Reduce New Carpet Odor

While new carpet is a welcome addition to a room, the odor of that new carpeting can be a distraction. Much of the new carpet odor has to do with the adhesives used to secure the carpet into position, as well as the chemicals used to treat the product prior to the installation. You can get rid of the smell through ventilating your home or using things like baking soda to avoid the odor.

Steps

Ventilating Your Home

  1. Open doors and windows. Ventilation is the best means to get rid of a new carpet smell. Masking the odors or using removers only does so much, as it simply takes time and airflow to get rid of the scent.[1]
    • Open any windows and doors you can. If you have doors or windows with screens, keep them open as often as possible.
  2. Turn on your air conditioner or heater. If you have items like a heater or air conditioner in your home, keep them on. This will increase air ventilation. This can help eliminate the new carpet smell quicker.[1]
    • However, if you pay for your own utilities, be careful about running the air conditioner. You can run up an electric bill fast by having the air conditioner running too often.
  3. Use fans. If you don't have an air conditioner, use fans. Fans can promote air circulation and help reduce the smell of new carpeting. Place any fans you have in the room with the carpeting and turn them on.[1]
    • If possible, also keep windows and doors open in the room with new carpeting.
  4. Keep the area ventilated for at least 72 hours. It takes time for the new carpeting smell to fade. You can speed up that time frame, however, with proper ventilation. Try to keep the room with the new carpet ventilated for at least 72 hours. This should get rid of some of the smell.[1]

Removing Odors Other Ways

  1. Vacuum your carpet often. You should always vacuum carpet frequently, even if it's not new. However, vacuuming often when you first get your carpeting may reduce the smell. Try vacuuming every day or every other day and see if this does anything to eliminate the new carpet odor.[1]
    • You should always vacuum new carpet right after it is installed, as there may be debris and loose fuzz on the floor that needs to be vacuumed up.
  2. Sprinkle baking soda on the carpet. Baking soda is great at absorbing odors in the home. If the new carpet scent is bothering you, sprinkle a layer of baking soda over the carpet.[2]
    • Allow the baking soda to sit for one to two days. Then, vacuum it up.
    • If you still notice a strong scent, you may need to apply baking soda a second time.
  3. Try steam cleaning. If the smell does not seem to go away with other methods, you can try steam cleaning. You can try renting a steam cleaner and using it yourself. You can also pay for professional steam cleaning.[3]
    • Keep in mind, this should only be used as a last resort. Steam cleaning can be expensive and it does not really require steam cleaning for reasons beyond the smell.

Taking Precautions

  1. Do not use detergents to remove the new scent. Detergents should not be used on carpeting in general and are especially unnecessary on new carpeting. Detergents tend to leave behind residue that can damage carpeting. Avoid removing smell via detergents.[4]
  2. Try a carpet that's VOC-free if you're sensitive to smells. Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) produce a lot of new carpet smell. Some people are very sensitive to VOC's and may have respiratory problems in response to new carpeting. If your health is affected by the smell of new carpeting, go for a VOC-free carpet.[3]
  3. Avoid masking the odor with food. Cooking smells are easily absorbed into the carpeting. While this can mask the odor of new carpeting, it's hard to get the scent of food out of the carpet. If you use food to mask the smell, you may regret it later as your carpet will continue to smell like food for the long term.[3]
  4. Have patience. There is no way to completely eliminate new carpet odor. It simply takes a few weeks for the smell to fade. Be patient and give it time. If the new smell truly bothers you, try to stay out of the room with the new carpeting until the smell fades.[3]

Tips

  • Keep a fabric softener (plastic) refill hidden under a seat. The pleasant odor will permeate the room quickly. When the fabric softener smell fades, move the packet to your laundry and buy a new one for the room!

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 http://www.flooringamerica.com/carpet-care
  2. ↑ http://www.howtocleanstuff.net/how-to-remove-odors-from-carpet/
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 http://www.getridofthings.com/household/get-rid-of-carpet-smell/
  4. ↑ http://www.stretcher.com/stories/01/010611a.cfm
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