How To Choose The Best Carpet Deodorizer?

A carpet deodorizer reduces or eliminates unpleasant smells coming from your carpet.

Carpets are very good at trapping odours. A little pet accident on the carpet can leave a smell lingering for weeks.

Carpeting can also pick up unpleasant natural pet smells, especially if your pet likes to sleep on it.

Pets are not the only source of smells on carpets. Food crumbs, spills, mould and mildew can also leave your carpet smelling less than pleasant.

Washing the carpet is obviously the best way to get rid of a bad smell. But you can’t wash your carpet too often or it will wear quickly (it also takes long to dry).

A deodorizer keeps your carpet smelling nice in between washes. It can get rid of the all so common musty smell. It also eliminates the smell of urine or vomit after an accident.

In this buying guide, we review the best carpet deodorizers sold online and give you some tips on how to choose the best deodorizer for your carpet.

What to Consider When Choosing a Carpet Deodorizer

A. Does it Mask or Remove Smells?

Deodorizers that mask smells are not necessarily bad. They can temporarily reduce a mild odour until you get a chance to wash the carpet properly. They are great for light pet odours and musty smells.

If you want to freshen up an old carpet that was in storage or give your carpet a nice fragrance before guests arrive, a masking deodorizer is perfect.

But if you are looking to keep the carpet smelling fresh for longer, look for a deodorizer that actually eliminates the bad smell.

These types of deodorizers are more aggressive, going as far as targeting the smell-causing bacteria and breaking down smell molecules.

They are useful for eliminating musty smells and particularly unpleasant odours from things like urine or vomit.

B. Compatibility

Check if the deodorizer is compatible with your type of carpet. For instance, some deodorizers may not be safe for use with wool carpets.

Even if the manufacturer says the deodorizer is safe, always do a spot test. Apply the deodorizer in a small, hidden spot of your carpet and look for discoloration or damage.

C. Fragrance

Some deodorizers have no scent at all. They simply eliminate the bad odour, leaving your carpet with a neutral smell.

If you are sensitive to smells or don’t want any added scents in your carpet, get this type of scentless deodorizer.

If you’d love a nice smell from your carpet, there are deodorizers that emit their own fragrance such as vanilla, lemon or flowers.

But be cautious with these fragrant deodorizers. They may be masking the bad smell with a vanilla scent rather than eliminating it. A masking deodorizer is not bad, but you should know what you are buying.

D. Anti-Bacterial

If you have kids and/or pets, we highly recommend an anti-bacterial carpet deodorizer.

Most of the messes from pets and potty-training kids are not just smelly, but also unhygienic. Even if you get rid of the smell, the bacteria can cause harm to your family, especially kids.

Anti-bacterial deodorizers have disinfectant ingredients that kill bacteria and viruses in the carpet.

E. Versatility

Check if the deodorizer is safe to use on other types of surfaces such as fabrics, leather, wood, vinyl and mattresses. A versatile deodorizer will be handy for eliminating smells around the house and even the car.

Remember to always do a spot test to make sure the deodorizer doesn’t damage a particular surface.

Best Carpet Deodorizers: Reviews

1. Bio Productions Sta-Kill Deodoriser Review

CLICK TO CHECK PRICE ON AMAZON

Sta-Kill not only neutralises bad smells, it also kills harmful bacteria and viruses to maintain hygiene. This is useful for messes caused by vomit or poo.

The concentrate spray does a great job eliminating common carpet odours including mould, mildew and urine.

Note that Sta-Kill doesn’t mask smells – it eliminates them permanently. So there’s no need to keep re-applying the deodoriser until you get a chance to wash the carpet. A single application is enough, maybe two for particularly smelly messes.

Because Sta-Kill is a powerful disinfectant, it doesn’t exactly smell nice and flowery. It has more of a hospital cleaner smell.

But it goes away quickly. In a couple of days, both the disinfectant smell and the bad odour will be gone.

Sta-Kill is great for carpets and other types of surfaces including mattresses, upholstery and even soiled clothing. If your cat peed on the sofa, you can use Sta-Kill to get rid of the smell.

It’s also effective for deodorizing the car seats and mats.

Sta-Kill is pH neutral, so it’s safe for delicate materials like leather and wool.

Because this is a liquid spray, be careful not to apply too much in the carpet that it takes forever to dry. It comes in a large 750ml bottle that should last you quite a while.

What we like about it:

• Powerful disinfectant – neutralises smells and kills bacteria and viruses.
• Safe for most types of surfaces.
• Gets rid of smells quickly and permanently.
• Large bottle.

2. Neutradol Carpet Odour Destroyer Vac n Clean Review

CLICK TO CHECK PRICE ON AMAZON

Like Sta-Kill, Neutradol permanently eliminates bad smells instead of just masking them. Its ingredients break down the smell molecules, leaving the carpet with a fresh and clean smell.

Neutradol comes in a powder formulation. To use it, sprinkle a bit on the carpet, then vacuum. Don’t use too much powder as the smell can be overpowering – a light sprinkle is enough to neutralise the bad odour.

Neutradol is effective against all kinds of smells including urine, cooking smells, pet smells and tobacco.

Sprinkling a bit of it on your carpet every time you vacuum will also keep your home from smelling musty.

Neutradol is safe to use on other surfaces including your mattress, upholstery and car seats. Just make sure you vacuum it up afterwards.

Some customers also recommend pouring a bit into the bin to reduce smells. When you vacuum, sprinkle a bit of it in the vacuum cleaner bin. It prevents hot smelly air from pervading the room.

What we like about it:

• Highly effective against all kinds of smells.
• Safe for most surfaces.
• Easy to use.
• Permanently eliminates smells by breaking down their molecules.

3. 1001 Fresh Linen/Flower Review

CLICK TO CHECK PRICE ON AMAZON

If you prefer a carpet deodorizer that leaves a nice scent behind, we recommend 1001.

1001 is more of a carpet freshener that masks light odours. It keeps mild pet and musty smells at bay and gives your carpet a fresh linen and flower fragrance.

We do not recommend it for really bad odours caused by vomit or urine. It may work for a couple of hours, but the bad smell will come back.

But it’s great for everyday use to keep your home smelling nice. It’s also very helpful if you have a pet that sheds and spends a lot of time on the carpet.

The flowery scent doesn’t last for long especially if your windows are open. It lingers for at most half the day.

The deodorizer comes in a foam formulation. To use it, spray it evenly on the carpet. The foam is pH neutral and contains no bleach, so it’s safe for most carpets as well as upholstery.

It dries in five minutes and you don’t need to vacuum the carpet.

What we like about it:

• Pleasant linen and flowers fragrance.
• Perfect for keeping the carpet smelling nice.
• Easy to use – no vacuuming needed.

4. CLEANLY Odour neutraliser Review

CLICK TO CHECK PRICE ON AMAZON

Cleanly is the most expensive deodorizer among our picks. It’s also one of the most effective carpet deodorizers.

It targets the odour as well as the source of the odour. This eliminates the smell permanently.

Cleanly is ideal for particularly bad smells such as vomit, poo and urine. It can also help with mouldy and mildew smells.

Similar to Sta-Kill, the disinfectant smell is a bit strong, but it disappears quickly.

Cleanly has a vegan and gentle formulation that is safe for pets and children. It also safe for use on different kinds of carpets and surfaces.

What we like about it:

• Powerful deodorizer – eliminates smells permanently.
• Easy to use.
• Safe for use in different surfaces.

5. Glade Shake N’ Vac Magnolia & Vanilla Review

CLICK TO CHECK PRICE ON AMAZON

Glade is another good choice if you are looking for a fragrant deodorizer to freshen up a carpet.

It works great if your carpet smells musty, mouldy or old. It can also help with mild pet smells. The magnolia and vanilla fragrance it leaves on the carpet smells great and sticks around for 2-3 days.

To use Glade, sprinkle the powder lightly over the carpet (also safe for mattresses and upholstery) and then vacuum. Be careful not to apply too much powder as it might leave some residue even after vacuuming.

We do not recommend Glade for serious smells that are set deep into the carpet. For things like vomit and urine, go for one of the stronger disinfecting deodorizers like Sta-Kill or Cleanly.

But to freshen up an old carpet or keep pet smells at bay, the Glade Shake N’ Vac deodorizer is great.

The pack includes two bottles.

What we like about it:

• Keeps the carpet smelling fresh.
• Magnolia and vanilla fragrant lasts for long.
• Easy to use.
• Safe for carpets as well as upholstery.