Hi,
I just got an antique persian area rug that I had won on ebay. It is really beautiful and in pretty good shape for being about 60 yrs old - not much fading or thin spot - but it has a pretty intense smell to it. Kind of a musty, mildewy, having-been-stored-in-a-damp- place smell.... I'd really like to keep it, but don't think I could tolerate the odor. I can only rturn it during the first 3 days and therefore need to act FAST... Is there anything to get the smell out permanently? My experience with those carpet cleaning machines are not so great (dirt always comes back after a few weeks), but is there a certain brand of cleaning solution, that might help? Or some home remedy? I'm willing to spend some money on it, but also have to mention that the thing is HUGE (9x12).
Any suggestions are highly appreciated!
I had an antique oriental rug that was quite large and it STANK. I took it to an oriental rug dealer who had special facilities to wash it. they wash it in something like a shallow swimming pool, and it takes weeks to do it because it is actually getting washed, then must air dry. It worked beautifully,and the rug was like new. (It is not cheap, but it is totally worth it).
Hope that helps.
Just last week my son puked all over the carpet in his room. We thought we would never get the smell of that out. My husband finally drenched it with vinegar and water, let it sit a little bit, then used our steam cleaner to suck out the water and stink. IT WORKED!!! If you really love the rug and don't want to return it, I would try this. It won't do anything to damage the color. I say, if vinegar and water can get rid of vomit smell, it will probably get rid of musty smell. Good luck!
my sis had a problem with cats and smells once, found that washing her clothes in windex(yes, the glass cleaner) solved the issue of smell....might be worth a try, but as it's an antique rug, try on a small portion first to make sure it won't damage it.
vinegar with water maybe? it takes smells out of laundry.
For sure talk to the specialists. Sometimes rugs have special glues or fibers and regular cleaning can ruin them. It may cost you $100 or so to get it cleaned, but then you can decide if it's worth it or not. The smell will probably go away with cleaning, but the dealers will know. Good luck!!!
Have you tried to mix some OxyClean in Hot water and wash it with that. Spot test an area that does not show first.
I'd call a company that sells persian type rugs & get their suggestions. Professionals would know better, or even a carpet cleaner.
Myself, I'd call a professional rug dealer and ask them about it. Or a disaster restoration company. They know all the tricks for getting odors out of materials without damaging the materials.
call a professional. i'd probably try baking soda - let it sit for a few hours then vacuum up.
I bought a wool rug with the same kind of funky smell that persisted even after it was professionally cleaned. I sprayed some Oust in the room and decided to spray some on the carpet as well. Amazingly it worked. The rug smelled again after having it cleaned later and I used Oust again and got rid of the smell.
It hasnt smelled since.
I really recommend frebreeze
Iris,
Slo-U-Mel is what I use on ALL my odors, I spray it on my couches, matresses, and floors cuz it kills bed bugs, and dust mites. It's also all natural and non-toxic, so you don't have to worry about it harming the rug! Here's a link to a video that shows you how it works
http://www.melaleuca.com/ps/index.cfm?f=ps.contentPage&am...
I can show you how you can get it direct from the manufacture and 30-40% off wholsale! Message me for more info!
J. Carlson
WAHM of 2 girls. Showing other Moms how to start their own business!
