Homemade carpet cleaner recipes offer an eco-friendly and cost effective means of rejuvenating carpets. However, before trying any homemade cleaner on an inconspicuous area of your carpets it is a good idea to test and ensure they won’t cause damage or discoloration.

An appropriate dilution ratio is key when creating your homemade carpet cleaner solution. Too much water could dilute it too much while too little could oversaturate carpet fibers and cause lasting damage.

Baking Soda

Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) is an alkaline white powder with numerous applications. It’s made by processing trona, an naturally occurring mineral, into soda ash. Baking soda’s primary use in baked goods is as an leavening agent when combined with cream of tartar or another acidic ingredient – creating carbon dioxide bubbles to give batter its airy texture. Baking soda also has other uses around the home such as relieving heartburn and freshening up refrigerators!

Baking soda can also be used to clean and deodorize carpeting, by scattering it over an area, letting it sit, then vacuuming up. For stubborn stains, mix equal parts baking soda and vinegar together and let sit for 10 minutes before scrubbing with a brush before vacuuming up again – this mixture works especially well when trying to remove pet stains and odors from carpeting.

If you do not have baking soda on hand, an alternative homemade carpet cleaner recipe can be created using 3% hydrogen peroxide diluted with water and blended into a spray bottle for safe and effective cleaning. Before applying this solution to large areas of carpeting, test this solution on an inconspicuous spot first to make sure it won’t discolor or damage it; alternatively you could also try plain distilled white vinegar as an alternative option.

Vinegar

Vinegar is an effective natural cleaner, deodorizer and disinfectant that can be used as a natural carpet cleaning solution. It works by absorbing odors from carpet fibres and breaking them apart – helping remove stains while leaving behind an immaculate carpet surface.

If you want to use vinegar as a homemade carpet cleaner, mix equal parts water and white vinegar in a spray bottle, along with several drops of essential oil (like lemon, orange or thyme ). Lightly mist a spot that needs dampening until dampness appears; allow this process to sit for several hours (ideally overnight ) and blot the area with paper towels or clean white cloth afterwards.

This method can be effective for treating both common stains and pet accidents. The vinegar contains acid that deodorizes while also removing most types of carpet stains, though it may not work on very stubborn or dark stains.

If a stain persists, add some tablespoons of rubbing alcohol to the solution for extra dissolving power and quickening drying times. As with any carpet cleaner solution, test first in an inconspicuous area before spreading across all rooms; be sure to vacuum well afterwards to remove any residual dirt or stains.

Dish Soap

Dish soap is an economical and versatile cleaning product, perfect for multiple fabrics and surfaces. Additionally, it can help remove oil stains from fabrics like upholstery and carpet by loosening dirt particles that would otherwise become embedded. Furthermore, mixing dish soap into homemade carpet shampoo solutions will allow it to penetrate deeper into their fibers for an enhanced result.

Add white vinegar and dish soap to a large pot, mixing well. Combine borax and washing soda, stirring to ensure their dissolution completely before gradually stirring in 1 1/2 gallons of hot water until all components have dissolved completely. Continue stirring while the solution cools before pouring it into milk jugs with screw on caps for storage.

This solution is easy to use with any carpet cleaning machine, although be mindful that some manufacturers void warranties if you use something other than their official cleaning solution. Or you could pour some into a spray bottle and use it directly on individual stains and spots on your carpet before giving enough time for drying before walking over it again.

Water

Water can make for an easy and effective homemade carpet cleaner solution, perfect for stain removal and treating odors in high traffic areas. Add other ingredients like baking soda or vinegar for additional scenting or pre-treating synthetic or wool carpets prior to shampooing.

Before beginning cleaning, start by vacuuming your carpets to extract loose dirt and debris, using homemade carpet cleaner to spot-treat any set stains, then spot-treating any set stains with homemade cleaner. Be wary when trying any stain removers to ensure they won’t discolor fibers on your rug or carpet.

Vinegar is an all-natural stain remover and works well against most types of stains. Simply combine it with water in a spray bottle and apply directly onto stained areas – leave to sit for 10 minutes before blotting until stain is removed. Alternatively, club soda also works very effectively against many stains – for best results use dabbing and blotting rather than rubbing as too much pressure can push deeper into carpet fibers and force deeper stains down further into them.

Add a fresh, pleasant scent with essential oil – lavender or peppermint essential oils are good examples – by using only clear oils like these that won’t discolor the carpet.