That new carpet smell is not just an annoying unpleasant odor, it is actually hazardous chemicals that you are breathing into your body.
The best way to get rid of carpet odor is to reduce it before it enters your home. Ask your carpet installer to remove the packaging from the carpet and unroll it to let it air out for several days before installation.
If that is not an option, or if your carpet is already installed, there are several ways to remove new carpet odor that you can do yourself to make the odor in your home more bearable.
Here are some tips & tricks for removing new carpet smell from your home or office.
photo courtesy of emily flickr.com/photos/emilysnuffer/8387201062/Fresh Air
You can open windows to let fresh air inside to reduce new carpet smell.
Just opening one window will not create the cross ventilation necessary to remove the odor - you must open at least two opposing windows to create a breeze and let the fresh air come in one window and let the new carpet smell out the other window.
Adding a fan to the room facing the direction of one of the windows can intensify the breeze to aid in airing out the room faster.
Make sure to keep the doors to other rooms in your home or office closed so the new carpet smell does not go throughout the house.
Air Purifier
Using an air purifier #ad will clean the pollutants out of your air and reduce the new carpet odor.
Make sure to change your filter regularly.
Keep your air purifier in the area of your home that has the new carpet, or in the area of your home that you spend the most time in if your new carpet is thoughout your home.
You might consider moving the air purifier around with you throughout the day.
Air Conditioner
Consider running your air conditioner or whole house fan to remove the stinky new carpet odor.
Depending on your air conditioner, this may distribute the smell to other rooms in your home or office thus making the problem worse.
Clean the Carpet
You can try vacuuming or steam cleaning the new carpet according to the manufacturer's recommendations in order to reduce the new carpet odor.
Continue to vacuum regularly to remove potential contaminants.
Potted Plants
Potted plants are a natural air cleaner and may reduce the new carpet odor.
Some of the best house plants for cleaning the air are Golden Pothos, Peace Lily, Rubber Plant, Aloe Vera, and Spider Plant.
Baking Soda
You can try sprinkling baking soda on your carpet and letting it sit for a few hours before vacuuming it up.
The baking soda might absorb some of your odors, but make sure to test an inconspicuous place first before sprinkling baking soda over all of your carpet to ensure the baking soda does not discolor or affect your new carpet in any way.
Cover the Smell
You can cover the new carpet smell by adding potpourri to the room, adding a cut up onion to the room, or spraying air freshener in the room, but that only covers up the bad air smell and does nothing to remove the air pollutants.
Low VOC Carpet, Carpet Pad, and Glue
The best option is to use low VOC carpet, low VOC carpet padding, and non toxic carpet glue (or tacks instead of glue).
VOC stands for Volatile Organic Compounds.
Low VOC carpet does not contain as many pollutants thus the smell is greatly reduced and does not contaminate the air inside your home or office nearly as much.
Keep in mind that the carpet fibers may be low VOC, but you also need the carpet backing, the carpet pad, and the carpet installation method to be low VOC to reduce contaminants.
Most carpets with VOCs will stop smelling bad after a few days, but they still release harmful toxins in the air for up to a year after installing.
You might also like the article....Tips and Tricks for How to Get Paint Out of Carpet.
