Help with a smelly carpet, please!

HariboJunkie

This collection has lots of threads on the subject of carpets.

Carpet and Flooring Collection.

mandi

Thanks everyone , I would have thanked you personaly but nothings working )

pretz_2

hey

I need to ask abit of a puzzling question. This morning i cleaned my carpets with the rug doctor, went out for the day leaving all windows open and when i came in this evening my carpets absolutely stink and i don't know what has gone wrong or how to get rid of the smell but its digusting. the smell is like when a tom cat has sprayed but that can't be the case as im 5 floors up lol.

What could it be and any suggestions on how to get rid of this horrid smell.

pretz

michelefauk

Hi we had exactly the same last week when we used a Rug Doctor on all our carpets upstairs, it was ok for a couple of hours, but the next morning it STANK! So bad that my teenage son who is no stranger to smelliness commented on it. It smelt like wet dog, only worse.

The smell did go after a day or so, we just kept all the windows open, used fans to circulate the air a bit, and put some shake and vac down overnight then hoovered it up the next day. I was worrying thinking the carpets were going to stink for ever, but it was really only a couple of days, then fine.
HTH

tinkerbellsmum_2

i work for focus diy and we hire rug doctors out. i've never heard this comment so i would tell them this when u take it back to where u hired it from. hopefully they should give u a new machine so u can do it again or aleast tell u where u went wrong.

Floxxie

OMG I had to check to make sure that I hadn't written the OP.

We have done exactly the same and can only describe the smell as extremely smelly feet with stagnant water thrown in.
We don't understand it as we have used Rug Doctor a couple of times before and had no problems.

Any suggestions on what to do?

PasturesNew

I believe that if you sprinkle bicarbonate of soda (dry) all over it and leave it for 1-2 hours, then vacuum it up, it gets rid of smells.

Floxxie

Thanks PN, have already had three containers of the stuff on with no effect.

Fire_Fox

I have previously had trainers that whiffed of cat wee, which I couldn't understand as I live in a city centre flat with positively no cats nearby! Found out that if some brands of trainers get very wet the glue in the soles breaks down and smells funny. Maybe it's the same for carpets or glue in the floor?

mioliere

For any smells like cat's pee, spilt milk, vomit, and so on, neat alcohol is perfect. I use vodka - I have a huge bottle that was a gift years ago, but we don't drink vodka. Just dab it on the smelly bit and the alcohol eats into the enzymes that cause the smell. Not sure what to do about a whole carpet, though, except to go over the whole thing with a cloth dipped in vodka. It does sound as if perhaps the machine was faulty, so I would talk to the store about it. It must be really annoying since you've taken the time, trouble and expense to hire the machine and are left with a problem.