How To Clean Carpet With Your Own Homemade Liquid Cleaning Products
Since the revolutionizing and life-changing introduction of the vacuum cleaner, a home care appliance designed for super suction cleaning, there have been many modifications and augmentations that have occurred to alter the experience of vacuuming. We no longer use the simple manual carpet cleaner by Bissell, but today uses steam cleaners, deep cleaners, hand vacs and more. As such, we’ve learned to clean our carpets with the various tools and chemicals available in our time of modern house cleaning.
The problem is, a lot of those carpet cleaning solutions and chemicals have harsh substances that are not only toxic but can leave behind reside for your kids or pets to find. But finding friendly carpet cleaning solutions that don’t have dangerous chemicals is not exactly an easy task. Not to worry, though, as there are a few ways to make your own cleaning solutions at home that will get the job done well and without the added concern.
Make Your Own Homemade “Commercial” Cleaner
If you’re looking to make a carpet cleaning solution at home that is similar to the commercial solutions you can purchase in stores, you can rest assured that this is very possible. This isn’t exactly a chemical-free way of cleaning your carpets but you get to choose the elements that ultimately go into your solution. You can choose to use eco-friendly ingredients that are free of harsh chemicals. This recipe will help you make a carpet cleaner and conditioner solution.
To create a carpet cleaner and conditioner, you will need:
- 4 L of hot water
- 1 tsp of fabric softener
- 2 tbsp. of liquid laundry detergent
- ¼ cup of liquid all-purpose cleaner
- A scoop of OxiClean
Make Your Own Homemade “OxyClean”
If adding a chemical-infused OxyClean product is high on your list of things you’re unwilling to do, you can always get around this by making your own simple homemade version of OxyClean at home, which happens to be quite cost-effective and chemically safe.
For homemade OxyClean, you will need:
- One part hydrogen peroxide
- One part washing soda
Notes: Washing soda is basically just like baking soda, but with a PH balance of 11, which is much more effective at cleaning than actual baking soda, which has a PH balance of just 8.1. The popular brand Arm & Hammer is known for making both baking soda and super washing soda.
Due to the nature of the substances in this mixture, you should attempt to use it immediately after preparing it. Within a short span of just 4-6 hours, the solution will lose its potency and effectiveness and be all fizzed-out.
Make Your Own Simple Cleaner for Carpets and Upholstery
While a cacophony of chemicals may be the very thing you want to avoid in your carpet cleaners, sometimes a simple solution with just one basic chemical, like ammonia, can do the trick.
For the simple cleaning solution, all you will need is:
- One part hot water
- One part window cleaner
Make Your Own Powerful Cleaner at Home
Although this one isn’t exactly a non-chemical cleaner either, it utilizes a simple chemical mixture that can deliver some seriously powerful results. However, the main chemical, ammonia, can be highly corrosive to your skin, lungs, and eyes, so it should be handled with extreme caution. The risk it poses decreases once the ammonia has been diluted by the solution mix.
To create your won homemade powerful cleaner, you will need:
- 11.5 L water
- ¼ cup ammonia
- ¼ cup vinegar
- 1 tbsp. liquid dish detergent
Notes: Use gloves when combining this solvent mixture.
Make Your Own Aromatic Non-Toxic Cleaner
If the homemade synthetic ingredient-based cleaners still seem like too much chemical to your liking or still seems too inorganic, there are other more organic and non-toxic solutions you can try at home. This one is a great cleaner for disinfecting and deodorizing your carpet without the use of any harsh or inorganic chemicals.
To make this solution, you will need:
- 2 cups of water
- 1 cup of white vinegar
- 2 teaspoons of salt
- 15 drops of your choice of essential oil. We recommend lavender, pine or lemon.
Notes: White vinegar has been used as a disinfecting cleaning agent for centuries, as it has many amazing applications and does a great job of neutralizing bacteria.
Make Your Own Organic Stain Remover for Synthetic Carpets
We don’t often realize it, but our kitchen is actually full of ingredients that can be used to clean stubborn stains, messes and more. Here are two ridiculously simple solutions that can get almost any stain out of a synthetic carpet.
DETERGENT-BASED STAIN REMOVER SOLUTION
For detergent-based, organic stain remover, you will need:
- ¼ tsp translucent liquid dish detergent
- 1 cup lukewarm water
VINEGAR-BASED STAIN REMOVER SOLUTION
For vinegar-based, organic stain remover, you will need:
- One part white vinegar
- Two parts water
Notes: Be sure to dip a non-colored cloth into the solutions and then apply them to the stain. Applying them directly to your carpeting could cause unwanted damage.
Make Your Own Spray Solutions for Natural Fiber Carpet
If you have carpet with natural fibers, you don’t want to take the chance with solutions designed for the synthetic stuff. Instead of the dip and blot method of removing stains for synthetic floor fibers, a solution misted from a spray bottle is a better way to treat your natural fiber carpet without ruining it. Here are three incredibly simple solutions for your spray bottle.
DETERGENT-BASED STAIN REMOVER MIST
For detergent-based mist, you will need:
- 1 tsp translucent liquid dish detergent
- 1 cup lukewarm water
VINEGAR-BASED STAIN REMOVER MIST
For vinegar-based mist, you will need:
- One part white vinegar
- One part water
AMMONIA-BASED STAIN REMOVER MIST
For ammonia-based mist, you will need:
- 1 tbsp. clear household ammonia
- ½ cup lukewarm water
Notes: Spray mist directly to stain and let sit for a few minutes before you attempt to blot it out.
Make Your Own Grease-Cutting Carpet Cleaner
If you have a greasy carpet mess you’re looking to clean, and the above solutions don’t seem to be working for you, here is another solution formula that is proven for fighting grease.
For this grease-cutting cleaner, you will need:
- 1 ½ cups water
- ¾ cup hydrogen peroxide
- 5-7 drops of lemon essential oil
Notes: This solution uses hydrogen peroxide, which loses its effectiveness and potency the longer it is exposed to sunlight and oxygen. Therefore, this mixture should be used up immediately or be stored in an airtight and opaque container to preserve its usefulness.
Final Notes On Home-Made Carpet Cleaners
All the above solutions can be used in place of the store-bought chemicals designed for the purpose of carpet cleaning.
When trying out a new solution, first test it in an inconspicuous part of your carpet. This will help you make sure that your carpet won’t be damaged by the solution before you try cleaning a large area with it.
Be sure to use gloves and a clean cloth for blotting and dabbing.
Finally, be sure not to rub and ruin your carpets when attempting to get them clean. Instead, use a gentle dabbing method and generous doses of your chosen solution where necessary. Some stains may require multiple applications of cleaner before they are lifted.
