Is it possible to make a homemade natural carpet fresh that is totally natural? You bet!! And it could not be any easier!
I have a confession to make. I love smelly things.
Like a crack addict, I could sniff fabric softener sheets behind closed doors. Smelly candles? Sign me up! I can’t stand body perfumes and scented lotions however, so go figure?!
Here’s the problem….all those lovely smells come with a hefty price tag: artificial fragrances are NOT good for our body’s chemistry.
Problems with artificial fragrances, shall I list some biggies?!
- Artificial fragrances are loaded with chemicals and most are petroleum based. These can wreak havoc on sensitive body systems!
- Lots of artificial fragrances contain a carcinogen “Phthalates,” a chemical known to disrupt the endocrine system. It is even banned in EU, but of course still allowed here in the US….grrrr.
- All these chemicals are an extreme skin irritant and put stress on already over-taxed bodies! They can make our allergies THAT much worse! In this house, that is no bueno.
Here is a great article that is succinct and helpful, ‘The Dangers of Artificial Fragrance.’
What to do when your carpet stinks: the natural solution!! Kids, pets, oh my!!
All this besides…raising a family can provide for a lot of….well…. stink!
I prefer my space smell fresh and inviting! But dirty diapers, a hundred pound dog, and any other myriad of stinky things in our house work to combat that ideal.
When I turn the vacuum on with a bag partially full, I start to smell dog! (BTW, everyone has always told us that we have no dog smell in our house…but the vacuum is a unique beast! It is possible our friends and family just don’t want to hurt our feelings too..(:
So how do you help deodorize your house without compromising your health?
I have been using baking soda for so many uses around the house for so long, I am not sure why it took me so long to brainstorm this use.
But one day, when the smell of dog was wafting to my nostrils from our vacuum yet again, I had to act! Baking soda is a natural deodorizer, so I knew it could do well inside the vacuum bag. But I also wanted a fresh room smell – enter essential oils!
Essential oils for deodorizing:
I use high quality therapeutic grade essential oils in my home. Since these bad boy are SO concentrated, it is important to have very clean, therapeutic grade oils that will cause no harm. Some of my favorites:
- Douglas Fir
- Peppermint
- OnGuard (avoid with pets)
- Aborvitae
- Lemon
- Wild Orange
- Lemongrass
- Lavender
DIY natural carpet fresh uses:
- Sprinkle on you CARPET, let stand, and vacuum as you normally would.
- Deodorize your VACUUM by simply sucking some of the mixture up and into the bag. Every time you turn it on, you will get a lovely whiff!
- Stinky GARBAGE PAIL? Sprinkle some in for some instant freshness, and leave it there to absorb more odors!
- Although I do not use it for this, this would make a great ABRASIVE CLEANER for bathtubs and sinks too!
How about you? How do you like to freshen up your house?
This is not so much a recipe or formula, as just an idea. Here is what you need:
Homemade Carpet Fresh Recipe:
If you try this magical deodorizer, be sure to come back and let me know what you think in a comment below!
Homemade, Eco Carpet Fresh/Deodorizer
Ingredients
- Baking soda: I buy a large bag at my local Costco for under $5.
- Essential oils of your preference orange, lemon, peppermint, and lavender are my favorites. But I bet pine, eucalyptus, and cinnamon would all be great too.
- Smelly herbs: It's not necessary but I grow my own lavender and rosemary, and have also used cinnamon powder as I have them available.
Instructions
- I pour a bit of soda into a quart size mason jar, then use a few drops of preferred essential oil, followed by more soda, then repeat. How much essential oil you use is totally dependent upon your own nose: mine likes it pretty strong! 20 drops total should be plenty!
- I give it a thorough shake and store in a closed mason jar within my cleaning caddy, ready to go!
most of the oils you suggest are toxic to cats if ingested. they walk on the carpet with the oils in it, they lick their paws and their lives cannot handle the oils
thanks for the tips, essential oils for pets must be used safely, and cats are dogs are bit different. Lavender, geranium, and lemongrass are considered safe to use with cats, but diffusing is the only recommendation.
Hi Tessa, love this because it’s Eco Friendly. If you have any more tips or ideas be sure to share them with us.
How long would you recommend leaving it on the carpet to get rid of smoke smells?
that would take some experimenting Dawn, never used it for that, so I am not sure. Cigarette or wildfire?
I’ve read on several websites now that essential oils are harmful to cats. Please don’t use essential oils on your carpets or anywhere else if you own cats. Look it up.
Could you use this on a fabric couch, too? Do you think you could add a squirt of Dr. Bronner’s soap with the essential oils?
possibly, but I have never tried it!!
Baking soda does have many great uses, just be careful when using it on your floors. Baking soda absorbs moisture and can form a kind of “plaque” in the tubes of your vacuum and start to gather all sorts of yuck. I service vacuums and could show you examples that would make you queezy. Sorry! :\ Never vacuum damp carpet or store your vac in an area that is humid.
Really appreciate your DIY deodorizer recipe. I really don’t like store-bought fresheners because of the strong fragrance more like fake smell into it. Can’t wait to try this. Just a thought, some maybe planning on using tea tree oil and I read that its toxic for animals especially dogs.
This is such a great idea!!! Thanks for linking up at Natural Thursdays 🙂
SUPER smart! I love this idea!
I love using baking soda to beat odors. Thanks for sharing a great recipe for helping keeping a house clean and green on Tuesday Greens!
FOund this by searching for homemade baking soda carpet deodorizer. Thanks! I used a clean Parmesan shaker!
great idea on the parmesan shaker!
I love this recipe! I used to be a carpet deoderizer addict but I gave it up because of the chemicals.
I’ve used this method for some time, bicarbonate of soda is just amazing! But I never thought of cinnamon! I LOVE this idea! Thank you!
My pleasure Vicky…i just ordered some cinnamon leaf essential oil for the fall…
Thank you for your submission on Nourishing Treasures’ Make Your Own! Monday link-up.
Check back today when the new link-up is running to see if you were one of the top 3 featured posts! 🙂
I love it when things smell nice, but I too am concerned about artificial fragrances. I had heard of using baking soda before you vacuum, but I love your idea of adding essential oils or herbs – what a great way to clean!
Great idea! I’ve been using baking soda mixed with a bit of ground cinnamon and sprinkled on the carpet before vacuuming, but hadn’t thought of using essential oils! Love it. I use baking soda for just about everything 🙂
Years ago I use to use this stuff on my carpets because I had a stinking cat. If we ever get carpets again I’ll keep this in mind. This is WAYYYY better.
Thanks France!
Awesome recipe, Tessa. Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Gonna have to try that deodorizer! I love things that smell good but now it always makes me think of all the chemicals. This is great!
And I just nominated you for the Sunshine Award:
http://www.coconutmama.com/2012/08/31/the-sunshine-award/
Oh man, I love this! Ironically this is my cleaning day. I think I am going to use it this afternoon! I stopped using carpet deoderizers long ago and have to admit I miss the fresh smell! BS makes so much sense as I have seen it used for all kinds of cleaning and freshening!
I caught this post on the Hearth & Soul Hop… I do use baking soda as an abrasive for my old sinks. Mix with some Dr. Bronner’s (or other) castille soap and it makes a FABOO cleaning agent!
I am just going to come out and say it…I love you! Thank you SO much for this recipe…so easy and yet I have no doubt that it will be lovely. My husband and I chose the scent Spikenard for our home and this will help to increase it without candles while also helping to eliminate adolescent boy and pet smells. 🙂
LOL Joyness…I have heard boys can be especially stinky…too funny! I have never smelled Spikenard, you have my curiosity peaked!
Tessa, I love it! YES, I am a smelling addict, thanks to YL essential oils! I can not tolerate fragrant/cosmetic smells, my nose what is pure and what is toxic. I bet your house smells wonderful! I could hang out with you for a while and we would get along just fine 🙂 Thank you for linking up with us at Healthy 2Day Wednesdays!
I do like a good fragrance. If my clothes don’t smell good, I think they are not clean.
I put a little ammonia in the wash when washing my husbands work clothes to get smell out.