Homemade Carpet Cleaner Recipes

Making homemade carpet cleaners the non-toxic way!

While its true that commercial carpet cleaning solutions are generally bad for you, it's also true that they're very effective at getting out ground-in dirt and grime.

Homemade carpet cleaners are more gentle, so you need to keep on top of spills, stains and general carpet cleaning. Here's a few simple carpet cleaner recipes to get you started...

Natural Carpet Freshener

• 10 drops lavender essential oil, 5 drops clove, 5 drops cinnamon
• 10 drops orange or lemon, 5 drops lemongrass, 5 drops tea tree

How it works: The baking soda deodorizes and lifts out stains, and the essential oils disinfect - killing germs, bacteria and any other nasties living in there. The essential oils disinfect and add a nice, fresh aroma.

Foamy Homemade Carpet Cleaner Recipe

Use a damp sponge to rub the foam cleaner into soiled areas, then remove with a damp cloth. Repeat as necessary. Let the carpet dry, then vacuum.

All Purpose Homemade Carpet Stain Remover

Spray the homemade carpet cleaner onto the stain. Blot with a clean, damp cloth. Repeat if necessary. Note: only use a little spray at a time - don't saturate the carpet.

How to Use Homemade Carpet Stain Removers

1. Act right away to clean up spills. Stains are WAY easier to remove when they're fresh.


2. First, soak up the liquid with paper towels or soft, clean cloths.


3. Use one of the stain removers below. For liquid stains, blot - don't rub - the problem area. For semi-solid spills such as chocolate or grease, gently rub in the stain remover.


4. Make sure you get the stain out completely. Don't skimp here! Once they dry, stains can be very hard to remove.


5. Dry the cleaned-up spot by covering it with a dry towel and pressing down with a heavy object. Replace the towel as soon as it's saturated.

Homemade Carpet Stain Removal Tips

• Alcohol, Coffee & Tea Stains: Blot the carpet with a damp sponge soaked in club soda. If it doesn't completely get rid of the stain, follow with All Purpose Stain Remover (recipe below.)


• Chocolate Stains: Gently rub a mixture of equal parts vegetable glycerin and warm water into the chocolate stain. Rinse with warm water. Repeat as necessary.


• Grease Stains: Gently rub baking soda into the grease stain. Leave overnight, then vacuum. Follow with All Purpose Stain Remover.


• Mud: Let dry completely, then vacuum the carpet. Follow with All Purpose Stain Remover.


• Chewing gum: Rub the gum with an ice cube until it hardens, then scrape it out of the carpet with a dull knife.


• Wax: Use a dull knife to scrape off as much wax as possible. Put a brown paper bag over the remaining wax, then press with a warm (not hot) iron. The wax will stick to the paper. Keep doing this until all the wax is gone.

What Next?