I have a carpet and hard surface floor cleaner that washes my carpets really well and it has a Bissell solution to add to the cleaner compartment when washing the floors but..... the other day I was thinking about how I could clean as well as deoderize my carpets. I was wondering if I sprinkled the carpets with baking soda (which I do every so often and then vacuum up) but instead of vacuuming the soda up filling my carpet cleaner with half water and half vinegar to clean the floors. The machine expels the cleaner and then sucks it back up so its not like the floor or carpets would be covered in vinegar. But do you think it would work or would I live in a house that smells like vinegar (which I cant stand but I know it works to clean) When I clean with vinegar for other things I know the smell disappears after it dries but I am worried about the smell sticking to the fabric of the carpets. Am I crazy or do you think this could work?
Thanks in advance
Baking soda and vinegar cancel each other out chemically speaking. One is a mild base, and one is a mild acid. They neutralize each other. One can use one OR the other for effective cleaning, but using them both together means you may as well be using plain water.
Vinegar has acid in it, combined with baking soda it might damage your carpets. I'd be hesitant to try this solution on carpet. When I clean our carpets at home I use the cleaner specifically for carpets. I use 1/4 to 1/2 less than they say to and rinse a few times as any residue can attract dirt. This seems to get any smells out.
I did this a couple of weeks ago. A few years ago my cat got cancer and left me presents in one room of my house. Of course I had just gotten a new are rug and slip covers for that room. I cleaned and cleaned but even now I still pick up the cat urine smell, and if I can smell it so can the dogs. I don't want to dogs to think this is the 'potty room' so I used about a cup of vinegar and filled the rest of the container with water. I cleaned the area rug and it does smell better. The smell was gone before the rug was dry.
Mr Clean makes an all purpose cleaner with Frebreze in it that does a good job on odors too. I would rather use natural products but this works too.
I wouldn't be worried about the smell of vinegar (it dissipates quickly), but I would worry about what the foaming baking soda/vinegar mixture might do to the machine.
Basic chemistry 101: Bakingsoda and vinegar foam because of a chemical reaction releasing CO2. Not a good idea to use baking soda on the carpet and then put vinegar water on it. You may damage your machine in the process. I suggest you cut the amount of vinegar if you're smelling it in the house. You don't need much to clean effectively.
Once the carpet is dry, you can sprinkle the baking soda at night and vac the next AM. Overnight should absorbe the smells and no one will be tramping all over it.
warning- baking soda and vinegar is how you make children's volcano's
!
I use vinegar in my cleaner and I love how it turns out, It is pretty diluted so the smell really disapates when it dries. I have been so happpy with it. I would skip on the baking soda though.
I like the "idea" of vinegar's cleaning properties but I despise the smell. I wouldn't try it.
Doesn't the cleaning solution, also deodorize?
I would not put baking soda on the carpets, then clean it with the "liquid" cleaning solution. It may get, paste-y on your carpets/floor?
The baking soda, will dry differently than jut water/liquid/vinegar.
And, it does not evaporate, off of the surface.
That is why, people vacuum it, not wetting it. If they sprinkle it on the floor.
Once baking soda is 'wet'... it is hard to then vacuum it up, completely.
The vinegar smell will dissipate.
But, on an absorbent surface like carpeting, it may linger more. Because it will not be completely rinsed out.
Also, I don't know the fiber content of your carpets.
Wool, or synthetic for example.
It may damage it.
And not to mention, also having baking soda residue/paste on your flooring/carpet.
I'd be more worried about it damaging the carpet than the smell. I guess you could test it in a small spot somewhere.
It works great. If the dogs have an accident I pick or soak it up, and then immediately put baking soda on it. Then I use about 1/3 white vinegar and 2/3rds hot water in the steam cleaner and clean it up. It kills the odor. It cleans up well. If it ever leaves a white residue from too much baking soda, it is time for a professional clean--but in the meantime it kills the odor. FYI: white vinegar and baking soda are part of a very successful formula to clean skunk spray off dogs as well, Get the recipe with the proper ratios off the internet, it includes a bit of Dawn dish washing liquid. I hate that all these people who never tried it had opinions.
I would not use baking soda and then a vinegar solution. Have you ever mixed baking soda and vinegar? I make rockets for my kids out of old film canisters with baking soda. Then I put in a tiny bit of vinegar, cap it, and run. The vinegar and baking soda mix and explode, sending the film canister flying.
If you mix the two on your carpet, you'll end up with a huuuuuuge foamy mess. Also, as S H said, the baking soda, once wet, will be very difficult to get back out of the carpet.
The baking soda will deodorize your carpet if you sprinkle it on and leave it for a few hours, then vacuum it up.
If you're really worried about deodorizing, then try one of these two products:
http://www.acleanearth.com/earthworm_more_odor.html
or
http://www.dragonflyorganix.com/24odor.html
After you clean the carpets, just spray this around and let it dry. Problem solved. :)
i put vinegar instead of soap in my carpet shampooers soap container/dispenser. the smell dissipates.
Im not sure about baking soda though.
I would just stick to the specific carpet cleaners. They have many types of them, some for extra strength, pet, deodorizers etc. That will take the smell out of anything and then you wont be unknowingly be inventing yourself a Carpet Cleaner Rocket.
Can be dangerous stuff mixing baking soda and vinegar. Dont do it.
I do this all the time! It gets rid of smells and really helps the set in stains to come up easier as well. The vinegar will not hurt your shampooer...at least it hasn't hurt mine :)
ETA: not the baking soda part, just the vinegar part-I would not recommend mixing baking soda and vinegar to do anything other than MAKE a mess, lol
