How to Remove Milk Spills and Odours From Carpets

Carpets are essential in any home; finding the perfect one for you can be expensive and exhausting. Different textures, colours,t patterns are all things to be considered when choosing a carpet. Other things to consider are the pile, where the carpet is going down, and the carpet being a high-traffic area, so it would need to be durable. These decisions take time, so once you’ve chosen, you want to keep the carpet as new as possible for as long as possible. However, it’s almost certain that one day someone or yourself will spill something onto that beautiful clean, fresh-smelling carpet. 

Spills can happen at the most inconvenient time, and these spills can stain and leave nasty odours behind—one of the worst soils is milk. Milk is a dairy product that contains fats and greasy ingredients and does not smell very nice after a while in heat. Temperatures inside the home are commonly warm, so a milk spill should not be left. The longer a milk stain is gone, the worse it will look and smell. It will also become more difficult to remove over time. Removing the stain immediately is critical not to have that lingering sour milk smell in your home. Here are a few ways that you can tackle the smell of a milk spill without the assistance of a professional cleaning specialist:

Method #1

First, let’s start with removing the stain that the spilt milk has left behind. Make sure to clean up the spill promptly, going it to set into the carpet’s fibres. 

1. Use a clean towel to soak up as much of the spill as possible. Firmly blot. DO NOT scrub at the area. This will cause the spreading of the spill.
2. Mix 2 cups warm water and one teaspoon of dishwashing soap, ensuring it is a bleach-free brand. 
3. Apply this solution directly to the stained area using a clean sponge. This will cover any remaining milk left on the carpet’s surface.f
4. Then pour a generous amount of baking soda onto the milk stain. Leave this step on the affected area overnight to allow it to work. 
5. The next day after you’ve allowed this to sit overnight, work the baking soda off the carpet using your hands or a soft-bristled brush (a toothbrush would be ideal)
6. Finally, vacuum the area thoroughly, leaving you with a stain and odour-free carpet.

Using this method, you can safely and efficiently remove a milk spillage without the need to call a professional cleaning technician. If, for any reason, you are still left with a sour milk odour, try the following steps to aid you further:

Method #2

Removing a sour milk smell from a carpet using coffee grounds:

1. Firstly you’ll need to purchase some coffee grounds, which can be found in all supermarkets and are inexpensive and easy to clean.
2. Sprinkle a generous amount of the coffee grounds directly onto the affected area. Immediately you should notice an improvement in the smell of the area.
3. Leave for 5-10 minutes, then gently vacuum the coffee ground, not using a brushed vacuum. The brush could cause the coffee grounds to be pushed and rubbed over the carpet, leaving a mark on the carpet’s fibres. 

Method #3

Removing a sour milk smell from a carpet using vinegar:

1. Once you have removed the milk stain, purchase a bottle of plain white vinegar (again, an inexpensive solution)
2. Place a bowl filled with the white vinegar next to the affected area for approximately 2-3 days. Also, you could spray the affected area directly with vinegar to intensify this method. 
3. If you’ve sprayed the carpet with vinegar, allow sitting for 2-3 hours.
4. Then, blot up the remaining vinegar from the carpet using a clean cloth. If you have a steam cleaner, run this over the treated area to remove any remaining vinegar. 
5. Whilst this method is being performed, you will have quite a strong smell of vinegar. However, once the carpet begins to dry, the scent will start to fade; once completely dry, you won’t be able to smell the vinegar.
6. You will be left with an odour-free carpet free from the sour milk smell.