Allergic Reaction to Carpet Powder
May 27, 2023 10:26 AM Subscribe
About two hours ago I decided to use this carpet refresher powder in an attempt to vanquish the smell of my cat's barf. I applied it rather liberally across a section of my carpet but it made everything smell like an acrid combo of lemon and spearmint so I immediately vacuumed it back up. Now I've got a cough and watery eyes. What do I do?
My first instinct was to open all the windows but it's rather cold and windy out and that's somehow making everything worse. Should I just take a Benadryl and keep trying to vacuum the powder up? The fragrance is gone thankfully which is a miracle.
My first instinct was to open all the windows but it's rather cold and windy out and that's somehow making everything worse. Should I just take a Benadryl and keep trying to vacuum the powder up? The fragrance is gone thankfully which is a miracle.
Agree with everything above and would just add to either empty the vacuum or change the bag.
posted by corey flood at 11:35 AM on May 27, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by corey flood at 11:35 AM on May 27, 2023 [1 favorite]
Once you've dealt with the immediate fragrance and dust attack, you're still going to need to get the barf stink out of your carpet. Enzyme soaks designed to destroy urine deposits work well for barf remnants too, and several brands make unscented or only lightly tracer scented versions.
These liquid products do a much better job of dealing with bodily fluids than powders do, because instead of trying to wick the stinky stuff out of the carpet, they soak in along the same capillary pathways that the original fluids followed to get where they were going, and beat them up in place.
You want to apply them fairly generously and leave them for at least an hour before blotting the excess up again as best you can. Anything you don't manage to blot up will continue to work where it is until it dries out, usually without leaving marks.
posted by flabdablet at 11:36 AM on May 27, 2023 [1 favorite]
These liquid products do a much better job of dealing with bodily fluids than powders do, because instead of trying to wick the stinky stuff out of the carpet, they soak in along the same capillary pathways that the original fluids followed to get where they were going, and beat them up in place.
You want to apply them fairly generously and leave them for at least an hour before blotting the excess up again as best you can. Anything you don't manage to blot up will continue to work where it is until it dries out, usually without leaving marks.
posted by flabdablet at 11:36 AM on May 27, 2023 [1 favorite]
Take a Benadryl, yes. Push your hair away from your face with a band, or put it up if it's long. Then wash your face, hands, and forearms. Flush your eyes a few times.
Put on a mask, gloves, and eye protection if you have it. Take another pass at the area with the vacuum, and use the attachment on nearby upholstered surfaces. Empty the vacuum canister into the trash. If you're wearing shoes, remove them and tap the soles over the trash. Seal the trash bag.
Wipe down hard surfaces near the treated area with a damp cloth, and wipe the vacuum cleaner itself. Strip for a shower, putting your clothes in a plastic bag and closing it. Remove your protective gear before getting in the shower. Remove any hair accessories while in the shower. Scrub your scalp.
posted by Iris Gambol at 11:57 AM on May 27, 2023 [1 favorite]
Put on a mask, gloves, and eye protection if you have it. Take another pass at the area with the vacuum, and use the attachment on nearby upholstered surfaces. Empty the vacuum canister into the trash. If you're wearing shoes, remove them and tap the soles over the trash. Seal the trash bag.
Wipe down hard surfaces near the treated area with a damp cloth, and wipe the vacuum cleaner itself. Strip for a shower, putting your clothes in a plastic bag and closing it. Remove your protective gear before getting in the shower. Remove any hair accessories while in the shower. Scrub your scalp.
posted by Iris Gambol at 11:57 AM on May 27, 2023 [1 favorite]
The vacuum cleaner air flow is probably pushing more of the stuff into the air. I'd stop that immediately and/or put on an N95 mask if you have one.
If you need to take a break now now now, cover the target area with a rug or something, then leave. Remove your clothes; shower, wash your hair. Yes, use something to rinse out your eyes and something else to rinse out your sinuses. Once the worst of your sneezing is over and your eyes feel better, you can go back in and deal with the environment.
To remove the remaining powder, I'd probably try using a very slightly damp cloth to lift the remaining powder off the surface. If you can, it might be a good idea to do the surrounding area.
Then put a rug on top of the area or otherwise cover it with something resting on the surface.
You might need to dust the surrounding furniture and/or walls. Generally making sure the humidity in the room is higher than normal can help, so wiping the walls with a quite damp cloth will help in two ways.
If you have a HEPA filter, use that. If you've been thinking about getting one, it will help enormously in this situation.
posted by amtho at 1:42 PM on May 27, 2023
If you need to take a break now now now, cover the target area with a rug or something, then leave. Remove your clothes; shower, wash your hair. Yes, use something to rinse out your eyes and something else to rinse out your sinuses. Once the worst of your sneezing is over and your eyes feel better, you can go back in and deal with the environment.
To remove the remaining powder, I'd probably try using a very slightly damp cloth to lift the remaining powder off the surface. If you can, it might be a good idea to do the surrounding area.
Then put a rug on top of the area or otherwise cover it with something resting on the surface.
You might need to dust the surrounding furniture and/or walls. Generally making sure the humidity in the room is higher than normal can help, so wiping the walls with a quite damp cloth will help in two ways.
If you have a HEPA filter, use that. If you've been thinking about getting one, it will help enormously in this situation.
posted by amtho at 1:42 PM on May 27, 2023
I might open a window. Or go outside for awhile. Depending on where you live and the local weather.
posted by Lesser Shrew at 2:22 PM on May 27, 2023
posted by Lesser Shrew at 2:22 PM on May 27, 2023
Response by poster: Thanks y'all. It took about 24 hours, 4 Benadryl, and 3 air filters running at full power for the itching to subside. What an ordeal! Had to spend a good amount of time hustling my cat away from the area, too, because she LOVED the smell. 🙄
posted by The Adventure Begins at 11:57 AM on June 8, 2023
posted by The Adventure Begins at 11:57 AM on June 8, 2023
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posted by supermedusa at 10:31 AM on May 27, 2023 [3 favorites]