How to get a smell out of a rug

Find the cause

A musty smell usually means the rug or the floor under it stayed damp. A sharp, ammonia smell points to pet urine. Smoke, cooking and a general stale smell sit in the surface fibers.

A new rug may smell of its backing, glue or dyes for the first days or weeks, especially a machine-made rug with a latex back. A wool rug that gets wet smells like wet wool until it dries. Both are normal and fade.

Light odors: air and baking soda

Vacuum the rug on both sides, then hang it or lay it over chairs in a dry, airy place, out of strong direct sun.

For a stale smell, sprinkle baking soda evenly over the pile, leave it for several hours or overnight, then vacuum it up slowly. It is safe on wool and synthetic rugs. Test it first on silk or a rug with loose dyes.

Pet odors

Urine soaks through the pile into the foundation and often into the floor. Surface sprays may hide the smell for a while, but it returns when the air is humid.

For a single fresh accident, blot it and treat it as soon as you can. For an older or repeated spot, only a full wash in a rug plant reaches the foundation. Our pet urine guide covers both.

Smoke and cooking smells

Air the rug out over several days and vacuum it often. If the smell stays, a professional wash removes the residue that holds it. Heavy smoke from a fire needs a cleaner who handles smoke damage.

Damp and musty smells

Dry the rug and the floor under it completely, and fix the source of the moisture. If the smell comes back on a humid day, the rug may have mold in its foundation. Check it before you put it back down.

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