A guest post sharing how you could make homemade carpet cleaner frugally, as always do check yourself before using on expensive carpets as I can’t be held responsible for any issues.
Carpets add such a cosy, warm vibe to any home. However, carpets require a lot of maintenance to keep them looking fresh and clean. You need to vacuum them regularly in order to make sure no debris makes a permanent home in the fibres. With all the activity a carpet sees, it doesn’t matter how clean and organized you are; your carpet is going to get dirty. This is true regardless of if you have a home that is fully carpeted, or some areas rugs sprinkled here and there.
In addition to vacuuming your carpets often, you also want to make sure you’re doing a deeper clean of your carpets occasionally to keep them looking and smelling fresh. Carpets are expensive to replace, so maintenance is key. Carpets can also absorb a lot of allergens and dust, and if these things are not cleaned up, they can cause the air in your home to become stuffy. If you are prone to allergies, this can also cause you some respiratory distress.
The Many Benefits of DIY Carpet Cleaning
Having to pay for someone to come into your home and clean your carpets can get expensive really fast. While it can be worth the price to have someone else do the work, it may not always be financially feasible for you to hire someone every time your carpet needs to be cleaned.
Not only can hiring carpet cleaners be expensive, but they also use their own products. While products made for cleaning carpets are getting better, many of them contain harsh and potentially toxic chemicals. If you have pets or kids rolling around on your carpets all the time, you may not want them exposed to these things.
Even just the use of the products themselves can produce fumes that linger in the air, which are terrible for your system if you breathe them in. It is possible to simply clean your carpets yourself. It is a physically demanding task, but the reward is grand.
There are carpet cleaning solutions that you can buy at any hardware store, but before you do so, remember that they don’t always contain the cleanest ingredients. They can also be quite pricey. That’s why there are many DIY carpet cleaner recipes that have been tested and can be just as effective as any store-bought solution without the high price tag and harmful ingredients.
Even if you have to go out and buy some of the ingredients to make your own carpet cleaner, they won’t be nearly as expensive as buying a branded carpet cleaner. What’s more, you can use many of the ingredients for so many other things.
Before trying any type of carpet cleaner, whether homemade or store-bought, you should always test it on a very small part of your carpet to ensure it doesn’t cause any damage. You also want to make sure that you thoroughly vacuum your carpet before using any type of carpet cleaner. If your carpet is not as clean as possible before using some type of cleaner or shampoo, you may just muddy all the dirt around.
It would also be wise to go over any particularly stubborn spots and stains with a spot treatment before doing a deep clean. This is a fairly simple process that, while adding some extra time to your carpet cleaning duties, is worth it. It may even just remove some of the stains, allowing the deep clean to do the rest of the work to get the stain completely out.
Whether you’re looking for a homemade carpet cleaner to do a complete deep clean of your carpets, or you just need some ideas for homemade spot treatment, below are some frugal homemade cleaner recipes that will allow you to clean carpets, interlocking foam mats, and of course, rugs. You can most likely create them with ingredients you already have at home.
Recipe #1
The first recipe requires 3 tbsp. Of Oxiclean, 2 tbsp. of Tide laundry detergent (in liquid form), ¼ cup of LA’s Totally Awesome all-purpose cleaner, 1 tbsp. of fabric softener (like Downy), and 1 gallon of hot water. You want to mix together all of the ingredients except for the water in a bowl. Then, you slowly add in the hot water and mix everything. You then want to pour it into your carpet cleaner machine or bottle it for later.
This cleaner gives your carpet a fresh and inviting scent when the cleaning process is complete and is even strong enough to handle smells from stains and animal accidents.
It is suggested that, if stored properly in a sealed container, and in a cool and dry place, this solution should last you about six months. With the ingredients themselves being things that you either have at home or can acquire for cheap and use in other ways, this is a fantastic option for a homemade carpet cleaner.
Recipe #2
This next recipe is also a very affordable solution made with ingredients you most likely have at home. It is touted as a spot cleaner, and because it’s made in a small spray bottle, it may not be ideal for a fully carpeted home. This one can be saved to tackle unwanted stains for spot treatments, and can even work on furniture.
As mentioned, you want a small spray bottle for this, as well as some warm water. The ingredients are 1 teaspoon of dishwashing liquid, 1 tablespoon of white vinegar, 1 teaspoon of baking soda, as well as a clean towel and sponge. You’ll start by adding the dish soap to the spray bottle, then the vinegar, and a bit of warm water. Next, you will add the baking soda, and then you’ll want to immediately put the lid on.
After you have thoroughly cleaned the area that needs the spot treatment with a vacuum, you’ll want to spray a good amount of your solution on the spot. Dab the spot with a towel, being sure not to rub the stain into the carpet. You can use the scrubbing brush if the stain is especially stubborn.
Recipe #3
Another recipe is good to keep in mind if you have access to a carpet cleaning machine. It requires 2 tablespoons of ammonia, 1 teaspoon of liquid dish soap, 2 cups of rubbing alcohol, and some drops of essential oil. The essential oil is optional, but it’s what is going to leave your carpet with a fresh scent at the end of the clean.
You’ll want to combine these ingredients in a large, sealable container. After mixing the listed ingredients, you want to add some warm water to the mix. Then, you can simply add it to your carpet cleaning machine and wash it away. As a bonus, this solution can also be used to clean your floors and your bathrooms.
Recipe #4
The following recipe is one that targets pet stains and odours. We all know how stubborn those can be to clean out of a carpet. It can also be used to get out other stubborn messes such as blood stains or mould. The recipe requires 2 cups of white vinegar, 2 cups of warm water, and 4 tablespoons of baking soda. Mix these all together in a spray bottle, and you are good to go.
Spray the solution on the area generously. Allow it to bathe in the solution for about five minutes, then gently blot it with a clean towel. You want to give the area ample time to dry for the spray to be as effective as possible.
Recipe #5
This next recipe can be used to deep clean your carpets. You can wash your carpet by hand if needed, or use the mixture in a carpet cleaning machine. You’ll start with 2 ounces of an all-purpose cleaner such as Lysol, 1 tablespoon of liquid laundry detergent, 1 teaspoon of fabric softener, 1 scoop of Oxiclean, and one gallon of hot water.
You will mix everything in a bucket, minus the water, until the Oxiclean has time to dissolve. You can then slowly add the water into the mixture. Then, you can simply add the cleaner into your carpet cleaning machine and scrub away. Having the fabric softener in the mix will leave your carpet smelling nice and fresh.
Recipe #6
This last recipe can be used to deodorize your carpets. While having a clean-looking carpet is nice, it doesn’t help much if it smells bad. This easy solution requires 8 ounces of corn starch, 8 ounces of baking soda, and 5 crushed bay leaves. After mixing the ingredients thoroughly, you want to sprinkle your concoction all over the carpet. Let the solution sit for a couple of hours to work its magic. Lastly, you want to vacuum the area very well to pick up any crusted over stains as well as the solution itself.
While having a professional come in and clean your home is a nice treat, it’s not always in your budget to have that happen. If this is the case, you don’t want to leave the big cleaning jobs alone until you can afford them. Having frugal DIY recipes on hand, such as these homemade carpet cleaners, will give you back the power to make your home as clean as possible without breaking the bank.
About the author of this article
Leslie is a Mats and Rugs home decor blogger. She has hands-on experience in assisting people in creating ageless, charming, attainable interiors with rugs and carpets of all types.
