I must confess that I love not only carpets but also tequila. This tart strong drink brings me back to the beach, where the sea is warm and people are dancing until the morning comes. But sometimes a shot of tequila turns into a real disaster. This happens when someone suddenly spills it onto the carpet. This exotic drink leaves not only ugly yellow stains but also an unpleasant intensive smell of alcohol. So, how do you get the tequila smell out of the carpet?
To remove the smell of tequila from the carpet, you should ventilate the room, where it lays, well. Usually, tequila evaporates quickly, and after several hours of airing the premise, the smell will disappear from the carpet pile. If ventilation didn’t help, you can use an all-purpose tequila odor remover, which consists of warm water (2 cups), vinegar (1 tablespoon), and baking soda (1 tablespoon). Read on for more interesting solutions to get out tequila smell from carpet.
Why Should I Get Tequila Smell Out of the Carpet?
Modern alcoholic beverages, including tequila, evaporate quite quickly. So, even if you do nothing, after a few days or weeks, the tequila smell will get out from the carpet pile. However, I always advise homeowners to react quickly and put some effort to remove the tequila odor from the carpet surface. There are two reasons, why you should do it.
Reason 1:
The smell is the first thing, from which your home starts. No matter how much you care about the home decor, the most beautiful room can’t impress either you or your guests if the tequila smell concentration is too high in it. Therefore, it’s better not to expect that the smell of tequila will leave without any effort from your side. I advise you immediately start removing it! I recommend you begin with the room ventilation.
Reason 2:
The strong tequila smell comes from the carpet if the pile is still soaked with drops of this exotic drink. Even if you don’t see the tequila stain immediately, it may appear on the carpet surface in a day or two. And removing an old stain is more difficult. That’s why do not ignore the tequila odor and get rid of the spot, which causes it! Let’s consider what kinds of tequila stains and smells exist.
3 Types of Tequila Stains and Smell on the Carpet
I don’t know, if you like tequila just like I do, that’s why I want to tell you a few words about this great drink. First of all, tequila can be different. There are several types of tequila. Each of them has various ingredients and colors. That’s why the stains and smells they leave on the carpet can also be different.
1. Getting rid of a premium tequila – Reposado – smell
The premium tequila, made from pure agave juice, is called Reposado. The lovers of this drink consider this kind of tequila one of the most expensive and tasteful. It’s a pity if you or one of your visitors spilled this precious drink on the carpet. Reposado, which is translated as “rested” from Spanish, stays in oak barrels during 6-12 months.
While being aged, tequila liquid gets light yellow color and intensive smell of oak and caramel. As you’ve guessed, spilled on your carpet, the premium tequila leaves a visible yellow stain on its surface. Besides, the intensive odor of alcohol mixed with oak will stay in your room for weeks. The only way to get rid of it is to wash the carpet thoroughly with some powder or detergent.
2. Getting rid of the silver tequila smell
I am happy for you if you’ve spilled silver tequila on your carpet pile. In this case, you can do nothing – just let it dry down within several hours. Silver tequila also called “Blanco” is a clear alcohol beverage, which resembles vodka. The pure transparent liquid won’t leave either stain or smell on the carpet surface.
The only recommendation I can give you if you’ve spilled this kind of tequila on the carpet is to ventilate the room. The next day, after the tequila drops have evaporated, just clean the carpet with a high-quality vacuum cleaner.
3. Getting rid of the gold tequila smell
Have you spilled a shot of gold tequila on the carpet? In this case, you have to put some effort to get rid of the smell from the carpet pile. This type of tequila consists of agave juice, distilled into liquor, and some additional ingredients, which give it a deep yellow color. Very often such color is a result of adding brownish food dye. Of course, spilled on your carpet pile, gold tequila leaves this brownish tint on it. The deep smell of alcohol is also present.
To cope with the “gold tequila accident”, you should immediately dip the stain with a piece of white cloth and then put some salt or soda on it. The next day you should vacuum the soda/salt remnants and wash the carpet thoroughly.
6 Ways to Get the Tequila Smell Out of the Carpet
I am happy for you if you’ve reacted fast and coped with the tequila smell immediately after someone spilled it. But if you arranged a party or a soiree at home and some of your guests spilled his tequila shot on the carpet, you may not notice it at first. The next day you feel that terrible tequila smell and don’t even know, where the stain is. In this case, you have to clean the whole carpet surface. Here are the ways you can do it to get the tequila smell out of it.
1. Hydrogen peroxide treatment
[amazon link=”B004LGESYI” title=”Hydrogen peroxide”/] is a cheap and easy way to get the tequila smell out of the carpet. You need to put hydrogen peroxide in a concentration of 3% in a spray bottle. Then splash it directly into the tequila stain, which smells, if you can see it. Otherwise, you can spray the hydrogen peroxide all over the carpet. After that, blot the carpet pile with a paper towel or a piece of white cloth.
CAUTION:
Never use hydrogen peroxide in a concentration of more than 6% as it may cause carpet discoloration!
2. Washing and drying the carpet in the fresh air
The other easy way to get away from the tequila smell on your carpet is simply to wash and then dry it. You may clean the carpet yourself, using any kind of carpet powder, some water, and a carpet rake. Otherwise, you may rent the carpet cleaning machine and let it do the washing job. Don’t forget to dry the carpet out carefully in the sunlight or with a fan. Thus you’ll avoid the mold appearance. Surely, washing the carpet is a great idea to refresh its smell.
3. Treatment with vinegar and warm water
To get rid of the tequila smell, you can treat the carpet surface with a mixture of 1 part of 9 % vinegar and 3 parts of warm water. You may use this solution on a small area. Or you can put this mixture over the entire carpet.
4. Cleaning with a steam cleaner
I advise my readers to clean the carpet with a steam cleaner every season. If your carpet has a tequila smell, you can clean it with a steamer exceptionally one more time.
5. Taking the carpet to a professional cleaning company
The carpet pile, especially the natural one, perfectly absorbs odors. If you’ve spilled some tequila on its surface and can’t get rid of its smell for a long time, I recommend professional cleaning. I know that it can cost a pretty penny for you, but it is better to invest in your carpet once to enjoy its great look and smell later.
6. Getting rid of the tequila smell with tea bags
If you have already tried all the methods above and still feel the tequila smell from your carpet, then refresh the air in the room with tea bags. Just take the bags of your favorite tea. Then cut them and take the tea leaves out. Mix it with a teaspoon of salt or soda and put it on the carpet pile (over the tequila stain or simply all over the surface). Leave it for a night and then clean the mixture with a vacuum or a carpet rake.
Final Thoughts
I know, that feeling the heavy smell of tequila from a carpet pile is not something you’ve dreamed about, when you were buying the big bottle of this drink in a store. But that’s not a problem if one of your guests or you spilled some drops of tequila on the carpet and let the odor spread over your space. Just use one of the solutions I’ve collected for you above to get the smell out of the carpet. And then enjoy your shot of tequila again!