Does your carpet smell? Here are some tips!

Denver carpet smell

Denver carpet may smell a bit better, because of the thinner air…?

When you’re having new carpet installed, one of the things to consider is the smell of the carpet  “offgassing.” Offgassing is what happens when the carpet is installed, and the new carpet, on a roll around stretched for the first time, releases some of the chemicals that were used to create it. Some people experience headaches and olfactory discomfort due to the smell.

What to do about smelly carpet

There are some different options to reduce odor in newly installed carpet. Here’s a list:

  1. Crack the windows
    Cracking the windows is a good first step: get some fresh air in there!
  2. Put a box fan in the window
    Increased circulation dissipates the odor.
  3. Sprinkle some baking soda around the carpet
    Baking soda is well known for absorbing scents – it also works for absorbing carpet smells! Sprinkle some baking soda around the carpet, then vacuum the next day.
  4. Be sheep-ish – get wool carpet
    Wool does not off-gas as much, because of the natural fibers of the wool. There’s still some off-gassing because of the glue in the carpet, but nowhere near synthetic fiber carpet.