How to Get Poop Smell out of Carpet

Nobody likes to talk about it, but those with babies or pets will be familiar with the issue; poop stains and smells in the carpet. Whether your dog is house-trained or not, mistakes can happen from time to time.

It’s not your dog’s fault that your soft, shag rug looks like an inviting patch of grass! Or perhaps an accident has happened during those few moments when your baby roams free, diaperless.

This quickly turns a clean-up operation to remove their adorable little poop stains from the carpet. Regardless of how it got there, you need to know how to make it disappear, stain and scent. 

Removing poop smells can be tricky and unpleasant. But getting it done sooner rather than later is always a good idea.

First, ensure you have thoroughly removed all poop from the carpet before being concerned about the smell. You can do this with vinegar or a combination of OxiClean, dish soap, and hydrogen peroxide.

Once you are sure all the poop has been removed, use either baking soda or vinegar to eradicate the smell. 

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How to remove odors from carpet

So, you’ve done your best to remove all the doo-doo remains from the carpet, but a suspicious smell remains. This could mean you haven’t properly cleaned the carpet, and further work needs to be done.

It’s important not to simply mask the smell with air fresheners or scented cleaners, as it may hide the root cause. The root cause is: there is still poop in your carpet. 

The first thing to do is to re-clean the area to ensure you have removed as much of the remains as possible. Follow the method to properly clean dog poop stains from carpets:

1. Remove as much of the solid matter as possible with a poop scooper, a doggy bag, or even some paper towels. Ensure you aren’t pushing the poop further into the carpet, as this will only worsen things.
2. Liberally spray the affected area with a carpet cleaning product and leave it to soak for a minute. Or, if you don’t have a carpet cleaner to hand, you can make a solution yourself—Mix warm water and white vinegar in a bowl or spray bottle.
3. Douse the stain with the vinegar solution and leave for 5-10 minutes.
4. With a cloth or towel, blot the stained area. The doggy remains should transfer into the cloth, so you will need to keep rotating the area of the cloth that you’re pressing a new section into the carpet.
5. There is no use in dabbing the stain with a dirty, soiled cloth, so you may need a few cloths for this step. 
6. Continue applying your chosen cleaning solution to the stain and dabbing the area with a clean cloth until the stain disappears.

How to remove mild poop odor from carpets

If a faint smell appears when you are standing close to the affected area, follow this method to eradicate the lingering smell:

What you will need:

• Baking soda.
• Old toothbrush or gloves.
• Vacuum cleaner.

Follow these steps to remove mild poop odor from the carpet using baking soda:

1. Liberally coat the smelly patch with baking soda. Then, rub the baking soda into the carpet using an old toothbrush or gloves band.
2. Once the carpet has absorbed the first coating of baking soda, re-apply and continue working the powder into the area.
3. Once the area is thoroughly coated, leave the site for 12 hrs to allow the powder to get to work. The baking soda should absorb the odor pretty well. If the area looks patchy over time, sprinkle more baking soda onto it.
4. After waiting at least 12 hours, vacuum up the baking soda. Et voila! The smell should be gone, but if not, keep reading.

How to remove strong poop odor from carpets

If a strong poop smell remains, it’s likely that some of the remains have burrowed deeper into your carpet and that a more aggressive cleaning approach is required, using vinegar and baking soda.

Fortunately, vinegar is highly acidic and as such, is excellent for breaking down germs and bacteria. And baking soda is very alkaline and will attack the smell from the opposite end of the spectrum.

So combining these two ingredients is a cheap and easy way to attack any foul odor. 

What you will need:

• White vinegar
• Baking soda.
• Towel or cloth.
• Vacuum.

Steps to remove strong odors from carpets:

1. Pour some vinegar into a spray bottle, and spray a little onto the smelly carpet patch. Don’t soak the area. Apply just enough to wet the fibers.
2. Sprinkle some baking soda over the area. Don’t be alarmed; the two chemicals will foam and fizz when combined; that’s normal. 
3. Gently blot the area with a towel or cloth to help the ingredients combine and work into the carpet.
4. Leave the solution to do its job for around 6 hours or until the carpet looks totally dry.
5. Vacuum the baking soda thoroughly to remove the baking soda.

How to remove poop stains from carpets with OxiClean and hydrogen peroxide.

If you’re looking for a more intensive method for a more intensive poop incident, this might be the method for you. Although this method requires quite a few ingredients, it’s a surefire way to remove any mess of any size.  

What you will need:

• Oxiclean
• Spray bottle
• Funded
• Dish soda
• Hydrogen peroxide
• A cloth
• Paper towels.

Method to use Oxiclean and hydrogen peroxide to remove poop stains:

1. Remove the solid remains with gloves, a paper towel, or a scoop. Try not to spread the poop or smear it into the carpet.
2. Add a small amount of OxiClean (measure it to the bottom line of the measuring cup) to clean the spray bottle using a funnel.
3. Pour about ½ cup of warm water into the bottle and a few drops of dish soap.
4. Add two tablespoons of hydrogen peroxide. Put the lid on the spray bottle and gently shake the solution to combine. 
5. Generously spray the solution onto the stain until it is completely saturated. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes.
6. Blot the stain with a clean, white cloth. Remember, don’t rub the area, as you may make the stain worse. Keep blotting until the stain is lifted.
7. Grab a clean cloth and blot the stain again, to remove any remaining cleaning agents. 
8. Place a few paper towels over the affected area and press to absorb excess liquid.
9. Leave the area to air dry.

This method should remove the stain, but if a smell persists, use one of the above methods. Applying some baking soda and/or vinegar should do the trick. 

To Summarize

You don’t want to get so used to the scent of poop in your house that you no longer smell it, and a guest has to inform you of the stench. So if you smell it, do something about it.

First, make sure you have thoroughly removed the poop from the carpet. You can use a shop-bought carpet cleaner or make your own.

If a smell is lingering, it may mean that you need to clean it more thoroughly. But is a faint smell remains, then use baking soda and vinegar. 

Thankfully, any nasty smell can be dealt with, so don’t worry. Grab a few products, and get to work!

Last update on 2023-06-08 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API