Natural Homemade Carpet Freshener
By nature, I am not a clean freak. Don’t get me wrong. I like everything to be clean, neat, and tidy, but I am not one of those people who just loves to clean.
(On a side note, do those people really actually exist? If you take joy in scrubbing floors and toilets, then I think you and I could become quick friends, and I would love to have you over to my house!)
Although, I don’t find it particularly thrilling to clean my house, there are certain things that I like to do to make it more enjoyable.
This homemade carpet freshener is one of those things.
When I was newly married I would buy the powdered carpet freshener from the store because I loved how it made my house smell. For some reason, it also made vacuuming a lot more fun! I’m weird like that. Little things like powdered carpet cleaners that smell good can really make my day!
It was a sad, sad day when along my journey to more natural living, I realized that those carpet fresheners from the store were full of nasties! I reluctantly stopped buying them, and I missed that fresh, clean (not to mention toxic) smell that my house always had after a fresh vacuuming.
Well, no longer do I have to miss that fresh, clean smell because I have discovered a way to make an all-natural, much cheaper version of carpet freshener myself!
It only takes two ingredients to make. And instead of leaving your carpet and house full of chemicals, this carpet freshener is actually healthy for your home and can help to get rid of dust mites, odor, and bacteria in your carpet!
Natural Homemade Carpet Freshener
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup baking soda
- 20-40 drops essential oil of choice
The baking soda is a natural carpet cleaner, and will help to remove any odors from your carpet.
The essential oils will not only leave a wonderful scent, but will also help to cleanse your carpet as well.
Pick essential oils that smell nice and have powerful cleansing properties. My two favorites for this are lavender and tea tree oil. I love the smell of both of them, and they both have potent antibacterial qualities. Please note, however, that if you have pets, the ASPCA advises you to stay away from tea tree oil.
To Make:
Mix baking soda and essential oils together, and put in a shaker container with holes in the lid (such as a large, empty spice container).
Let this mixture sit for 24 hours to allow the essential oil to permeate the baking soda.
To Use:
Sprinkle lightly over carpet. Let it sit for 10-15 minutes, and then vacuum as usual.
Your carpet will be clean, smell good, and you don’t even have to use nasty chemicals. Hey, you might even find vacuuming to be fun when you use this homemade carpet freshener! (Okay, maybe fun is stretching a bit, but maybe at least enjoyable?!)
I tried this once but the baking powder clogged up my vacuum cleaner. Did you have that happen?
Nope never. It’s dust that clogs it up. Or its damp.
Mindy, this is so great! I love”d” that carpet stuff too. I found it to be an unnecessary expense so I ditched it too. This is genius! It will make me happy too 🙂 Another thing I have done is drop a few drops of EO on a cotton ball and vacuum that up first. Then as you vacuum it makes the air smell delicious. No, it doesn’t clean the carpet, but it is a lovely aroma that makes me happy 🙂 It is nice to do when vacuuming just before company comes over (not that I am ever last minute like that, *cough*).
Oh my gosh! This is GENIUS!!!!!!!!!! You’re a geinus! I love you! Oh wait…I don’t have carpet. Bummer. 🙁 In other news, the lids from Parmesan cheese containers (because yes, I still do buy that) fit on mason jars!
When I saw this post, I literally said “Ooh! ooh!” out loud :). Such a great idea! Thanks!
I love this idea and have seen it before, however, I have a Dyson vacuum and you can’t use this idea with a Dyson or it could ruin your vacuum. I even specifically called Dyson to check. I was so bummed! I’m wondering if this would be the case with any of the “bagless” vacuums, so you may want to check with your manufacturer before you try it.
Rats! I have a Dyson!
This is a great idea, especially when you have 2 dogs and a doggie door that is in constant use. Caution on which oils you use though. If you have animals that frequently lick the carpet, as my dogs do, you will want to be sure the oil is ok for the animal. I have recently heard that tea tree oil is toxic for dogs.
I enjoy some chores more than others, but I do like the instant gratification of getting something nice and clean. 😉 And this will be a good tool to have to do just that!
I love this!! Having a 15 month old toddler means piddles, food crumbs, milk dribbles, and who knows what else gets left in my carpet! Great way to freshen my carpet when vacuuming when I don’t have the money to get it cleaned professionally very often!
Laura, you can rent a steam cleaner for not a lot of money and do it yourself. I have done this numerous times until I got my own carpet cleaner.
Is this good to use in a very humid environment? I ask because I have heard that baking soda isn’t good to use on carpets in high humid areas. Like where we live. East Texas
Have you found this to cause any sort of clogging or mechanical issues with your vacuum? Does it leave a residue on the vacuum anywhere?
Thanks!
This is a great idea, especially if you have pets. The baking soda naturally deodorizes the carpets. I used just plain baking soda with no essential oil and it never clogged my machine. I would sprinkle baking soda on my carpets and upholstery before going to bed or before leaving the house to do errands/grocery shopping etc to let it set in a while and then vacuum it up- it doesn’t matter if the baking soda gets worked into the carpets because it all comes up when vacuumed.
Just in case people have cats, tea tree oil also called melaleuca can be deadly to cats. Even in small amounts. If you have cats I would avoid using tea tree oil in your carpet powder.
I just posted this about tea tree oil too and then I read below that someone was going to do it. I hope she didn’t or hasn’t been doing on a regular basis!
I did this today and it made vacuuming much more fun. I must have had way too much fun because the recipe barely covered my 10x15ft living room..hehe. Thanks for the idea!
What a great idea! I can’t wait to try it.
Vacuuming was one of the first chores I trained my kids to do! I too am not a fan of housekeeping. Don’t get me wrong I keep our home sanitary and clean enough that if you dropped by I would only be apologizing for my clutter piles but NOT my dirt, but I too have never woken up going “wow I am so excited I get to clean today”. Are there such people?
Can’t wait to try this! I have a lavender/ tea tree oil mix I will use. Thanks for the great idea!
No!! Tea Tree Oil is toxic to pets!!!!!
We don’t have much carpet in our house but we do have shag area rugs that need freshening up on a regular basis. With a cat in the house it can be hard to find safe cleaning products, this is a great option that I can’t wait to try! Thanks for this great post 🙂
Avoid tea tree oil (unlikely that it w/b anyone’s choice of scent anyway) but it is toxic to pets.
I use lavendar flowers grind them up add to bicarbonate of soda. Leave overnight is good then vacuum it up.
If u ave ants b o s is brilliant.
We have used tea tree oil with and around cats and dogs for years and years, with no ill side effects. Used safely, it has wonderful healing potential.