Homemade Carpet Cleaner 5 Easy-to-Make DIY Carpet Cleaner Recipes (2024)

I’ve discovered some great homemade carpet cleaner recipes.

  • I can mix white vinegar and water with a little salt and lavender oil to create a natural carpet-cleaning spray.
  • To tackle tougher stains or for machine cleaning, I combine lemon-scented ammonia, white vinegar, dish soap, and hot water.
  • For heavy traffic areas, I use a mix of vinegar and warm water as a homemade carpet cleaning solution.
  • When I need to spot clean, I create a paste with equal parts salt, borax, and vinegar.
  • I find mixing white vinegar and baking soda is perfect for a quick spot remover.

There are numerous merits and advantages to having carpet as a flooring material. However, the daily traffic and spills can leave your carpet stained and look shabby. We put together a list of several homemade carpet cleaner recipes that you can make yourself that are much cheaper than commercial cleaners and safer for your family.

When it comes to cleaning your home’s carpet, you can find many commercial carpet cleaners on the market that do a great job. However, these products also leave a harsh chemical residue that can be dangerous to your family, as well as damaging the environment.

Here are several excellent homemade carpet cleaners that you can make using simple ingredients that you can find in your kitchen. Each of these recipes will help your carpets look better and last longer.

Homemade Carpet Cleaner 5 Easy-to-Make DIY Carpet Cleaner Recipes (1)

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Table Of Contents

  1. How I Make a DIY Carpet Cleaning Solution
    • My Homemade Carpet Cleaning Spray
    • My Homemade Carpet Cleaner for Machines
    • My Homemade Carpet Cleaning Solution
    • My Homemade Carpet Spot Cleaner
    • My Homemade Spot Remover
  2. My Commercial Carpet Cleaner Solutions
  3. How I Clean My Carpet Manually
    • My Recipe for Homemade Carpet Cleaner

How I Make a DIY Carpet Cleaning Solution

If you’re sick of spending your hard-earned money on commercial carpet cleaners, or are looking to find more environmentally friendly ways to clean your carpets, we put together several excellent DIY carpet cleaning solution recipes that you can make from the comfort of your home with everyday chemical-free ingredients.

My Homemade Carpet Cleaning Spray

If your home is full of kids and pets, your carpet probably takes a beating on a regular basis.

However, if you hate using commercial carpet cleaners because of the harsh chemicals they contain and the horrendous smell they leave behind, here is a homemade carpet cleaning solution that you can use that will leave your carpets smelling fresh and free of dirt and stains.

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My DIY Carpet Cleaning Spray Recipe

  • 1 cup white vinegar
  • 2 cups of water
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 15 drops lavender oil

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Mix the vinegar and water in a glass spray bottle. Add the lavender oil and the salt to the spray bottle. Put the cap back on and thoroughly shake.

Spray the solution liberally on the carpet or use it for cleaning an area rug without a carpet cleaner and for an easy way to make carpets smell better. Shake the bottle frequently to ensure the ingredients remain mixed.

Homemade Carpet Cleaner 5 Easy-to-Make DIY Carpet Cleaner Recipes (2)

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Allow the carpets or rugs to dry thoroughly to ensure the mixture has time to work. Vacuum your carpet to remove the dried residue. You can repeat the application as needed.

If your cat has left a puddle on the carpet, after blotting, you can also try to eliminate the stain and smell with this recipe. Sometimes, however, you need a stronger solution. Make up a homemade enzyme cleaner for cat urine for the most effective stain removal.

My Homemade Carpet Cleaner for Machines

If you are looking to clean your carpets with a steam cleaner, you don’t have to resort to using the commercial carpet cleaners you can find at your local grocery store. Here is a natural carpet cleaner for machine recipe that you can make at home to add to your carpet cleaning machine.

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Homemade Carpet Cleaner Recipe for Machines

  • ¼ cup lemon-scented ammonia
  • ¼ cup white vinegar
  • 3 teaspoons liquid dish soap
  • 1-gallon hot water

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The perfect thing about this method is that it uses inexpensive ingredients and won’t leave harsh chemical residue on your floors. In a bucket, mix all the ingredients and pour them into your steam cleaner. Follow the directions for use that came with the machine and enjoy clean carpet without the toxins.

My Homemade Carpet Cleaning Solution

This homemade carpet cleaning recipe works great in commercial steam cleaners too. The ingredients used in the method are inexpensive and easy to find. The vinegar helps to dissolve stains and neutralizes odors.

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How I Create a DIY Carpet Cleaning Solution

  • ½ gallon white distilled vinegar
  • ½ gallon warm water

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Mix the ingredients in a large bucket. Add the homemade carpet cleaning solution to the carpet cleaning machine and follow the machine’s manufacturer’s instructions for cleaning dirty carpets and removing any unwanted odors.

My Homemade Carpet Spot Cleaner

If you only need to spot clean your carpet, here is a great homemade carpet spot cleaner that is easy to make and does a fantastic job pulling up and remove carpet stains. If you have children or pets, this is one you’ll want to keep handy.

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DIY Carpet Spot Cleaner Recipe

  • ¼ cup salt
  • ¼ cup Borax
  • ¼ cup vinegar

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Mix the ingredients to create a thick paste, and using your fingers, rub it into the stain on your carpet. Leave the paste on the stain for several hours before vacuuming up the residue. To get everything up, be sure to run the vacuum over the spot several times.

My Homemade Spot Remover

You can make this excellent spot remover easily at home with the two basic household ingredients white vinegar and baking soda. For the best results, try treating the stain before it has time to set. If you have a tricky stain, you’ll need to use this solution several times to get the best result.

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My Recipe for Spot Remover

  • 1 tablespoon white vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons baking soda

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Mix the baking soda and white vinegar to form a paste. With an old toothbrush apply the paste to the spot. Leave the paste on the stain for several hours, allowing it to completely dry. Once the paste has dried, vacuum the baking soda up.

One of the best ways to remove dirt from your carpet and ensure that it is clean is to sprinkle a layer of baking soda over your carpet and then vacuum it up. Not only does this method remove dirt from deep down in your carpet, but it also neutralizes odors.

This recipe also does a great job in your car. If you discover old stains or make a new one, this solution is the best idea for how to clean car carpet to leave it clean once again.

Best Homemade Carpet Shampoos

We put together a comprehensive list of recipes for homemade carpet shampoos. These shampoos work similar to regular cleaning solutions, but allow the cleaner solution to soak into the carpet much longer.

My Commercial Carpet Cleaner Solutions

If you don’t want to make your own DIY cleaner, here the best carpet cleaning solution that you can buy online.

The Bissell 78H6B Deep Cleaning Pro Deep Cleaning formula has been proven unbeatable versus the other leading products. It contains twice the cleaning agents as different formulas, helping make your carpet look good and stay cleaner longer.

This carpet cleaner from Carpet Miracle not only will clean and deodorize your carpets, but you can use it to clean your upholstery as well. It can be used in all carpet cleaning machines and is biodegradable and non-toxic, making it extremely safe and effective.

If you need something that is effective in removing pet stains and odors, try Bubba’s super strength commercial enzyme cleaner – pet odor eliminator. This product has been scientifically formulated to be more powerful than other products on the market. It uses green natural organic products that permanently eliminate stains and odors, making it safe for kids and pets.

The best natural carpet and upholstery shampoo on the market is made by Puracy. This natural detergent deodorizes and removes stains and soil from even the dirtiest of carpets. The plant and mineral-based ingredients make it safe for your family and the environment.

How I Clean My Carpet Manually

The carpet in your home should be thoroughly cleaned on a regular basis to help it continue to look great and for it to last longer. Along with vacuuming your carpet on a weekly basis, it needs to be deep cleaned several times a year to remove ground in dirt and stains.

To thoroughly clean carpet by hand, vacuum your carpeting. Vacuuming helps to remove the loose dirt that is resting on the top of the carpet fibers. You want to vacuum both vertically and horizontally, ensuring that the vacuum has reached every part of the fiber.

To clean recent spills and stainsuse one of the homemade spot cleaning recipes shared above to treat the stain immediately. Apply a small amount of the solution to the spot, then gently blot the stain. Make sure you treat difficult stains like cleaning blood stains on carpet or pet urine stains separately and with great care.

You only want to use enough of the product to treat the stain. Rinse the carpet using a fresh, clean white towel to soak up any residual solution, by blotting the area you just treated.

When you are ready to shampoo your carpet, make sure your furniture is protected. If you are not able to remove the furniture from the room, you can place professional plastic under the legs of your furniture to protect them from being damaged by the water.

Using a carpet shampooer, slowly clean the carpet in a horizontal motion. Be sure to allow the extractor to pull up as much water as it can before moving to the next area.

Allow the carpet to completely dry by leaving windows and doors open for free air circulation. If you are cannot leave the windows open, you can set the air conditioner to a moderate setting then leave the room.

Having clean carpeting that is free of odors without breaking the bank is possible. The recipes featured in this article are inexpensive and easy to make and won’t leave your house smelling like chemicals. Using natural ingredients to clean your carpets is also great for the environment.

My Recipe for Homemade Carpet Cleaner

Homemade Carpet Cleaner 5 Easy-to-Make DIY Carpet Cleaner Recipes (3)

Homemade Carpet Cleaner

Yield: 3 cups

Prep Time: 2 hours

Total Time: 2 hours

Difficulty: Easy

A DIY rug cleaner with a pleasant scent and no harsh chemicals.

Materials

  • 2 teaspoons of salt
  • 8 ounces white vinegar
  • 16 ounces of water
  • 15 drops lavender essential oil

Tools

  • Teaspoon
  • Measuring cup
  • Glass spray bottle
  • Vacuum

Instructions

  1. Pour water and vinegar into the spray bottle and shake to mix.
  2. Add the salt and lavender essential oil and swish the solution until the salt dissolves completely.
  3. Spritz the carpet or rug liberally.
  4. Let the homemade cleaner dry on the rug or carpet.
  5. Vacuum to eliminate dried cleaner residue.
  6. Repeat as needed.

Notes

Shake the solution often to ensure the ingredients remain mixed.

Homemade Carpet Cleaner 5 Easy-to-Make DIY Carpet Cleaner Recipes (4)

We hope you found the information about DIY carpet cleaning helpful and know that you will love to share these homemade carpet cleaning solutions with everyone you know on Pinterest and Facebook.

Homemade Carpet Cleaner 5 Easy-to-Make DIY Carpet Cleaner Recipes (2024)

FAQs

Homemade Carpet Cleaner 5 Easy-to-Make DIY Carpet Cleaner Recipes? ›

Baking Soda + Cornstarch + Cornmeal + Borax

If you're looking for a dry natural carpet or rug cleaner, try this mix from DIY Network. Start by combining 2 cups baking soda, 1/2 cup cornstarch, 1/2 cup cornmeal, 1 tablespoon borax, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and 2-3 dried bay leaves in a food processor.

What is the best homemade solution for cleaning carpets? ›

Baking Soda + Cornstarch + Cornmeal + Borax

If you're looking for a dry natural carpet or rug cleaner, try this mix from DIY Network. Start by combining 2 cups baking soda, 1/2 cup cornstarch, 1/2 cup cornmeal, 1 tablespoon borax, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and 2-3 dried bay leaves in a food processor.

How to make your own carpet cleaner for machines? ›

What You Will Need
  1. 4 litre jug (like an old milk jug)
  2. 3.75 litres of Hot water (unless you're carpet cleaner heats the water, like mine does, then just use room temp. water.)
  3. 1/4 cup Hydrogen Peroxide, 3%
  4. 2 Tbsp White Vinegar.
  5. 1 Tbsp Dish Soap (Resist the urge to add more! This is all you need.) - I like this one.
Sep 21, 2023

What can I use if I don't have carpet shampoo? ›

Vinegar, baking soda, and salt are common household items that can be used as carpet cleaners. Soften a carpet by mixing fabric softener, hot water, clear vinegar, and dishwashing detergent.

What can I use instead of Bissell solution? ›

Well, you can use Baking soda, Vinegar, Castile soap, or even Warm Water. However, you must keep in mind that you should leave the carpets to dry after you use them.

What home remedy can I use to deep clean my carpet? ›

Combine a DIY solution of 1 part white vinegar + 3 parts water. Scrub your carpet using a soft bristle scrub brush and your vinegar solution to disinfect any problem areas that might be smelly or unsightly.

Can I use laundry detergent in my carpet shampooer? ›

Experts advise against using regular laundry detergent in carpet cleaners. Instead, opt for cleaning solutions specifically designed for carpets. These solutions are formulated to break down stains, eliminate odors, and maintain the integrity of your carpets without causing damage or residue buildup.

Can I use fabuloso on carpet? ›

You may have wondered if Fabuloso can help clean pesky carpet stains? Yes it can!

How do you make magic carpet cleaner? ›

Mix one tablespoon clear dishwashing liquid and one tablespoon white vinegar with two cups of warm water. 4. Using a white cloth (I strongly believe in microfiber washcloths), sponge the stain with the detergent/vinegar solution and blot until all the liquid is absorbed.

Does DIY carpet cleaning work? ›

DIY Carpet Cleaning Machines are Weak

Unlike professional carpet cleaning systems. This means that you will not rinse the carpet fibers thoroughly. Also, the low pressure water you do put down will not be adequately vacuumed up. This may leave you with a soggy, musty smelling carpet.

What is the best homemade carpet cleaning solution for machines? ›

In the bottom of your carpet cleaner machine, add vinegar and dish soap. Fill the container the rest of the way to the fill line with warm water and use the machine to clean up dirt, odor, and spills the same way you would use a commercial carpet shampoo.

How to clean carpet quickly and easy? ›

In a bowl or small bucket, mix one part white vinegar with three parts water. Dip the bristles of the scrub brush into the solution and rub them into the carpet. Massage them into the fibers well (without fully saturating the carpet) and follow up with a cloth to help blot excess moisture.

What cleans carpet the best? ›

Steam Cleaning

Steam cleaning is another best way to clean carpet. This works by applying superheated water using a high-pressure applicator, working together to help break down stuck-on dirt, bacteria, and debris.

Does vinegar and Dawn clean carpet? ›

A few drops of dawn dish detergent and vinegar make a foaming carpet cleaner. The dish detergent serves as a degreaser while vinegar acts as a stain fighter. Ensure to clean the area thoroughly to prevent dish detergent residues.

Does vinegar and baking soda remove old stains from carpet? ›

Baking Soda and Vinegar Solution for Stain Removal

Stubborn stains are all too common. Often if we can't get the stain out on the first few tries, we let the stain become a permanent fixture of the carpet. If you have stains that won't budge, try a baking soda and vinegar solution to remove old stains from your carpet.

Does baking soda really clean carpet? ›

Keep your carpets looking and smelling their best with nothing more than baking soda! Regular vacuuming is essential, but deep cleaning can be expensive. Adding a sprinkle of baking soda to the mix will help remove stains, dirt and neutralise odours caused by everyday wear-and-tear like shoes, pets or food spills.

Is vinegar better than carpet cleaner? ›

Using Vinegar to Clean Carpet is Not Effective

While some websites sing the praises of vinegar as an all-purpose cleanser, it simply shouldn't be used on carpet. Here's why … Vinegar is great for countertops, but it's one of the least effective solutions out there for removing dirt from carpet fibers.

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