Question
Dear Emma,
My carpet smells really bad. Is there anything I can use to hide, remove, change the smell? I’m looking for a natural way to clean your carpet.
Thanks, Kenny
Answer
Hi Kenny, thanks for asking about nasty carpet and rug smells.
First things first. Make sure the rug or carpet isn’t in need of a deep cleaning. If you’ve stains or you’ve spilt things like milk on the rug, well then it needs professional cleaning.
But if it’s just a case of icky odors from the dog, or cat lying on it. Or perhaps you’ve got cooking smells happening. Then I’ve got a super remedy for you. Natural. Healthy. And super easy to do.
(We don’t want to mask our olfactory abilities with icky old Febreze. Febreze contains chemicals that are considered carcinogenic. That is, they are cancer cause. And just to add another reason, it contains chemicals linked to hormone disruption and developmental problems. Febreze contains chemicals linked to neurotoxicity, which means the chemicals are poisonous to the nerves or nerve cells. Febreze contains chemicals that may irritate your skin, eyes, and lungs. (1)
So, instead, here’s some natural thing to try
Natural Way to Clean Your Carpet
In a bowl or large plastic bag, just go ahead and mix the following:
1 cup Sodium Bicarbonate
1 Tbsp lemon peel
and 1 Tbsp Coriander
6 drops of Lemon essential oil
5 drops Juniper essential oil
6 drops Lavender essential oil
5 drops Cedarwood
Mix together with a whisk. Or give the bag a really good shake. And then sprinkle the mixture over your carpet or rug. Let it sit for 30 minutes and then thoroughly vacuum. This aromatherapy recipe should help with carpet odor.
Emma Fairbrass, Certified Traditional Holistic Aromatherapist