Making your own homemade all natural carpet cleaner has never been so easy! With our easy to make, inexpensive all-natural solution you won’t buy the commercial stuff anymore. It’s safe, effective, and uses ingredients you likely already have at home!
I bet you also hate spending $20+ dollars on that bottle of rug doctor concentrate carpet cleaner stuff, but really do want to have nice smelling carpets, just like me. Am I right?
Well… I actually have TWO homemade carpet cleaning recipes on this blog: This all natural carpet cleaner solution recipe in this post. And my all-time favorite (although not-all-natural) homemade carpet cleaner recipe here. Both work great but in all honesty, I do prefer my other one more just because it’s so powerful at getting the stains out.
What I love about this recipe is I always have the ingredients on hand. So when I’m too tired to run to the store when I’m out of ingredients for my other recipe I turn to this recipe! It’s an eco-friendly and cost-effective alternative to store-bought products, perfect for those who want to keep their home clean and green.
Ingredients
- Vinegar: A versatile and natural cleaning agent, vinegar effectively cuts through dirt and odors, leaving surfaces sanitized due to its acidic properties.
- Hot Water: Helps to dissolve grime and enhance the cleaning power of other ingredients, making it easier to lift stains from the carpet.
- Essential Oils: Optional but beneficial for adding a pleasant aroma and can possess antibacterial properties, enhancing the cleaning solution’s effectiveness.
Essential Oils Recommendation
Adding essential oils to your carpet cleaner not only leaves your home smelling fresh but also leverages the therapeutic benefits these oils can offer.
- Lavender – Known for its calming aroma, lavender also has antibacterial properties.
- Lemon – Fresh and uplifting, lemon oil is great for cutting through grease and giving your carpet a clean scent.
- Peppermint – Leaves a refreshing scent and has antiseptic properties, making it effective against dust mites.
- Eucalyptus – Known for its ability to relieve respiratory issues, it also has strong cleaning capabilities.
- Rosemary – Has a woodsy aroma and is good for improving air quality by repelling many common allergens.
- Cinnamon – A warm, comforting scent that also has antibacterial and antifungal properties.
- Orange – Sweet and refreshing, orange oil is excellent for eliminating stubborn stains and odors.
- Thyme – Strong antibacterial properties make it effective against bacteria in carpets.
- Clove – Known for its antimicrobial and antifungal qualities, perfect for a deep clean.
How to Use
Once you have your homemade all natural cleaning solution, here’s how you can use it with your carpet cleaner.
- Before you begin cleaning, make sure that your carpet has been thoroughly vacuumed.
- Fill the machine reservoir with this solution.
- Test this homemade carpet cleaner on a less visible area of flooring to make sure it’s safe for your carpet and wait at least 24 hours for the test spot to dry to see the results.
- Then you can run the machine over your entire carpet, making sure to show special attention to stains or spots. Wait least 24 hours for the carpet to dry and you’re done!
Storage
To properly store your homemade cleaning solution, transfer it into a clean, airtight container, such as a spray bottle or a jug with a tight-fitting lid. Keep it in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight to maintain its effectiveness and extend its shelf life. This precaution helps prevent the degradation of any essential oils used and ensures the solution remains strong for future use.
FAQs
This homemade solution is effective against common carpet stains such as dirt, spills, and pet accidents. It works particularly well on fresh stains.
While this solution is generally safe for most carpets, it’s always best to do a spot test in an inconspicuous area first to ensure it doesn’t discolor or damage your specific type of carpet.
When stored properly in an airtight container and kept in a cool, dry place, the solution can last for several months. However, for best results, consider mixing fresh batches for each cleaning session.
This recipe will clean your carpets very well and can get some powerful stains out too. But I will warn you, it will smell like vinegar pretty strongly while you are shampooing the carpets. But after it dries you will be left with a nice clean smelling house and no vinegar smells.
Happy saving money friends!
OTHER GREAT DIY CLEANING RECIPES
- Best EVER Homemade Carpet Cleaning Solution
- DIY Carpet Cleaner Powder Dry Shampoo
- Homemade Armor All Car Cleaning Spray
- DIY Liquid Hand Soap recipe
- Make Your Own Swiffer Wet Pads
- Homemade Laundry Detergent
Homemade All Natural Carpet Cleaner Solution Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 gallon vinegar
- 1/2 gallon hot water
- 5 drops essential oils optional
Instructions
MAKING THE SOLUTION
- In a large bowl or pitcher, combine the vinegar, hot water and essential oils, stirring until well combined.
HOW TO USE SOLUTION
- Before you begin cleaning, make sure that your carpet has been thoroughly vacuumed.
- Fill machine reservoir with this solution.
- Test this homemade carpet cleaner on a less visible area of flooring to make sure it’s safe for your carpet and wait at least 24 hours for the test spot to dry to see the results.
- Then you can run the machine over your entire carpet, making sure to show special attention to stains or spots. Wait least 24 hours for the carpet to dry and you’re done!
Comments & Reviews
T says
Hi, I was wondering what type of vinegar? White distilled or cleaning vinegar?
Karrie says
White distilled vinegar is what I use!
Dana Eiser says
What’s the best essential oil to use?
Happy-Money-Saver says
I like to use lavender or lemongrass. Those are some of my favorites but feel free to pick your favorites!
art says
This is pretty much the solution i use for my steam mop….just remove the essential oils.
Jennifer says
Thanks for all the great tips. Every cent we save helps. I was wondering if I could use apple vinegar as I have a rather large stock of it. Do you think this might stain the carpet?
Karrie says
Oooo… I wouldn’t use that, it might stain.
Jeannette says
When I click on liquid hand soap it brings me to liquid carpet cleaner
Karrie says
Oh thanks, I fixed that link, it’s working now!
vicki may says
I once had a carpet cleaning solution, which was hot water, vinegar, baking soda and a small amount of lemon scented amonia. It was the best thing i ever used. Have you heard of this? got out pet smells and dirt, it was amazing. but i can’t remember the correct mixtures. can you assist?
thanks,
vicki
Tracey says
Exactly!! What I was looking for and I actually have all the ingredients. I’ll bet it’s the tide that gets out the stains. If you’ve ever used a little in the sink to hand wash something you’ve seen how it just lifts out stains like magic! Literally: MAGIC! Thanks.
Nicole says
I have been using this recipe of vinegar and warm water for years to spot clean my carpets. I just pour a little on the stain and scrub with a hand towel.
Ann says
This recipe work great every time.
Angela Baker says
I’m commenting here because I couldn’t find where to put new comments “I’m on my phone” all the recipes are great..the only thing I’d suggest you might not do is use Downey in an upright home shampooer..my Bissell has sooo many cheap little plastic parts, it COULD gum up the works. But I’m definitely using the rest of these recipes as much as we have to spot shampoo due to 3 little dogs and kitty.
Hattie says
You have a very helpful site.
Muhammad Ali says
You are right.
David says
Just an FYI: Many essential oils can be toxic to pets even in tiny amounts. Especially with cats. If you have pets that you allow on your carpet, you may want to skip adding those to your cleaning solution.
Heather says
Thank you. I have 3 cats in fact, & although my husband would have MUCH rather risked it (jk…sort of??) or me just me not to have seen your comment at all, I’ll definitely skip the step for now. I brought 3 cats into our marriage & not only has he NEVER had a pet in his life, his white color job requires him to be sharp, clean, & furless. I on the other hand have ADD & OCD, so it’s all or none with me. I’m trying to find hacks (aka cleaning/diy’s for lazy people) to appease him & not make me go ALL day cleaning & not get any work done. He can’t wrap his mind around why, if I work from home, can I not keep the house in tip top shape. Ugh! The struggle is real.?Not sure why I felt compelled to share all that except for maybe to ask if you (or anyone) knows of any other time saving (eco friendly preferably) hacks this cat-loving fur-mom/ OCD/ ADD/ wife/ mom/ business owner/ home-maker would LOVE to know. Thanks in advance, thanks again David, & thank you Karrie for this sight. I’m learning/getting great ideas…they just may save my marriage.??????????
Darlene Sand says
Dear Heather: It sounds to me that it is your husband that has the OCD, not you. Thanks for your dedication in helping all of us out here on the web. Used your carpet cleaner. Will keep you posted re MY success or failure. Be well. Be safe. Be gentle with yourself. Thanks for the help.
Bonnie says
We must be sisters from another mother! After feeling overwhelmed for years. trying to keep my place clutter-free, clean, and welcoming, I discovered a blog/podcast called A Slob Comes Clean. She is funny, doesn’t make me feel ashamed or overwhelmed, but mainly the ideas work for me. After all these years trying to fit my unique personality into designers’ little boxes of “how to make your place lovely”, I found someone who gets me! Review it for yourself…see what you think. Hope it helps. B.
Yvette says
I have pets and was wondering if I could use fabric softener in place of the oils?? Your feedback will be most helpful.
Thank you in advance.
A pet lover.
Karrie says
yes you can!