The War of the Pumpkins, Day Two
And lo, there was still much blood on the battlefield on the morning of the second day. The reek of old carcases was a miasma, the solidity of it nearly visible. It seems the stains of the gourds' demise had indeed penetrated the deep and inorganic pile of the durably unpleasant carpeting, and there they did lurk and waft their evil gases skyward.
Baking soda was suggested as an antiodorific balm, so liberally was it sprinkled. Errands were attended while its magic worked but the slain enemy was still powerful; easily was the soda overcome. The now-yellowed powder was vacuumed and removed and then clean water was liberally applied -- and scrubbed in deep -- in an attempt to rinse away the rot but alas, not all of it came up. Many towels were sacrified in our efforts to soak up the water; these immediately went into the laundry as they too now had the horrible taint.
Windows open to the breeze, we left for the day hoping that as the carpet dried, so would the vapours dissipate. Such was not to be the case.
A brief interlude then, as a plan was formulated: "carpet cleaner!" was the cry. To the supermarket we!
With several products doth we return, and I did apply the first powder without fully reading the documents. Its aroma was pleasanter by far than the vegetative hum, but the carpet was still damp! Clumping, clumping, clumping! The discoloured grains were nearly as stubborn as the original rotted squash flesh, but they eventually succumbed to the vacuum's fiercely rotating brush.
With the powder and clumps gone there was also a noticeable dulling of the stench's edge. Perhaps we were winning the war after all? With a slight dampness still detectable in the carpet we dared not risk the powder again, so instead the spray foam was applied. The miniature bubbles of its magic are presently prickling slowly at the edges of my hearing; come morning we shall vacuum again.
This story is not yet over.......
Baking soda was suggested as an antiodorific balm, so liberally was it sprinkled. Errands were attended while its magic worked but the slain enemy was still powerful; easily was the soda overcome. The now-yellowed powder was vacuumed and removed and then clean water was liberally applied -- and scrubbed in deep -- in an attempt to rinse away the rot but alas, not all of it came up. Many towels were sacrified in our efforts to soak up the water; these immediately went into the laundry as they too now had the horrible taint.
Windows open to the breeze, we left for the day hoping that as the carpet dried, so would the vapours dissipate. Such was not to be the case.
A brief interlude then, as a plan was formulated: "carpet cleaner!" was the cry. To the supermarket we!
With several products doth we return, and I did apply the first powder without fully reading the documents. Its aroma was pleasanter by far than the vegetative hum, but the carpet was still damp! Clumping, clumping, clumping! The discoloured grains were nearly as stubborn as the original rotted squash flesh, but they eventually succumbed to the vacuum's fiercely rotating brush.
With the powder and clumps gone there was also a noticeable dulling of the stench's edge. Perhaps we were winning the war after all? With a slight dampness still detectable in the carpet we dared not risk the powder again, so instead the spray foam was applied. The miniature bubbles of its magic are presently prickling slowly at the edges of my hearing; come morning we shall vacuum again.
This story is not yet over.......