Smelly Carpet Problem

[Isabel964]

I have my two dogs and floorboards through alot of the house. But the bedrooms have carpet - pure wool carpet...its not new.

The dogs sleep in my room and though they have their own beds, they do enjoy laying on the carpet too.

My dogs are often indoors and have a hydrobath once a week. But they smell like dogs, good for two days after the hydrobath and then like dogs... and my bedroom smells really dog like.

The carpet is vacuumed once or twice a week.

I get the carpet professionally cleaned every few months. But it still smells.

i see lots of deodorising products. I hate my carpet smelling like its had air freshener poured over it....its not a smell I like. Air freshener reminds me of toilets LOL

I do use an oil burner with essential oils in my ensuite bathroom which helps, but I can't have a candle burning all the time...

Any suggestions?

[persephone]

sprinkle liberally with bicarb soda powder ... work well into the carpet..leave for around 20 mins,then vacuum....

[Isabel964]

Thanks Pers. Great!

One thing...might be a stupid question, but how do I work it well into the carpet after sprinkling liberally?

Edited to correct automated spelling corrections :rolleyes:

Edited December 29, 2011 by Sky

[mumof4girls]

Bicarb like Persephone said it's great for all smells.. Fridge smells, your car if it smell from water getting in lol funny story for me..

Draws the smell in so to speak :-)

[Dame Aussie]

Thanks Pers. Great!

One thing...might be a stupid question, but how do I work it well into the carpet after sprinkling liberally?

Edited to correct automated spelling corrections :rolleyes:

I do it with my hands, I wear gloves and just rub it in.

[Tralee]

One thing...might be a stupid question, but how do I work it well into the carpet after sprinkling liberally?

Hi Sky.

You could use the other side of a broomhead.

You are basically looking to sanitise the carpet in place of the disinfecting it.

I just wonder how a weekly brush with Sodium bicarbonate (alkaline) will affect the carpet.

Px

[Alyosha]

The bicarb will help but not cure the problem. The oils from dog coats gets into the underlay of the carpet - which is probably old foam. And there it stays.

Bicarb is a good management tool but the only cure is getting rid of the underlay (and usually the carpet!).

[Gayle.]

How are your dogs starting to smell only two days after a bath? Mine got a bath 2 weeks ago and still smell like the coconut conditioner I used on them. All 4 of them sleep in our room, on their beds or the carpet and the room doesn't smell. The carpet gets vacuumed every day and steam cleaned once a year.

[oakway]

The smell from the dogs could be a yeast infection.

Untill the yeast infection is cured the smell will stay.

[~Anne~]

My dogs are bathed fortnightly and they also develop a dog smell pretty quickly. I think it is a combination of activity, breed, fur type and weather that makes some dogs smell more than others. My MILs dog, a silky cross, never ever smells and she is only bathed every month or so.

The only real solution with your carpet is to stop the dogs lying on it or rip it up and put down washable rugs. Aside from this, bi-carb and regular shampooing is your only choice but these aren't 100% effective.

[Dame Aussie]

My Aussie never smells but my Anatolian x can get a bit doggy, not what I would call smelly, but smellier than my Aussie. That's only a few days after a bath, I think it does depend partly on the breed/coat.

[Meea]

I use my toeses to work in the bicarb which I have used for years - I did start when the carpet was new though! ;)

[Alyosha]

In some breeds, over frequent washing can increase the smell. As the skin is stripped of natural oil it actually produces more. Some breeds are best longer between baths as the skin /coat/oil levels will get into balance.

[VJB]

There is a product called odour go (google odour go au) and you will find a good solution to all odours. I love this stuff, it last me a long long time as it is very concentrated so I have to dilute it and put into spray bottles. I also use it in the final rinse of washing blankets, mopping floors, on all furniture, cleaning fridges, kitchen, toilets, pour into drains to eliminate odours... etc. It is very safe, and is not toxic, made from essential oils that bond with the odour causing enzyme, and kills the bacteria that causes the smell. It is not a cover up deodorant at all. We use it in the car to get rid of wet dog smell, and also use it outside on our decking when we clean it.

[JulesP]

Different breeds have different levels of doggy smells.

Dusk have good anti smell candles, carpet stuff and spray.

[Missymoo]

I just recently poured a whole box of bicarb and then vinegar over and area and rubbed it all in...then weighted towels on to get out excess stuff (eewww all brownish even though carpet looked clean) now have left to air dry..the urine smellhas gone now from the area so far..(old dog kept going in one area)

[Nekhbet]

you can hire the britex machines from most supermarkets still, it's the only thing worth doing as the dog dander and dirt works its way down the pile. Use really hot water (hot tap only) and my trick is to then go over the carpet again with just plain water. Smells are gone and totally refreshes the carpets. Plus dries in no time too if you pull the vacuum slowly and dont soak the water down to the underlay.

[SkySoaringMagpie]

Best solution is to get rid of the carpet.

Bicarb is a good option. Another old trick I learned from some more experienced Saluki owners is to put a mop in a solution of eucalyptus wool wash, wring out hard, and then sweep across the carpet.

[raffikki]

Bosisto's Eucalyptus Spray is a great product for killing germs and removing odours

[Isabel964]

Yeah, I know - I'd just have floorboards and have rugs that can be replaced, cleaned, aired out.... etc. But I am currently renting. Carpet is only in the bedrooms - so its just mine that has the problem.

So why do my dogs smell after 2 days?

OK, well I have a westie and kelpie.

The Westie never smells, she just has that nice mild dog smell - its not pongy at all. Usually she is washed fortnightly though I take them together to the hydrobath - one week she watches and just hangs out, the other week she too gets washed.

The problem is the kelpie and she reeks quickly sometimes. What it is, is she loves rolling in grass. When we walk and go off leash in the football oval or in off leash parks I see her sniff and choose grassy area and roll with absolute glee in it. I'm sure she specifically chooses grass that has been peed on or something.....its awful. I notice in winter when its pouring and bucketing down with rain day after day and she only goes out for toilet breaks and comes back inside (and in parks does not roll in grass when its raining), that she smells just fine. The nicer the weather, the more she rolls around in grass and the more she smells.

if you know how to rid her of this idea that she smells great after rolling in stinky areas of grass, I will glady learn about it. I tel her again and again that she gets more cuddles and snuggles from mummy when she has not been rolling in smelly grass but as clever as my kelpie girl is, she does not seem to grasp this concept

Edited December 30, 2011 by Sky