DIY Dog Friendly Carpet Deodorizers

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So, if you find we’re a little MIA this weekend, it will be because we’re schlepping 50 thousand boxes of dog crap from the old house to the new apartment.

Mama has been packing for since the beginning of time. Apparently, more than half the boxes are filled with our stuff and she seems to think there’s a problem with that. She keeps threatening to “purge some toys”. OVER MY PLAYING DEAD BODY, MAMA!  I’ve worked hard for those toys and each one represents a cherished memory. They’ve been counted lady and they better all turn up on the new house.

We’re pretty lucky that our new apartment has been recently remodelled and is all fresh and new and clean.

We can’t wait to get in there and Mama can’t wait to strew her stuff all around and ca;; it “decorating”. There’s only one problem though. As nice and clean as the new place is, it’s been closed up for about a month and has a bit of a musty, dried paint, recent-renovation smell.

Yuck.

Mama better get in there and give that carpet a good deodorizing before we move in.

Now Mama could clean the carpet, but it really doesn’t need it and that’s a lot of work.

The carpets are a nice light beige and they’re clean, they’re just a bit musty. Mama has two little tricks up her sleeve that she hopes will do the trick. She’s leaning on our old standby: vinegar and baking soda.

Mama uses these two secret cleaning supplies to clean almost anything and carpets are no exception. She’s going to give the carpets her ol’ one-two punch and knock that musty smell out.

Pet Friendly Carpet Deodorizer #1:

Fill a spray bottle with plain, white vinegar. Spray the carpet evenly with vinegar, but don’t soak it. Open all the windows and doors, so that the smell doesn’t drive your crazy. Don’t worry! I swear your house isn’t going to smell like fish & chips. As the vinegar dries, the smell will dissipate and the odour will dissipate along with it.

Kol’s Note: Always test the vinegar in a small, inconspicuous area first. I’ve never seen vinegar take the colour out of a carpet, but better safe than sorry!

Pet Friendly Carpet Deodorizer #2

You know those fancy chemical  carpet powders? Plain baking soda works just as well. Use a sifter to evenly sprinkle baking soda over the carpet. (This one from Ikea is AMAZING for this.)  Allow the baking soda to sit as long as you can stand it. The longer it sits, the more stank it can absorb.

Vacuum up the powder, going over your carpet several times, until all hints of baking soda are gone.

Kol’s Note: I don’t like to try this one too often, since the baking soda tends to clog up the filter in my vacuum and I HATE cleaning the filter. Hate it like poison.

That’s not all – Mama is a man with a plan.

She’s going to pick up a few dog friendly plants that are considered “living air purifiers”, like tillandsia. She’ll also be picking up some rock salt to use in a few decorative candle holders. Rock salt is known to reduce humidity and should help us keep that musty smell at bay.

Have you ever used a pet friendly, natural deodorizer?

Do you have any tips for Mama to make sure the smell is gone?