HELP - Cleaning up baking soda

[Harry Everhart]

My wife spilled milk in the carpeted trunk of our car. It started to
stink - so she took a bunch of baking soda and poured it all over. Then
she wet it. Now the odor is gone but their is a bunch of baking soda
caked into the carpets and I tried everything to get it out - with no
luck. It looks horrible - but the trunk does not smell now :-)

I may pour vinegar on it - remembering how vinegar and baking soda react
from science class a long time ago.

Anyone have a solution to the problem?

[Vox Humana]

"Harry Everhart" <harry@everhart.com> wrote in message
news:harry-7ACF58.07174302032005@comcast.dca.giganews.com...
> My wife spilled milk in the carpeted trunk of our car. It started to
> stink - so she took a bunch of baking soda and poured it all over. Then
> she wet it. Now the odor is gone but their is a bunch of baking soda
> caked into the carpets and I tried everything to get it out - with no
> luck. It looks horrible - but the trunk does not smell now :-)
>
> I may pour vinegar on it - remembering how vinegar and baking soda react
> from science class a long time ago.
>
> Anyone have a solution to the problem?

I would let it dry completely and then brush vigorously to release as much
power as possible and then vacuum away the dust. After than, I would rent a
carpet extraction machine like the Rug Doctor (make sure to get the
upholstery tools) and use that to extract the rest of the baking soda.

[Phisherman]

On Wed, 02 Mar 2005 07:17:43 -0500, Harry Everhart
<harry@everhart.com> wrote:

>My wife spilled milk in the carpeted trunk of our car. It started to
>stink - so she took a bunch of baking soda and poured it all over. Then
>she wet it. Now the odor is gone but their is a bunch of baking soda
>caked into the carpets and I tried everything to get it out - with no
>luck. It looks horrible - but the trunk does not smell now :-)
>
>I may pour vinegar on it - remembering how vinegar and baking soda react
>from science class a long time ago.
>
>Anyone have a solution to the problem?


Rent a rug shampoo machine with hose upholstery attachment. Rinse
with cool clear water. Repeat the rinsing until the return water is
clean. Extract as much of the water as possible with the machine,
dab with old cotton towels, run a fan in the trunk or dry in the sun.
Do not use vinegar (this will produce a salt that could create a
rusting problem in your car trunk.)

[Vox Humana]

"Phisherman" <nobody@noone.com> wrote in message
news:tm8c21h1keqi4h0stvbdc3ooa7nd634nf7@4ax.com...
> On Wed, 02 Mar 2005 07:17:43 -0500, Harry Everhart
> <harry@everhart.com> wrote:
>
> >My wife spilled milk in the carpeted trunk of our car. It started to
> >stink - so she took a bunch of baking soda and poured it all over. Then
> >she wet it. Now the odor is gone but their is a bunch of baking soda
> >caked into the carpets and I tried everything to get it out - with no
> >luck. It looks horrible - but the trunk does not smell now :-)
> >
> >I may pour vinegar on it - remembering how vinegar and baking soda react
> >from science class a long time ago.
> >
> >Anyone have a solution to the problem?
>
>
> Rent a rug shampoo machine with hose upholstery attachment. Rinse
> with cool clear water. Repeat the rinsing until the return water is
> clean. Extract as much of the water as possible with the machine,
> dab with old cotton towels, run a fan in the trunk or dry in the sun.
> Do not use vinegar (this will produce a salt that could create a
> rusting problem in your car trunk.)

I would also check to see if the rug is removable. I had a jug of liquid
laundry detergent spill in my trunk and I didn't discover it for a few days.
I was able to unsnap the carpeting and remove it. That made it easy to
rinse in the driveway until the suds disappeared.

[Phisherman]

On Thu, 03 Mar 2005 00:22:47 GMT, "Vox Humana" <vhumana@hotmail.com>
wrote:

>
>"Phisherman" <nobody@noone.com> wrote in message
>news:tm8c21h1keqi4h0stvbdc3ooa7nd634nf7@4ax.com...
>> On Wed, 02 Mar 2005 07:17:43 -0500, Harry Everhart
>> <harry@everhart.com> wrote:
>>
>> >My wife spilled milk in the carpeted trunk of our car. It started to
>> >stink - so she took a bunch of baking soda and poured it all over. Then
>> >she wet it. Now the odor is gone but their is a bunch of baking soda
>> >caked into the carpets and I tried everything to get it out - with no
>> >luck. It looks horrible - but the trunk does not smell now :-)
>> >
>> >I may pour vinegar on it - remembering how vinegar and baking soda react
>> >from science class a long time ago.
>> >
>> >Anyone have a solution to the problem?
>>
>>
>> Rent a rug shampoo machine with hose upholstery attachment. Rinse
>> with cool clear water. Repeat the rinsing until the return water is
>> clean. Extract as much of the water as possible with the machine,
>> dab with old cotton towels, run a fan in the trunk or dry in the sun.
>> Do not use vinegar (this will produce a salt that could create a
>> rusting problem in your car trunk.)
>
>I would also check to see if the rug is removable. I had a jug of liquid
>laundry detergent spill in my trunk and I didn't discover it for a few days.
>I was able to unsnap the carpeting and remove it. That made it easy to
>rinse in the driveway until the suds disappeared.

Good idea Vox. My 1983 Honda hatchback 1300 was shipped to California
containing a bag that leaked butter into the back seat. Stink, Stank,
and Stunk! The back-of-seat cover fell apart. I completely removed
the seat, shampooed it, hosed it off, dried it in the sun and
replaced the back seat cover with one I made (Phish hates to sew !)