# Need help getting stink out of wet carpet



## springvalley (Jun 23, 2009)

We didn't realize it but a window was leaking and the carpet has been getting wet. I used carpet cleaner on it but it's still wet and stinky. I have a fan on it trying to dry it out. Will a carpet freshener get the funk out? Will Fabreeze? Is there something else I need to do instead? Ugh. 
Catherine


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## katy (Feb 15, 2010)

Catherine, Sorry to hear of such a stinky problem, but you can whip it.

If it is sopping wet, try taking up as much water as you can with old towels, throw them down and either press them down by hand or standing on them, take them and wring out excess water and repeat, preferably with dry towels. That fan will probably do a better job if it is sitting in the floor. How long has this leaking been going on ? Is it newer or older carpet ?

About the odor, is it chemical, mold-mildew or animal ? Febreeze and or vinegar is good for animal, clorox is good for mold-mildew, chemical- vinegar would be my only guess.

Not positive but I would think dry first, then treat for odor problem. Almost forgot, I recently bought a container of DAMP-RID, it will remove excess moisture from the air. Don't know how cost effective it would be, but it has worked amazingly well for me, so far.

Good luck.


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## Priscilla (Aug 6, 2010)

I have used a powder product, Mold Avenger, with great success on hard surfaces. It's water-based with no VOC's. I bought it at a home center. You will have to saturate the carpet, then rinse it out and let dry it COMPLETELY. So, you will need to pull the carpet back from the wall to do this. Then reinstall the carpet [ie, stretch it]. 

While the carpet is peeled back, check your floor for mold, too. If this is mold or mildew you must get everywhere it's been wet/damp. Note: beach will NOT kill the mold spores, only beach them out of sight to grow again given an opportunity.


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