How do you get the smell of backed up toilet out of a carpet?

Question

A few weeks ago the pipes clogged due to tree roots, and when the washer tried to drain, it somehow pumped toilet sewage (imagine the worst) all over the downstairs bathroom floor, and it seeped into a carpeted room a little. So now the TV room smells sour. It's just a small part of the carpet by the door that was affected, I made sure the pad underneath is dry by pulling up the carpet a little and aiming a fan at it for a day or so, so nothing is damp anymore. It just smells musty. Any suggestions?

Answer 1

Buy a new carpet!

Answer 2

change the pad on that spot and shampoo the carpet

Answer 3

You might HAVE to buy new carpet as effluent (f***s from the sewer or whatever) is highly infectious. The smell is telling you something.

Try using a professional carpet cleaning product and carpet cleaning machine. Buy the good carpet cleaner and add some disinfectant like Mr Clean to it. Soak the carpet well so the disinfectant has a chance to permeate the rug. Use the aspirating or vacuum part of the carpet cleaner to suck up and draw out the liquid and hopefully the contaminant.

If this works then it will save the carpeting and pad.

Answer 4

Go to the pet department in Walmart and buy the spray used for pet stains and odors. It contains an enzyme that "eats" the stain.

Answer 5

i suggest you go in for a professional carpet cleaning.. but it is best to get a new carpet just to be sure there is no danger of infection...  after all health is greater than wealth..

Answer 6

The big problem is not cleaning the odor out of the carpet itself, but rather getting the odor out of the carpet padding underneath.  The padding would have become saturated and is not something that can be fixed with a surface cleaning.  So outside of replacing the carpet you can pull up that area of carpet and simply replace the padding under it.  And of course a good professional cleaning for the carpet itself.

Answer 7

Give it one good cleaning with a shampooer or by hiring a steam cleaner.  If that doesn't work then don't try again.  Just replace it rather than spending more money on it!