How to Clean Carpet Naturally

Co-authored by Susan Stocker

Last Updated: November 6, 2022 References

Cleaning your carpets is an important part of keeping your home clean and tidy overall. However, carpet cleaning products tend to have strong chemicals in them that you may be hesitant to bring into your home. Instead of using these products, you can make your own natural carpet cleaners from products you probably already have in your home. With a little ingenuity and some elbow grease, you can keep your carpet clean by using natural products that are safe for your whole family.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Cleaning a Large Area with Natural Carpet Cleaners

1
Use plain hot water in a steam cleaner. Many carpet cleaning machines say that you should use their highly concentrated cleaner when steam cleaning your carpets. However, using plain water in these machines will get a large amount of dirt and grime out of the carpet, and it won't leave any residue or chemicals behind.^{[1]
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- This method will not work on hard to clean stains. However, it is a good way to give your carpet a general, all over cleaning.
2
Clean with liquid soap and water. A natural soap, such as liquid castile soap, can be a great product for cleaning carpets. It has stain and dirt removing properties but it is not toxic or dangerous to use in your home. Combine a few drops of this type of soap with warm water and scrub your carpet with it.^{[2]
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- Carry along a dry towel with you as you clean, so that you can soak most of the water and soap out of the carpet as you go along.
- If you have your own carpet cleaning machine, you can also use a few drops of this type of soap in it instead of more traditional carpet cleaning solutions.
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3
Purchase a natural carpet cleaning product. There are more and more commercial cleaning products available that are natural and non-toxic. Look for this type of product at your local natural food store or online through natural product distributors.
- When considering using a commercial cleaner, look at both the ingredients and the rest of the label for safety information. With a truly natural and non-toxic cleaner, you are likely to find labels that certify it as a "green" product.
- To find a non-toxic, natural carpet cleaner, you can look for product safety lists from organizations concerned with providing information about natural products, such as the Environmental Working Group.^{[3]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Deodorizing Your Carpet Naturally

1
Use baking soda to deodorize your carpet. If your carpet needs deodorizing, look no further than your kitchen pantry. Baking soda works great for deodorizing because it absorbs odors very effectively. Sprinkle a layer of baking soda all over your carpet, let it sit on the carpet for several hours, and then vacuum it up. The baking soda should absorb a wide variety of odors from your carpet.
- Some commercial carpet deodorizers have scents in them that are released when you vacuum up the deodorizer. To mimic this with natural home products, simply mix a few drops of a clear essential oil, such as lavender oil, with a cup of baking soda and then sprinkle it on your carpet. When you vacuum the baking soda up, the smell of the essential oil should be released.^{[4]
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2
Deodorize with white vinegar. Vinegar, like baking soda, can be a great product for deodorizing your carpet because it both absorbs odors and kills odor-causing bacteria. Simply pour some into a spray bottle and then spray a fine mist over your carpet. When the vinegar smell goes away, which may take several hours, you will be left with a deodorized, scent free carpet.^{[5]
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- If you don't like the scent of vinegar, keep in mind that the strong smell will dissipate as the vinegar dries. It will not leave a lingering smell.
3
Use lemon to deodorize. If you have a small area or spot that needs to be deodorized, consider using lemon. Mix the juice of one lemon with a few tablespoons of water and then dab it on the offending area. The acidity of the lemon should remove even the most unpleasant odors.^{[6]
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- Once you have dabbed the lemon juice mixture on, rinse the area with soapy water and then dry the area with a cloth.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Using Natural Products for Spot Cleaning

1
Pre-treat stains with baking soda. If you have a spill on your carpet that is liquid, you should try to soak up as much of it as you can right away. Whether it's a beverage, urine, food, or other type of liquid, baking soda does a great job of absorbing all kinds of liquid and pulling them out of your carpet.^{[7]
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- Sprinkle baking soda over the stain, making sure that you put enough down to absorb all of the liquid. Give it a few minutes to soak it up.
- If you spilled a lot of liquid, it's best to blot away the excess liquid with a towel before you sprinkle baking soda over it.
2
Apply vinegar and water to stains. If you have a simple water-soluble spill, you can use a mixture of vinegar and water to clean it up. Mix a 1/4 teaspoon of white vinegar with 32 ounces of water in a spray bottle. Spray it on simple spills and then blot the area to remove all the residue. Some spills that this will work on include:^{[8]
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- Beer
- Cola
- Milk
- Dirt
3
Use hydrogen peroxide on blood stains. Blood stains can be particularly hard to get out of fabrics, including carpets. Hydrogen peroxide can be helpful with removing blood, as it is a natural oxidizer and so it can break blood up. Put some hydrogen peroxide on a clean cloth and dab the area repeatedly. It can take awhile to get the blood out, so take your time and be patient while the hydrogen peroxide does its magic.^{[9]
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- Be sure to test that the hydrogen peroxide will not damage the carpet fibers on an area of carpet that is not seen before using it in a visible area. If you use hydrogen peroxide, be sure to choose the 3% diluted solution rather than the 6% diluted solution.
4
Apply club soda to acidic stains. Club soda will remove many acidic stains, such as coffee, wine, or juice. Simply blot the area with a cloth covered in club soda. Keep adding more club soda to the cloth as it is absorbed into the stained area until the area is relatively saturated.^{[10]
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- As the stain is removed, and gets onto the cleaning cloth you are using, use a different area of the cloth to blot, so that the stain is not reapplied to the carpet.
- Once the stain is gone, make sure to keep dabbing the area with a dry cloth until the area is dry.

Warnings

If you have rented a carpet cleaning machine, follow the directions on it and use the carpet cleaner supplied with it, unless you are given permission to use something else.

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