How to Get Mildew or Musty Smells Out of Your Carpet in 8 Steps

Here’s a scenario you may be familiar with: it’s Monday morning and you wake up late. You rush to get ready and in your haste, you spill your coffee on the carpet. But you don’t have time to clean it and forget about it after your busy day. Some time goes by, and before you know it your carpet has a strong musty smell. We all agree that musty odors have got to go.

Mildew or musty smells in carpets come from various sources. While particularly an issue in humid environments or poorly ventilated spaces, these odors are common and unpleasant. Fortunately, an Alen air purifier equipped with our Fresh filter or Odor filter, which has a proprietary odor neutralizer, is part of a remedy for mildew smells. Alen’s medical-grade Fresh filter with activated carbon captures mold spores* in the air and reduces musky odors. How awesome is that! We also have some easy tips for you to get your home back to smelling fresh. By using an Alen air purifier and practicing a few easy home remedies, you can neutralize those musty carpet odors. With Alen, you can take control of creating a fresh smell at home.

How to Get Musty Smells Out of Your Carpet in 8 Steps

1. Identify the Source
2. Dry Out the Carpet
3. Vacuum Thoroughly
4. Apply a Vinegar Solution
5. Use Baking Soda
6. Steam Clean
7. Check and Replace Padding
8. Maintain Airflow

Why Does My Carpet Have a Mildew Smell?

Noticing a musty or mildew smell in your carpet can be frustrating, and these smells often signal a deeper problem related to moisture, cleanliness, or air quality in your home. So, it’s important to understand the root causes so you can effectively tackle these odors. Some of the most frequent reasons carpets develop mildew or musty smells include:

• Moisture Trapped in Carpet Fibers: When moisture gets absorbed into your carpet and doesn’t evaporate, it can lead to mold or mildew growth.
• Inadequate Drying After Cleaning: Not thoroughly drying your carpet after cleaning can leave residual moisture, which promotes the growth of mold and mildew.
• Poor Ventilation: Spaces with poor air circulation, like basements, tend to retain humidity, which can lead to mildew in carpet fibers. If you’re noticing musty odors beyond the carpet, especially in rooms like basements, you may also want to explore how to get rid of musty basement smells for a more comprehensive approach.
• Old Spills and Stains: Leftover spills from liquids, such as juice or coffee, can seep into the carpet and over time become a breeding ground for mold.
• Underlay Deterioration: If the carpet underlay begins to break down, it can retain moisture and develop mold that will eventually cause odors.

So there are quite a few causes of mildew and mold growth. The good news is that we have some simple solutions to address them. We’ll go over a list of easy steps you can take to help you diminish the smells from your carpet. Beyond reducing the odors, you can also maintain a clean environment using a high-quality Alen air purifier with a Fresh or Odor filter. Our air purifiers improve air circulation and capture mold spores before they settle into your carpet. Wow! Using an air purifier is one proactive approach to help you create a fresh-smelling home. Let's take a look at some others.

8 Steps to Get Mildew Smell Out of Your Carpet

Step 1: Identify the Source

Before you can eliminate mildew or musty smells from your carpet, you first need to identify the source of the problem. Check for areas with visible mold, damp spots, or leaks around windows, doors, or plumbing. Focus on places where moisture may have accumulated over time. Pinpointing the affected areas ensures you address the root cause of the smell, lessening its recurrence after treatment. If you're unsure whether mold is the culprit, knowing what mold smells like can help you confirm it. Once identified, you can target the odor and underlying issue.

Step 2: Dry Out the Carpet

Once you've identified the source, dry out the affected area thoroughly. For instance, you can use fans, open windows, or a dehumidifier to speed up the drying process. If the carpet is heavily saturated, use towels to blot excess moisture or a wet-dry vacuum for deeper water extraction. Ensuring your carpet is fully dry in these stages will prevent further mildew growth and help eliminate musty odors more effectively in later steps.

Step 3: Vacuum Thoroughly

After drying the carpet, we recommend thoroughly vacuuming the entire area to remove any loose dirt, debris, or mold spores that may have settled into the fibers. Use a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter to effectively capture fine particles and allergens. Be sure to focus on the affected areas, but also vacuuming the surrounding carpet can help to prevent the spread of mildew. Regular vacuuming at this stage will help freshen the carpet and prepare it for the next cleaning steps.

Step 4: Apply a Vinegar Solution

Now that you’ve prepped the area, you can treat it with a mixture of equal parts white vinegar and water—a combination that is particularly effective as vinegar is a natural deodorizer and mold inhibitor, allowing it to break down mildew odors. Apply it generously to the affected areas of your carpet using a spray bottle. Allow the solution to sit for 10–15 minutes to penetrate the carpet fibers and neutralize the smell. Afterward, blot the area with a clean cloth to absorb any excess moisture before moving on to the next step.

Step 5: Use Baking Soda

Next, sprinkle a generous amount of baking soda over the carpet where the mildew smell is strongest. Baking soda is highly effective at absorbing odors and moisture trapped in carpet fibers. Let the baking soda sit for several hours or ideally overnight, allowing it to work fully. Afterward, vacuum the area thoroughly to remove the baking soda and the absorbed moisture and odors. Take a sniff. It should smell cleaner already!

Step 6: Steam Clean

If you want to ensure a deep and thorough clean, you can also use a steam cleaner to treat the affected areas of your carpet. The steam will kill any lingering mold spores and bacteria while also breaking down any remaining mildew odors trapped in the carpet fibers. Be sure to follow the manufacturer's instructions for your steam cleaner, and allow the carpet to dry completely after cleaning to prevent future moisture buildup.

Step 7: Check and Replace Padding

If you still smell the mildew odors after cleaning, the issue may lie beneath the carpet. To check, simply lift the carpet in the affected area and inspect the padding underneath. If it shows signs of mold, water damage, or deterioration, it’s best to replace the padding entirely. Padding can hold onto moisture and odors, so replacing it ensures a fresh start and helps prevent the mildew smell from returning. After replacement, ensure the carpet is properly dried and secured.

Step 8: Maintain Airflow

After all the cleaning and vacuuming, you’ll want to prevent mildew smells from returning. So be sure to maintain proper airflow in the room. Open windows, use fans, or install a dehumidifier to keep humidity levels low and promote air circulation. Importantly, using an Alen air purifier with a HEPA filter can help reduce airborne mold spores and keep the air in your home fresh and clean. Easy peasy!

Conclusion

If you’re ready to get in front of moldy smells in your home, you now have a plan. Use an Alen air purifier and practice a few easy home remedies to keep musty odors at bay. Our air purifiers with HEPA filters capture mold spores in the air before they settle in the carpet and emit odors. To tackle existing odors, equipping your Alen air purifier with our Fresh, Odor, or VOC/Smoke filters will be effective against those unpleasant smells. If you have an existing mold smell in your carpet, we’ve provided other steps—identify the source of mildew or mold, thoroughly dry the affected area, use natural remedies like vinegar and baking soda, and check carpet padding. Remember that maintaining airflow and preventing future moisture buildup are also essential to keeping your carpets fresh. Alen will be your partner in the battle against odors. You can rely on Alen air purifiers to capture airborne pollutants before they settle into carpets and create unwelcomed smells and, with our specialized filters, tackle existing unwanted odors. That’s a winning partnership!

*Third party lab tested on A.niger