How to Make a Carpet Cleaning Solution

Co-authored by Kadi Dulude

Last Updated: May 21, 2020 References Approved

Professional carpet cleaning services and products can be expensive, but you can make your own cleaning solutions at home that you can use in a shampooing machine or apply with regular household cleaning tools. Homemade carpet cleaners are great for stains, spot removal, to treat high-traffic areas, and for general cleaning purposes. There are also a number of different recipes you can try in case one doesn’t do the trick for a stubborn stain, so keep experimenting until you find your favorite.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Making Carpet Cleaner Recipes

1
Make a carpet cleaner and conditioner. This carpet cleaner and conditioner is the most similar to a commercial cleaner, and it will leave your carpet clean, fresh, soft, and smelling great. To make this cleaner, combine in a bucket:^{[1]
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- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of liquid laundry detergent
- ¼ cup (59 ml) of liquid all-purpose cleaner
- 1 scoop of OxiClean
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) of fabric softener
- 1 gallon (3.8 L) of hot water
2
Create an aromatic non-toxic cleaner. For families with kids and pets, non-toxic cleaners are often high on the priority list, especially for things that get used every day like your carpets. To make a non-toxic carpet cleaner that also smells great, mix together:^{[2]
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- 1 cup (235 ml) of white vinegar or distilled vinegar^{[3]
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  Expert Source
  
  Kadi Dulude
  House Cleaning Professional
  Expert Interview. 22 September 2019.}
- 2 cups (470 ml) of water
- 2 teaspoons (13 g) of salt
- 15 drops of essential oil, such as lemon, lavender, or pine^{[4]
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  Expert Source
  
  Kadi Dulude
  House Cleaning Professional
  Expert Interview. 22 September 2019.}
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3
Use window cleaner to make a simple solution. Window cleaner isn't just for windows anymore, and you can actually mix it with water to make a cheap and effective carpet cleaner for the house, car, and elsewhere.
- To make this cleaner, simply mix equal parts hot water and a window cleaner, such as Windex.^{[5]
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4
Try a stronger ammonia-based cleaner. Ammonia cleaners are more powerful than typical cleaners, but you have to be careful with them because ammonia is corrosive and can damage your skin, eyes, lungs, and certain materials. Put on some gloves, and carefully combine in a bucket:^{[6]
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- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of liquid dish detergent
- ¼ cup (59 ml) of ammonia
- ¼ cup (59 ml) of vinegar
- 3 gallons (11 L) of water
5
Try an easy lemon and peroxide cleaner. Hydrogen peroxide is a powerful cleaner, and lemon is a grease-cutting cleaner that makes everything smell great. These two simple ingredients can be combined to make a homemade carpet cleaner. To make this cleaner:^{[7]
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- Pour ¾ cup (176 ml) of hydrogen peroxide to a bucket
- Add 1½ cups (352 ml) of water
- Add 5 drops of lemon essential oil
- Stir to combine
6
Make a basic powdered cleaner. Powdered carpet cleaners are great for spills and greasy stains, and you can make your own powdered cleaning solution at home too. For a basic powdered cleaner for the carpet, combine in a small bowl:^{[8]
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- 1 cup (220 g) of baking powder
- 1 cup (110 g) of corn starch
- 5 bay leaves, crushed (for smell)
- A sprinkle of dried potpourri, crushed (optional)
7
Whip up a batch of borax and baking soda cleaning powder. For an even more powerful cleaner and deodorizer, try making a dry baking soda and borax powder. You can also add your favorite herbs or flowers to the mix to customize the smell. To make this cleaner, combine in a bowl:^{[9]
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- 1 cup (409 g) of borax
- 1 cup (220 g) of baking soda
- 1 tablespoon (5 g) of dried herbs or flowers
- 20 drops of essential oil

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Cleaning the Carpet by Hand

1
Transfer your cleaner to a spray bottle or shaker. To clean a carpet or spot by hand, you'll need to apply a thin and even layer of cleaner to the carpet. The easiest way to do this is to transfer a liquid cleaner to a spray bottle, or a dry cleaner to a shaker, which will give you good and even coverage.
- Stir your cleaning mixture before transferring it to make sure all the ingredients are fully combined.
2
Do a spot test. It’s always important to test new cleaning products on surfaces before applying them widely, especially when you're dealing with things like carpet, fabric, and upholstery. The spot test will ensure that the cleaner won’t damage the carpet or the color. To do the spot test:^{[10]
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- Pick an inconspicuous area of carpet, such as a corner or under furniture
- Spray or sprinkle some of the cleaner onto a small section of the carpet
- Wait 24 hours
- When the time is up, check the test spot for color-fastness, discoloration, or other damage
- Only proceed with cleaning if there's no damage to the carpet
3
Spray or sprinkle the cleaner on affected areas. To spot clean stains and marks, apply a thin and even layer of cleaner to the area you want to clean.^{[11]
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Research source} To clean the entire carpet, divide the carpet into three or four sections and clean one section at a time.
- When you're working in sections to clean an entire carpet, start at the farthest section from the door and work your way toward the door to avoid getting trapped.
4
Let the cleaner soak in. Once the cleaner is on the carpet, let it sit for about 10 minutes. This will give liquid cleaners time to soak in, and powder cleaners time to absorb odors and stains.
- If you're pressed for time, it’s not strictly necessary to let the cleaner soak, but it will produce a cleaner carpet if you let it sit.
5
Scrub the area. Use a carpet brush or other stiff-bristled brush to scrub the area where you’ve applied cleaner. This will help push the cleaner deeper into the carpet, and loosen dirt, debris, and other particles that are lodged in the fibers of the carpet.^{[12]
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- Once you’ve brushed the entire area, wait for about 30 minutes to let liquid cleaners dry completely.
6
Vacuum. When liquid cleaners have had time to dry completely and powder cleaners have had time to absorb smells and stains, vacuum the carpet thoroughly. Go over the area two or three times to make sure you suck up all the dirt, debris, and excess powder.^{[13]
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- Once the carpet has been vacuumed, repeat with the other sections if you're cleaning the whole carpet.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Using a Carpet Shampooer

1
Test the cleaner first. Before using any new cleaner on a surface, you should always spot test the product to ensure it won’t cause damage. Pick an inconspicuous area of carpet and apply a small amount of your liquid or powder cleaner. Leave the cleaner for 24 hours.^{[14]
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- After 24 hours, check the test area for discoloration and damage. Proceed with cleaning if there's no visible damage.
2
Fill the reservoir with liquid cleaning solution. Most carpet shampooers have a single reservoir where the cleaning solution goes. Fill the reservoir with the homemade liquid cleaner of your choice. If the reservoir has a lid or cap, replace this before shampooing the carpet.
- Some shampooers have separate reservoirs for clean water and cleaning solution, so be sure to fill both.^{[15]
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Shampoo the carpet. Turn the shampooer on and pull the trigger (if your shampooer has one) to activate the cleaning action. Starting in a corner farthest from the door, shampoo the carpet using the same back and forth motion you would to vacuum. Go over each section of carpet two or three times to ensure the carpet is fully saturated and scrubbed.^{[16]
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- As you clean the carpet, work your way toward a door to avoid getting stuck in the room.
4
Give the carpet time to dry. A carpet shampooer will apply larger quantities of cleaner to the carpet, so let the carpet sit for 24 hours after shampooing. This will allow the cleaner to fully soak into the carpet and evaporate, and give the carpet time to dry.^{[17]
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5
Vacuum the carpet. When the carpet is fully dry and there's no cleaning residue left that you can feel with your hand, vacuum the entire carpet with your regular vacuum cleaner. This will suck up any dirt and debris that are in the carpet and complete the cleaning process.
- Some carpet shampooers also serve as a vacuum. Don’t pull the trigger that activates the shampooing action when you want to use the cleaner as a vacuum.

Expert Q&A

Question

What kind of vinegar is best for cleaning?

Kadi Dulude
House Cleaning Professional
Kadi Dulude is a House Cleaning Professional and the Owner of Wizard of Homes, a New York City-based cleaning company. Kadi has over 10 years of experience and manages a team of over 90 registered cleaning professionals. Her cleaning advice has been featured in Architectural Digest and New York Magazine.

Kadi Dulude

House Cleaning Professional

Expert Answer

For a strong cleaning solution, use pure white vinegar instead of distilled vinegar. Pure white has a higher acid concentration than distilled, which means it can clean tougher stains more easily.
Question

Can I use a liquid stain remover that is usually meant for clothes in my carpet cleaner?

Community Answer

Try pure peroxide ore mixed with cream tartar. Rub it in let it stand a few minutes, blot it with clean rag, rinse spot with moist rag and depending on size and how heavy stain is put a dry clean towel/rag over it with weight to absorb excess and let it dry. This is likely to be more effective than clothing cleansers.
Question

How critical is it to use the shampoo that the manfacturer of the carpet cleaning machine recommends? i.e. "Use only Bissell shampoo in this Bissell machine"?

Flutasmoradas

Community Answer

While I am not familiar with the brand, usually companies put those instructions for a specific reason. The shampoo could be specially geared to the machine, or other shampoos may have chemicals in them that could harm your machine. If you have any other questions, try contacting the company's customer service!