Rather than wasting time crying over spilt milk on your carpet, you will be better off springing into action and use one of our tips to clean up and deal with any odors associated with curdled milk. Our tips may also assist you in removing any milk stains on your carpet. You never know, you could well end up laughing over the spilt milk! Bare in mind, some of these tips are quite advanced, so if you don’t feel confident enough to try these techniques then give us a call for professional carpet cleaning in Bedford.
No matter what type of stain you’re dealing with, be it a paint stain on your carpet or milk, speed is of the essence! The faster you react to the spilt milk on your carpet, the easier your clean up is going to be. Dealing with split fresh milk is so much easier than when it turns sour. It will take a day or two for the spilt milk to curdle and start emanating the associated foul odor.
Milk starts curdling and turning sour the moment it gets into your carpet or fabric. In addition to the terrible odor it produces, it can cause discoloration that can be difficult to get out of your carpet or fabric.
Follow these steps to properly clean spilt milk and avoid fouls smells and unwanted stains.
Before learning how to remove the odor of sour milk from carpets in your home, there are a few things you should do first.
- Start by dabbing away any extra liquid with a clean absorbent cloth.
- Avoid scrubbing the stain since this will just drive the milk deeper into the fabric’s fibers and widen the affected area. In addition to that it may damage your carpet, turning what was once a fluffy carpet, into a carpet with fuzzy patches in the places where stains have been treated.
- If you have it, a steam cleaner will help to kill a lot of the bacteria that leads to the milk odor. The downside of this is that it may harden the protein molecules in the milk and make stains harder to remove. It is the question of picking the lesser of two evils.
- You should do a test on an inconspicuous area of the fabric to be sure there will not be any unwanted results.
A. Method 1- Coffee
Coffee grounds are very dry and have a lovely aroma. Not only do coffee grounds make great coffee, but they can also assist you in preventing or removing foul milk odors.
- Spread some freshly ground coffee over the affected area and use only fresh and unused ground coffee. Coffee grounds should be able to absorb the odor quickly. The dryness of the coffee grounds and their aroma will combine to remove the odor and also assist to soak up any of the remaining spilt milk.
- Allow the coffee grounds to sit for 1 to 2 hours.
- After the coffee grounds have soaked up the moisture and odor, vacuum up the remnants.
- A bonus for coffee lovers is the lingering coffee smell for a couple of days.
B. Method 2- Vinegar
- Using a spray bottle, spritz white vinegar directly over the stain and let it soak for 30 minutes.
- Use only clear vinegar. Balsamic vinegar, Apple Cider Vinegar and similar products may cause stains of their own.
- Use a clean cloth to gently dab the stain or use a steam cleaner across the affected area.
- Allow the area to dry completely. The smell of vinegar will gradually go away, as will the odor of spilt milk.
C. Method 3- Dish Soap And Baking Soda
- Mix two cups of warm water and one teaspoon of bleach-free dishwashing detergent to make a DIY cleaning solution.
- Apply your remedy to the area that is causing the odor with a sponge.
- Then, apply baking soda directly over the carpet where the spilt milk odor is and allow the baking soda solution to sit overnight.
- Next, vacuum the area after using a tiny brush to remove any remaining baking soda residue.
D. Method 4– Cornstarch
The dryness and super absorption properties of cornstarch powder can also assist to remove the smell of curdled milk as well as many other household odors.
- As with the other methods, you must dab the stain as soon as possible. If the milk has become dry, spray the stained area with water and remove as much of the milk as you can.
- Be sure that all surface liquid had been removed. Otherwise, you may create another problem for yourself with clumps of cornstarch forming on your carpet.
- Apply the cornstarch generously to the stained area and allow it to sit for several hours to soak up any residual milk from the fibers.
- Vacuum the cornstarch away.
E. Method 5- Baking Soda
- Baking soda should be sprinkled on the stain. Sprinkle just enough baking soda to get a noticeable layer.
- Allow it to lie for about 12 hours to soak up the odor from the carpet.
- Using your hands, loosen the bicarb soda prior to vacuuming the area to clean up any remaining residue.
F. Method 6- Borax Powder
- Using borax powder, cover the area where the smell is coming from.
- Allow it to sit for roughly half a day.
- First, vacuum the area where the borax has been applied prior to using the vacuum over the whole carpet.
G. Method 7 – Enzyme Cleaning Solution
If the suggested home remedies do not work, you may need to consider using a commercial enzyme spray.
- Spray the enzyme cleaning solution over the affected area.
- Leave the solution to soak and dry for 2-3 days. This will give the enzyme time to work and break down the odors
- Follow the instructions on the package and clean the area you applied the enzyme solution to.
- Vacuum the area to remove any debris.
As a result of knowing how to remove the smell of milk from carpet fibers, you are better prepared to deal with any mishaps that may occur in your home. You also have all of the information you need to ensure that your carpet is always clean, stainless, and smell-free.