Child’s Rug Develops Weird Funky Smell

A couple years back, I laid some wall-to-wall carpet in Kina’s room, covering the ugly linoleum that serves as flooring throughout our house. It has, since then, been my favorite floor to lie on, and we periodically go in there just to experience the joy of being on a carpet and talking. It is the homiest room in our home.

It is also, as of this week, the smelliest room in our home. Kina, as I last noted in February, is no longer enrobed in the floral scent of new humanity. She trods about the house, barefoot and pungent, marking her territory. Laurea and I, who are both sensitive about the smells that surround us, combat this to the best of our abilities1, but the battle is futile. Yesterday, after hosting a playdate with another little friend, her bedroom smelled—and I’m sorry to have to tell you this—like pickles.

I unleashed a full box of baking soda at the problem and vacuumed the place up while Kina was getting ready for bed, so I’m now satisfied that the room smells like room, and that the carpet is suitable once again to recline on. Tonight, Kina was wearing her rainbow unicorn slipper boots, which means the rug will live to fight another day. In the meantime, you should all invest in baking soda futures and invest in a home with hardwood floors.

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