Pets can be a lot of fun to have, but they can also leave behind odors. These odors are especially likely to accumulate in the carpet. If your carpet has become quite smelly, hiring a professional to clean and deodorize it is always an option—and a good one at that. However, some homeowners do also find success with a DIY approach. Here are some DIY options worth trying when your carpet smells like your pet.

Baking Soda

Baking soda is really good at absorbing odors. People use it for this purpose in so many ways, such as putting an open box of it in the fridge or adding some to their washing machine. Baking soda can also absorb odors from a carpet. The easiest way to use it is to sprinkle it generously over the carpet. Let it sit there for a few hours. If you can manage to leave it in place for a day or two, that's even better. It will absorb a lot of the odorous oils and particles from the carpet. Once time has passed, vacuum up the baking soda. You'll want to go over it a few times to make sure you suck it all up. 

Vinegar Spritz

Sometimes vinegar is a good option for removing odors. It helps cancel them out and neutralize them. An easy way to use it on your carpets is to first mix it one-to-one with water. Use white vinegar, since apple cider vinegar and other vinegars may discolor your carpet. Put the mixture in a spray bottle, and then spritz the parts of your carpet that you believe to be the smelliest. At first, the room will just smell like vinegar, but as the vinegar odor fades, you should notice the scent is fresher.

Tea Bags

Tea is also known to absorb odors while imparting its own, gentle scent. You can purchase some loose-leaf tea and sprinkle it over the carpet. Leave it in place for a day or two, and then vacuum it up. Some people let their used tea bags dry and then use them in this way. This is a good way to recycle "used" tea, but the effects may not be as strong as with brand-new tea.

Give the solutions above a try, and see how your carpet fares. If it's still a bit smelly, call a carpet cleaning company and request carpet pet odor removal services.