carpet With a Vacuum
Excess moisture attracts mold, which creates that lingering wet carpet smell. Mold slowly consumes the material hosting it, and unchecked mold growth may even cause structural damage. To wash smells off an old musty carpet or rug effectively, you need a HEPA vacuum.
HEPA (High-Efficiency Particulate Air) vacuums contain specialized filters that trap micron-sized particles. HEPA filters are ideal for removing a musty smell from the carpet because they capture the tiny spores that traditional-style vacuums miss.
Always use gloves and a face mask when vacuuming mold-prone carpets. Avoid the spread of excess spores by sealing doors and opening the windows. Dispose of the HEPA filter after use by opening the vacuum outside, placing the filter into a plastic bag, and directly into an outdoor trash bin.
How to Make an Odor-Absorbing Powder
There’s no need to suffer from a moldy, lingering odor in your home. Learn how to get a musty smell out of carpet with a simple, DIY deodorizer. This handy homemade carpet cleaner uses non-toxic ingredients, leaves a refreshing natural scent, and it’s inexpensive.
Zinc oxide is a natural mineral deodorizer and a common ingredient in many aluminum-free deodorant products. This powerful odor-fighting component is available as an affordable powder at many grocery or health-focused stores.
This recipe is completely customizable, so remove the zinc oxide if you want a pet-friendly version.
Find a small container for ease of use, like an old Parmesan shaker, and combine the baking soda and zinc oxide powder. Add the lavender and cedarwood essential oils, and shake the powder well.
Sprinkle it across a dry, smelly carpet and let the powder settle for a few hours to absorb the unpleasant odor. Vacuum the carpets using a HEPA filter and repeat as required.
How to Remove a Musty Smell From the Rug
When the carpet smells musty, it’s time to turn to natural, reliable ingredients like distilled white vinegar and fresh lemon juice. These two items combine to create a powerful carpet cleaner and deodorizer.
Vinegar is incredibly effective against mold. It’s strong enough to disrupt and destroy the mold colony without causing the fungus to become defensive. Mix this potent DIY deodorizer and spray your carpet to remove musty smells and mildew odor. Never soak your carpet fibres, as this could contribute to excess moisture problems.
How to Clean a Musty Smell From an Area Rug
No one can deny getting a musty smell out of the carpet is much easier when the carpet is portable. You have some versatility with an area rug or removable car carpet. Use it to your advantage when fighting a musty mildew smell.
Bring the rugs outside, far from your doors and windows, and place them face down. Fill a 1-gallon bucket with hot water and vinegar. Pour the water through the back of the rug, blast the garden hose to dislodge any lingering mold structures, then hang the carpet to dry outdoors in direct sunlight.
When killing an unpleasant mildew smell, sunshine and fresh air are two of the best weapons. The sun produces three kinds of ultraviolet radiation, but UV-C light is the most effective against mold and mildew. You rarely see mold growing in bright light, and that’s because the short wavelengths of UV are naturally germicidal, meaning the sun kills mold.
How to Kill Mold in the Carpet Permanently
The general rule is that if the carpet smells musty, a sizable mold colony is already at the root of the problem. When dealing with wall-to-wall carpet, you need a plan. Mold removal requires safety gear, suitable equipment, and a healthy supply of elbow grease.
Seal and ventilate the area. Stuff towels under the doors, close air vents, and place cardboard over large ducts to prevent millions of spores from escaping into your heating and air conditioning system. The more precautions you take when handling mold, the better the removal process should go and the more time you’ll save.
Use a HEPA filter vacuum to suck up as much of the mold colony as possible from the carpet flooring; use a stiff-bristle brush to loosen any stubborn mold structures carefully.
Spray a professional mold killer or a DIY vinegar-lemon cleanser to destroy the mold. Apply an anti-fungal coating to stop mold regrowth. There are many inexpensive anti-fungal sprays available to suit your needs.
How to Get Rid of Pet-Related Smells in the Carpet
Sometimes a lingering stink in the air isn’t due to mold at all; it could be a pet odor creating the musty rug smell. If you have carpet odor caused by pet accidents, the best way to treat it is with a specially designed enzymatic cleaner.
Enzymatic cleaners are the only consistently reliable and effective approach for eliminating pet stains and the bad smell that comes with them; stubborn cat urine doesn’t stand a chance. A few sprays of an enzyme cleaner formulated to destroy protein-based stains is your ticket to getting rid of that musty rug smell.
Consult a Professional Carpet Cleaner
One aspect of knowing how to remove a musty smell from the rug is a willingness to ask questions and contact professionals. Dark, dirty carpets that stink of mold usually require a professional carpet shampoo from your local carpet cleaning service to have any hope of rescue.
Like most things in life, regular cleaning and maintenance enhance longevity. Service provided by a professional carpet cleaner can prevent mold regrowth, reduce allergens in the air, eliminate dust mites, and improve the look of high-traffic areas. Plus, professionals have the best equipment and the expertise to back it up.
Go a step further and inquire about upholstery cleaning or hourly rates for a neighborhood cleaning service to help get your space into tip-top shape. Invest in a thorough air duct cleaning after the carpets are clean. Mold disposal is no joke; always call the professionals for support if unsure.
We hope you enjoyed our best tips on musty smells and fighting mold outbreaks around the house. Mold spores are airborne, and it’s impossible to eliminate them. However, controlling your home’s moisture and humidity levels is a fantastic strategy if you live in a high-humid environment.
Get a reliable dehumidifier, or keep a hygrometer on the wall to measure humidity levels. A relative humidity reading of 50% and higher is too much moisture for the average home and is likely to encourage mold growth and musty odors throughout the carpets and walls. Knowing how to get a musty smell out of carpet is only part of the solution.
Check for leaky spots on the roof, porous thermal liners, and damp drywall. When renovating, use a vapor barrier or material that prevents moisture from releasing into your walls and floors. Mold and mildew control is a multi-step process, but these tips and tricks should set you on the path to clean carpets and fresh air.
If you liked learning how to get a musty smell out of carpet and fabrics with our recommendations, share this mold-fighting article with friends on Pinterest and Facebook.