Do you want to clean carpets like a pro? I know that sometimes you don’t have the carpet soap by hand, but still, you need to clean the rugs up fast. As a carpet lover, I have collected several homemade recipes, which are made from the ingredients I always have at a hand. Look through my hacks to clean the carpets fast and safely.
As a rule, the variety of homemade carpet cleaning solutions is based on simple ingredients, which anyone has at home. They are vinegar, baking soda, water, dishwasher liquid, and some others. Used separately or in mixtures, these substances cope easily with many complex stains. Read on to know the benefits of using homemade cleaning solutions in comparison with chemical ones.
Can you make a homemade carpet disinfectant? YES, you can. Making a carpet disinfectant at home is one of the easiest things to do. All you need is a few items like common powders or vinegar, and you are ready to disinfect.
Some people who rely on chemically formulated products might say that DIY carpet disinfectants aren’t of any use. Well, they are wrong. Natural products work in amazing ways. We shouldn’t underestimate their power.
Is Homemade Carpet Cleaning Solution Working?
Some of my readers don’t believe in homemade carpet cleaners. They suppose that deep professional cleaning is possible only with strong chemical products. For example, Jason Trim, the owner of BPS Southeast Flooring, is sure, that cleaning with homemade solutions may damage the carpet pile. That’s what he wrote on the Quora forum.
Jason Trim wrote, “I’ve tested lots of homemade carpet cleaning recipes, which I’ve found online. I have to say, that some of them work, while the others cause permanent damage to your carpet. If you need to clean the carpet, just open Google and find the nearest carpet cleaning company”
Expert’s opinion
I agree with Jason, that you should use homemade recipes wisely. Always start with the pre-test, when you apply the solution to the small unnoticeable area in the rug corner and see if it doesn’t ruin the carpet pile.
Nevertheless, I know that there are homemade recipes, which I’ve already tested a lot. They are working even better than chemicals. Now I am ready to share these solutions with you.
4 Types of Homemade Carpet Disinfectant
The most important feature of any cleaner, deodorizer, or disinfectant is its effectiveness. Keeping this in my mind, I have made a list of 4 of the most known, tested, and proven recipes for homemade carpet disinfectant.
You may find some other ideas online too, but I would sincerely suggest that you try any of the following methods first. Then you can judge its effectiveness. Clean carpets will be loved by your pets too.
Type 1: Using vinegar
Take 3 parts of water and one part of vinegar. splash it on the carpet surface. Then clean the carpet with a vacuum. Acetic acid a.k.a white vinegar can kill germs. It has been proven in some studies that vinegar can prevent the growth of, and even kill pathogenic bacteria. Hence, it can be used to get rid of bacteria in your carpet.
PRO TIP
This homemade solution coupled with a good quality steam cleaner will disinfect your carpet thoroughly. You may use the vinegar-water mixture as the cleaning solution for the steam cleaner if you have it at home. Just add the mixture to the steamer’s tank and clean the carpet in your usual manner. After that let the carpet dry out.
Type 2: Using a few powders
You might be looking for a stronger disinfectant than just vinegar and water. Well, let me introduce you to another homemade carpet disinfectant.
All you need to make this is 1/2 cup of baking soda, 1 cup of cornmeal, and 1 cup of borax powder. Mix them up properly, and your carpet disinfectant is ready.
Baking soda is a mild alkali. It causes dirt to break and grease to dissolve. Cornmeal is pretty good at drawing oil from your carpet. It will also absorb odors and leave your carpet fresh. Borax powder cleans by turning some molecules of water into hydrogen peroxide. This quality allows it to kill germs and pests.
Later, you can pour the mixture of vinegar and water onto the area of the carpet where you apply this homemade disinfectant powder on. It will guarantee even more effective disinfection.
Type 3: Using dishwashing liquid
This is a very simple recipe for a carpet disinfectant. You just need to mix vinegar with a few drops of dishwashing liquid. The enzymes in dishwashing detergent effectively get rid of germs. This is why it is known to kill any pathogens, including bacteria and viruses. You want to get your carpet free from these organisms, right?
Pour this solution after you have sprinkled baking soda all over the carpet. This will help in removing the stains as well as eliminating odors. That’s along with getting rid of bacteria in your carpet.
CAUTION!
Keep in mind that dishwashing liquid, mixed with water, causes lots of soap and bubbles. It is very hard to clean that soap from the carpet pile after that. The soap leftover on the carpet fabric is very sticky. It attracts dirt and dust. To avoid it, I advise you to take not more than a few drops of the dishwashing liquid. Make sure, you’ve rinsed it well from the carpet pile after cleaning. Then dry the carpet away properly to prevent mold appearance.
Type 4: Using baking soda only
Yup. Baking soda can act as a carpet disinfectant on its own as well. Brushing baking soda after spreading it generously throughout the carpet is very important. The deeper the powder particles go, the more your carpet will be disinfected.
Does Baking Soda Disinfect Carpet? Step-By-Step Guides for 2 DIY Methods
Are you a DIY kind of person? This is just the post for you. Learn how to use baking soda to disinfect you carpet.
Baking soda is an all-purpose powder for a reason. Not only can it disinfect a carpet but also deodorize it. It’s used to clean drains, bathtubs, and kitchen counters as well.
The chemical and physical properties of this sodium bicarbonate enable it to kill bacteria and germs.
Bonus variation of baking soda and vinegar cleaning solutions
I’ve already shared with you the recipes, based on baking soda and vinegar separately. Now I want to share with you the recipe for the great cleaner, based on their mixture. This solution works great and easily removes various kinds of stains. Very often carpet cleaning experts use this mixture, too.
Follow my instruction to prepare the solution correctly.
- Take 1 tablespoon of soda and put it onto the stain. Spread the soda powder on the stain carefully.
- Take a teaspoon of vinegar and pour it over the baking soda. As you’ve guessed, you can see the chemical reaction. The soda will fizz.
- Rub the soda and vinegar mixture on the stain gently with a brush or piece of a soft cloth.
- If the stain is complex or too old, then leave the soda and vinegar mixture on the carpet for 4-6 hours
- Take away the soda remnants with a vacuum cleaner or carpet brush. Make sure, that the carpet got completely dry.
This mixture has already saved lots of carpets from complex stains in the houses of my friends and my own house as well. I advise you to try it, too.
Watch this video to go deeper into the topic of creating homemade carpet cleaning recipes:
Benefits of Making Carpet Disinfectant at Home
I thought why not to share a few pros of making your carpet disinfectant at home.
1. Safety
Well, first and foremost, it’s safe. The ingredients we just saw above are all safe for children and pets. It doesn’t mean that you let them taste a homemade carpet disinfectant. Obviously, not. However, if someone accidentally comes in contact with it or inhales it, it won’t be risky.
2. Money saving
Secondly, you save money by making a disinfectant at home. Many products in the market are advertised as miracle carpet disinfectants. Unfortunately, quite a few of them don’t work as well as they claim. You get amazing results by using a homemade carpet disinfectant without spending a penny.
3. Always at hand
Another advantage worth noticing is that you can disinfect your carpet whenever you want. You aren’t dependent on a third-party disinfectant if you make your own. You can make your disinfection schedule without having to worry about the availability of an industrial cleaner
We have a post that elaborates on the process of disinfecting the carpet. I hope you will find it a very helpful step-by-step guide. Take a look at the following post.
How to Disinfect Carpet? 4 Methods & Step-By-Step Guide
Are you worried about the germs and allergens in your carpet? Disinfect your carpet today. This post has step-by-step guides for various disinfection methods.
Conclusion
Well, that was it. Enjoy trying these recipes out for making homemade carpet disinfectant. I hope you find the one that works best for your carpet. Nevertheless, use homemade recipes wisely. Never forget to do a pre-test on a small unnoticeable area of the rug before applying the homemade solution to the whole carpet surface.
If you feel, that homemade recipes are helpless in your situation, just look for the nearest carpet cleaning company in your area.
If you or any of your family members suffer from allergies, you might want to consider buying the best vacuum for allergies. Health should always be a priority.