How Can I Make My Rug Smell Nice? 6 Long-Lasting Tricks to Banish Odors — And Welcome Tantalizing Scents

One of our favorite home accessories that seems to be the hottest interior trend of the year is rugs. With all of the stunning patterns that adorn these floor coverings, they're probably one of the easiest ways to dress up a living space. Plus, they're available in a myriad of colors and shapes, thereby catering to a variety of aesthetics.

Now, bringing home these regal floor coverings is definitely a retail decision we stand behind. But they do require a touch of care to retain their quality. And that doesn't just involve learning how to clean a rug but also prompts the need to understand how to scent a rug.

After all, you don't want your favorite rug to look fabulous but smell awful. It's only natural that these fabrics will attain a scent of their own with time, but the good news is that it's totally reversible. In fact, with the help of these nifty hacks, you can make your rugs smell like clean linen or warm vanilla.

1. Vaccum Often And Thoroughly

The fact of the matter is that you could bring your dream floor coverings home but even the best rugs need regular cleaning to maintain their form.

In conversation with Alexander Matson, owner of Shine Pros, he tells us that rugs tend to harbor important materials such as allergens and odors. "This is due to deeply ingrained dust particles," he explains. "But with the help of important practices such as deep vacuuming, these can be removed with ease."

He also warns against forgetting to vacuum the rug edges and furniture bases as dust can pile up there as well.

2. Generously Sprinkle Baking Soda

Learning how to clean a rug with baking soda is probably the best hack to adopt when it comes to making sure your floor coverings are clean-looking. But this household staple has the ability to make your rugs smell clean, too.

Jarred Fajerski, cleaning expert at Stratus Clean, recommends sprinkling generous amounts of baking soda and letting it sit for at least 15 minutes before vacuuming it up.

Alexander also swears by this method of rug scenting. "You can even leave the baking soda in overnight, depending on how strong the scents are," he notes. We find that this Arm & Hammer Extra Strength Carpet Deodorizer & Freshener from Walmart is the perfect buy for rug scenting.

3. Spray with Diluted Vinegar

It's an open secret that DIY cleaning liquids work wonders for rug scenting and cleaning. To adopt this scenting trick, you'll need white vinegar and if your cleaning arsenal is missing this, we recommend adding this Happy Belly White Distilled Vinegar from Amazon to your cart.

Alexander's recipe includes pouring equal parts of water and white vinegar into a spray bottle to create an odor-removing mix.

"The vinegar scent does not stay for long but it does make your rug smell clean," he notes. "While containing the core functionality of destroying bad odor."

4. Harness Essential Oils

In order to make your home smell good, it's important to step outside of regular solutions like lighting candles and spraying room sprays. It's important to focus on making sure the fragrance weaved into your fabrics is lush as well.

"You can even add a drop of your favorite essential oil to the baking soda for a pleasant and lasting fragrance," says Jarred. Not only does this trick remove any musty odors that may be emanating from your rug, but he also tells us that it's a great way to introduce a convivial scent of your choice.

With top notes of clean cotton accord and apple blossom, this Sundried Linen Scented Oil from H&M is a fabulous choice if you enjoy fresh scents that don't overwhelm.

5. Steam Clean for a Refresh

"Steam cleaning your rug will allow it to shine bright while maintaining a fresh unworn smell that's long-lasting," says Alexander. "This treatment tightly packs and warms the fibers, further removing dirt and bad odors."

So when choosing a rug for your living room and other high-traffic zones in your home, we recommend picking a fabric that's easy to steam clean. By adopting this cleaning technique, you won't have to retire your floor coverings as often as you would if they're steam incompatible.

This Dupray Neat Steam Cleaner from Walmart is a brilliant investment for homes that are rug-clad. Aside from using it on your rugs, you can also use it for other household chores like cleaning couch cushions and sofa covers.

6. Air Out Your Rugs

According to Jarred, air circulation is vital to freeing your rugs from bad smells. "Not only does airing your rugs out reduce the chances of mold," he says. It also prevents unpleasant smells from festering in your home."

We understand that large floor coverings like area rugs are tough to air out, especially if you're working with limited outdoor space. However, it's imperative that your rugs get their time in the sun.

So whether you manage to hang your rugs outside or even open your windows to ventilate these fabrics, it's a practice that's well adopted.

From sprinkling some baking soda to spraying your rug with watered-down vinegar, these hacks are fairly easy to implement into your rug cleaning routine. They're not the most glamorous but they make a world of difference to the ambiance of your space.

The last thing you want is for your stunning rug collection to be bought down by lingering odors that are less than pleasant. So why not incorporate a couple of these expert-approved tricks into your rug care regimen and save your space from succumbing to the natural build-up of dusty smells?