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Pets and toddlers who are being potty-trained can make a mess on
carpets—and everywhere else—so Anne Cordick and Jeffrey Fredenburgh
of Ontario suggest that a dose of bacteria will combat the odour (WO 00/03752).
Food and other organic matter can encourage the growth of fungi that release
horrible smells. A dry mix of bacterial spores is applied to a new carpet. The
bugs remain dormant while the carpet is clean, but damp organic material wakes
them up, making them release enzymes that digest the organic material and stop
it smelling. When the bugs’ food source dries up, they go back to sleep.