Baking soda is an excellent agent to dry a spill, remove odor, clean stains, and freshen the carpet fibers. But the confusion arises on how long to leave baking soda on the carpet. Baking soda needs only a specific time to work on the carpet. So keeping it on the carpet for so long doesn’t make sense.
It is ideal to leave baking soda on the carpet for 15 minutes to an hour. This is the basic duration within which the baking soda works well on the carpet. As time goes by, it will become increasingly difficult to remove the baking soda. Also, it can leave stains on the carpet.
The duration depends on the severity of the issue. The duration can fluctuate according to the stain, bad smell, or problem on the carpet. Therefore, you must know when to keep baking soda for 15 hours and when to let it work overnight.
Based on my personal experience, I will explore this in detail here. So, don’t go anywhere without finishing this article.
How Long Is Baking Soda Safe On The Carpet?
Is it okay to leave the baking soda on the carpet for a long time?
See, this depends on how severe the problem is. When you are using baking soda as part of your routine cleaning, leaving it for 15 minutes will suffice. Within 15 minutes, baking soda will work on the stains as well as remove the odor.
You can also leave it for 15 to 30 minutes in the areas where there is mold and mildew. Also, spreading baking soda on a damp carpet and then vacuuming it will make the carpet fresh and soft.
But in case the carpet is too wet and leaves a nasty odor, the treatment has to be longer. Also, to remove pet urine or poop smell and dampness, you have to keep baking soda for a little longer. If that’s the case, you might leave baking soda on the carpet for 24 hours which will give a better result.
Note that if the odor and stain are old and stubborn, you have to keep baking soda on the carpet overnight. But if you treat any odor or stain immediately, you can do it in 15 to 60 minutes only. Therefore, the duration of leaving baking soda on the carpet completely depends on how old and stubborn the stain or odor is.
3 Steps For Using & Leaving Baking Soda On A Carpet Safely: A Step-by-step Guide
For knowing how long to leave baking soda on the carpet, you should know the right process of using it. When you know how to apply it, you also get to know how long to keep it. So, here I present a step-by-step guide on how to use and leave baking soda on the carpet:
Step 1: Vacuum And Apply Baking Soda
First, you need to vacuum the carpet area that you want to treat with baking soda. This will remove the dry debris, dirt, fur, nails, etc., and make the process faster. If you want to apply baking soda on the whole carpet, vacuum the whole carpet thoroughly.
Next, spread baking soda on the carpet. Spread enough so that you can’t see the carpet fabrics. If you are spreading it on the full carpet, you can pour baking soda into a jar and make it a shaker. Perforate the lid and then shake the jar to evenly spread baking soda on the carpet.
Step 2: Scrub And Leave The Baking Soda
After spreading baking soda, you need to scrub the area. You can scrub only the areas that are affected by pet urine, stain, or strong odor or scrub the carpet completely.
For scrubbing, use a soft sponge or brush. Gently scrub the carpet in circular motions. Don’t put too much pressure as this may damage the carpet fibers and fabric.
After scrubbing, leave the baking soda on the carpet for a few hours. 1 hour is enough but keeping it for 12 hours is better. If you don’t need to step on the carpet in a day, you can even keep baking soda on the carpet for 24 hours. That will be more than enough to remove debris, stains, and odor.
Step 3: Clean The Baking Soda
If you keep the baking soda on the carpet for so long, removing it from the carpet becomes difficult. So you should remove the baking soda from the carpet within 24 hours of application.
For cleaning the baking soda from the carpet, vacuum the area thoroughly. The carpet can be steam cleaned for an amazing result as well. This will deeply cleanse the carpet.
And that is it!
Frequently Asked Questions:
Can You Leave Baking Soda On The Carpet Too Long?
If you leave baking soda on the carpet too long, it can become very difficult to remove the baking soda from the carpet. As the powder goes into the fibers, removing them becomes a challenge. Therefore, you should not leave baking soda on the carpet for more than 24 hours. This is the maximum time baking soda would need to work on the odor, stains, and buildups.
Is It Ok To Leave Baking Soda On The Carpet Overnight?
It is completely okay to leave baking soda on the carpet overnight. As it is non-abrasive and harmless, it won’t damage the carpet fabric. Also, it is safe for pets and humans. So leaving it overnight won’t harm.
In fact, leaving it overnight will give a better result in clearing stains and removing odor. But after the night passes, make sure to clean the soda thoroughly.
How Long Should You Keep Baking Soda On The Carpet Before Vacuuming?
As part of regular cleaning, you need to sprinkle enough baking soda on the carpet. Leave it for at least 1 or 2 hours for the baking soda to work on the odor and marks. Let it work for a few hours and then vacuum the carpet properly.
Steam cleaning is another option for deep cleaning the carpet. However, for old stains and odor, leave it overnight before vacuuming.
Conclusion:
Now you have an idea of how long to leave baking soda on the carpet. Examine the severity of the issue and then decide the duration of leaving baking soda on the carpet. Simple!
You can also read:
Can You Put Furniture On A Wet Carpet?