DIY Carpet Deodorizer

Welcome to Homemaking Tips Tuesdays where contributing writers share helpful homemaking tips so you can feel more successful caring for your home and family.

{This week, post by: Jaimi}

If your house is smelling less than fresh thanks to the kids tracking in moisture on their boots or shoes during bad weather, from guests tracking more steps in and out, or from the kids just being kids and spilling now and then, this DIY carpet deodorizer is so quick to make, extremely effective at neutralizing and ridding odors, and it is very inexpensive.

My kids get their hands in everything. With the twins around, and being outnumbered in my house all the time (we have 4 kids), the kids are always faster than I am.

They touch whatever it is I have asked them not to touch-the toddlers anyway.

It really got me thinking a few years back about their exposures to cleaners and chemicals. This DIY carpet deodorizer limits their, and my, harmful exposures.

Since I have been trying my best to rid our home of harmful toxins, I have pretty much eliminated most harmful cleaners and products. We all feel better and recover from illness quicker since making the switch!

I used to think that creating DIY cleaners would take a lot of time and be wasted. Neither has been the reality.

I create many DIY household cleaning products from scratch thanks to simple ingredients.

Recipe for DIY Carpet Deodorizer

What you need:

2C baking soda

30 drops essential oils

Glass or metal jar or container with a sealing top (like these or these)

How to make it:

In the jar, pour in the baking soda.

Add in your essential oil of choice. (I use Purification essential oil in this because it has odor neutralizing properties and is a great surface sanitizer by design.)

Seal the jar with the lid and gently shake the mixture to combine.

You can use your DIY carpet deodorizer right away or let it sit in a cupboard until you need to use it. (Keep any essential oils out of direct sunlight or their properties will degrade over time.)

How to use:

When your rugs need a little freshening up (and this really makes your whole house smell great) grab your carpet deodorizer, unscrew the lid and sprinkle over your rugs.

It’s best to cover the entire rug or carpet. Then let the baking soda deodorizer sit on the rug for about 10-15 minutes.

The essential oil will neutralize the odors and help purify the air in your home.

After the baking soda has sat on the rugs for 15 minutes or so, simply vacuum up. Your rug and your vacuum will smell great after this treatment.

This one recipe can cover all the small area rugs in your home (depending on how big it is) or one 10×10 room with wall-to-wall carpet.

Shake it on in a thin layer to get maximum coverage, or shake it on thick to really neutralize a smelly rug…maybe the one the dog always lays on?

Great for upholstery too.

Purification essential oil is so useful in many other ways around the house too. This blend is made up of six essential oils for the ultimate weapon against odors.

When I started using essential oils in my home, diffusing Purification in “smelly” areas was my first step. It was so helpful to get rid of cooked food smell in the kitchen, diaper odor in the babies’ room, and it is essential in the bathroom when you have boys at home! (Boy moms, you know that struggle.)