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The Best Carpet Deodorizers

Andrey_Popov/Shutterstock.com
🕚 Updated February 2022

Despite our best efforts to prevent spills and avoid tracking in dirt from outside, carpet will absorb odor over time. Take action with one of these quality carpet deodorizers to keep your home fresh from ceiling to carpet.

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  Top Choice Best Budget-Friendly For Carpet and Upholstery Best Eco-Friendly Choice Trusted Brand
 
  Angry Orange
Carpet Odor Eliminator
Glade
Carpet Deodorizer for Home, Pets, and Smoke
Good Natured Brand
Saving Grace Carpet & Upholstery Deodorizer Powder
Bohdi Dog
Natural Carpet Odor Eliminator Powder
Arm & Hammer
Carpet Odor Eliminator
 
Our SummaryAn aggressive carpet odor eliminator that's pet- and human-friendly.This tropical-scented carpet deodorizer does its job well.This all-natural, three-ingredient carpet deodorizer powder works on various fabrics.This plant-based powder neutralizes nasty pet odors and is ultra-strong and eco-friendly.A familiar household odor absorber made to target smelly carpet.
ProsFresh orange scent, easy to use, pet-friendly, family- friendly, made in the U.S, powerful.Goes deep into carpet, simple formula, works on mildew and cigarette smoke, tropical scents, easy to use.Only three ingredients, easy to apply and vacuum up, effective on other upholstered surfaces, woman-owned company.Plant-based and biodegradable, main ingredient is corn cob fractions, gentle on carpet but tough on odors, loosens dirt, easy to apply and vacuum.Uses baking soda, has a pleasant island mist scent, sprinkle and wait just 15 minutes before vacuuming, trust-worthy brand.
ConsNozzle isn't the best.Scent is strong.Scent didn't last long.Overpowering scent.Might not be as effective as others.
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12 Models Evaluated

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The Best Carpet Deodorizers

A woman vacuums powder carpet deodorizer from a gray carpet in a home.
Andrey_Popov/Shutterstock.com

Buying Guide for Carpet Deodorizers

A woman sprays a cleaner on a carpet and dabs the carpet with a microfiber cloth.
Syda Productions/Shutterstock.com

Why buy carpet deodorizer?

You owe it to yourself, housemates, carpets, and your pets to keep your carpet and home smelling nice. Maintaining your carpet also increases its longevity. Carpet deodorizers don’t simply deodorize carpets; they remove built-up dirt, too. If you continuously walk across patches with embedded dirt particles, you can loosen and damage your carpet.

What should you look for in carpet deodorizer?

  • Fragrance: Scent is possibly the most important aspect to consider when purchasing carpet deodorizer. Choose one that works for your sense of smell, as well as those with whom you live.
  • Type: Carpet deodorizer comes in spray (liquid) form and powder form. Sprays work great for spot-cleaning where your pet urinated or left a hairball, and you don’t even have to scrub. For expansive removal of carpet odor, a powder will work great. Just sprinkle it lightly all over the carpet, wait a few minutes, then vacuum.
  • Ingredients: It’s a valid concern. You may have pets, kids, or sensitive skin to protect. Be sure to take a close look at product ingredients before purchasing. Some animals and people have allergic reactions to essential oils, which are found in a few products.

Are multi-surface deodorizers as effective on carpet odor as carpet-specific products?

Some carpet deodorizers can be used on other fabric surfaces like couches, chairs, and car interiors. Products that are multipurpose in this manner will often be equally effective as products marketed exclusively for carpet; fabric is fabric, after all.

Our Picks for the Best Carpet Deodorizers

Top Choice

Angry Orange Carpet Odor Eliminator

An aggressive carpet odor eliminator that's pet- and human-friendly.

Pros: The Angry Orange pet order carpet eliminator bears that name for a reason. It’s so powerful that a little goes a very long way. This liquid product targets the worst of the lingering smells with an ultra-orange magic potion. The secret ingredient is fresh orange peels, so while it’s abrasive in effect, it has a pleasant scent. Also, you can start tackling odor immediately upon receipt of your order. Just turn the nozzle to open the spray bottle and start squirting away stinky odors. Angry Orange is pet-friendly, human-friendly, and made in the U.S.

Cons: You may struggle with the spray bottle itself. Sometimes the nozzle malfunctions.

Bottom Line: If you’re serious about eliminating pet odor from your carpet and other surfaces like tiles, garbage cans, and car interiors, you’ve found the right product.

 

Best Budget-Friendly

Glade Carpet Deodorizer for Home, Pets, and Smoke

This tropical-scented carpet deodorizer does its job well.

Pros: Strangely enough, this carpet deodorizer is a rather luxurious option. Glade carpet deodorizer obliterates odors deep in the fabric of your carpet with a simple formula that contains benzyl benzoate, calcium carbonate, sodium aluminosilicate, and various fragrances. It’s effective on pet odors, mildew, dampness, and even tobacco. But take note that this isn’t just a carpet deodorizer; it’s a Hawaiian experience with fragrant fruit scents—a bit of the exotic to balance the task of cleaning your carpet. When you’re ready to clean, just sprinkle it around the carpet, then vacuum it up.

Cons: If you’re sensitive to strong scents, you may want to consider a different product.

Bottom Line: Lean back and feel that Hawaiian breeze on your face. Well, first apply the powder and vacuum. Just two steps, then you can bask in your deodorized, tropical fruit-scented, carpeted home.

 

For Carpet and Upholstery

Good Natured Saving Grace Carpet & Upholstery Deodorizer Powder

This all-natural, three-ingredient carpet deodorizer powder works on fabrics of various kinds.

Pros: This all-natural carpet deodorizer is made of three ingredients only: essential oils, sodium bicarbonate, and lemon peel oil. You must be wondering if something this simple could possibly be effective on stinky pet carpets, and it is! Sometimes simple is best. You just sprinkle it on the desired area and leave it for five minutes before vacuuming it. You can use it on carpeting or other upholstered areas like rugs, chairs, couches, beds—anything covered with fabric, really. This product is made by a woman-owned company in the U.S. and is not tested on animals.

Cons: Some found that the scent didn’t last long enough.

Bottom Line: Perhaps you’ve discovered that the simple approach can lead to the best results. That is precisely what makes Good Natured Saving Grace carpet deodorizer so great: three ingredients, two steps.

 

Best Eco-Friendly Choice

Bodhi Dog Natural Carpet Odor Eliminator Powder

This plant-based powder neutralizes nasty pet odors and is ultra-strong and eco-friendly.

Pros: You may find it hard to believe, but this ultra-strong carpet deodorizer is made with corn cobs. Not surprisingly, its earth-friendly, gentle, nonabrasive plant formula is 100% biodegradable. A few fundamental ingredients include salt with anti-caking additives, corn cob fractions, and cornstarch. Add some fragrances and voilà—you have an effective deodorizer that loosens up dirt, shedding, and dander, as well as cigarette smoke odor, sweat, and garlic. Just sprinkle, let it sit for about 10 minutes, and vacuum. It’s made in the U.S. using responsible practices.

Cons: You might find the scent of this carpet deodorizer overpowering.

Bottom Line: Need a real solution to seriously disgusting carpet stench? Bodhi Dog carpet odor eliminator might be just the thing you need. Plus, it’s plant-based.

 

Trusted Brand

Arm & Hammer Carpet Odor Eliminator

A familiar household odor absorber made to target smelly carpet.

Pros: It’s not startling news that the main ingredient in Arm & Hammer carpet deodorizer is baking soda. Baking soda works wonders! The formula also contains various hydrated silica (like in toothpaste) and fragrances. Sprinkle the island mist-scented powder on your carpet, wait 15 minutes, then vacuum it up. If any unwanted odor lingers after the initial cleaning, sprinkle more, wait 30 minutes, and vacuum again. It’s not harmful to carpets and can be used every time you vacuum. It comes in a nice island mist scent.

Cons: You may find the product less effective than you’d hoped.

Bottom Line: As those with basic household cleaning experience know, baking soda works wonders on stubborn odors. Give this Arm & Hammer carpet odor eliminator a try to see for yourself.

Final Thoughts

If your carpet stinks, don’t just throw it out. Give one of these carpets deodorizers a try. Regular use will keep your home smelling fresh, even with all the foot traffic your carpets get.

Britta Kallevang Britta Kallevang
Britta is a professional writing tutor and freelance writer that is trained in journalistic, technical, and creative copywriting. At LifeSavvy, she researches products, writes about the items, and shares what she's uncovered with readers. Her writing is comprehensive and sometimes a bit silly. Read Full Bio »
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