Buying a rug on Craigslist or Ebay is very common.
You can score great deals on area rugs & oriental rugs that have been listed in your area but sometimes you can not see spots or smell odors when you view it online! Below are some tips to getting the great deal you bargained for and actually coming out on the winning side.
Secondhand Rug Odor Issue
- Ask prior to driving out to look at the rug or purchasing on ebay, whether or not it comes from a smoking household. Smoke absorbs readily into rugs and can last long after a cigarette is put out. It is up to you whether you want to buy a rug from a smoker. The most thorough and complete way to rid the odor from the rug is to call Angelo’s Carpet Cleaning and have a professional rug cleaning. If you want to attempt it yourself, try getting a box of baking soda and sprinkling it over your rug. Wait a few hours and vacuum it up. The odor may be lessened by doing this. Also airing it outside is a good idea if the weather is cooperating. Make sure to hung it on chairs or a bench to make sure that air circulation gets to both sides of the rug.
- Did you also ask if the rug comes from a household with pets? You may not see a stain in the pics or even in the owners house but a previous attempt to clean up a cat or dog accident may not have been as thorough as you, the new owner of the rug, would like! Urine odors are extremely hard to get rid of in a carpet and can linger. You may not smell old spots on a rug but your cat or dog may be able to detect them right away and get the wrong idea ;). If the rug is in your house and you believe there could be old urine areas on it, a great way to find them is to watch where your dog or cat is sniffing. Another way is to get a black light. Believe it or not, black lights can show spots in a rug that the visible eye can not see. Once you know where the areas are there are many products on the market that can neutralize the odor. We also offer a pet odor service to make this unsavory chore an easy phone call or click away!
- Oh no – you unrolled the carpet and found a small hole, what to do? Examine the entire rug, if you find other holes or areas that fibers are worn away it could be a sign that the rug had a moth problem. If you have a wool rug this is probably the case and it is extremely wise to make sure that there are no living bugs, moths or larvae living in the rug! A rug that is infested could be a problem because they could travel to other rugs in your home. One way to deal with this awful issue is to call Angelo’s. We can can give your carpet a deep and thorough clean to stop them in their tracks! If you are a do-it-yourselfer, try to take the rug outside and sprinkle moth balls or flakes on it very generously. Roll or fold the rug so it can fit in a heavy duty black garbage bag. It is important that the bag is black and does not let any sunlight in. This process is best done in the summer because heat is needed to kill all possible living specimens in the rug. Either cinch the bag shut with a twist tie or duct tape it shut making sure no air or light gets in. Put it in a sunny location. Wait a week or so and you should have taken care of the issue, but keep an eye out for any flying moths or other insects after the rug has been introduced back inside the house.
