Best Homemade Carpet Cleaner for Homes with Pets
Ingredients for Homemade Carpet Cleaner
- Borax
- baking soda
- white vinegar
- lemons/lemon juice
Best Carpet Cleaning Products for Homes with Pets
When you live in a house with dogs or cats you find out very quickly that you need to use carpet cleaning products that eliminate odors, remove stains, and pull out dander and pet hair. Many store bought products claim to do these things (and some of them actually do a decent job). However, many of the chemicals that are in these products are not healthy for you or your pet. The best carpet cleaning products are ones that are safe and effective.
By making homemade carpet cleaning products you can achieve a fresh smelling, stain free, and hair free environment while at the same time keeping your pets and family members safe. I first started making my own homemade carpet cleaners about five years ago when I realized that my one dog was breaking out in rashes on his belly. It had been happening on and off for years and I finally realized the cause of the rashes were the chemical-filled products I was using. Once I made the switch, he never had skin problems again. My son's allergies improved as well since the homemade products I used actually did a better job of getting the pet hair and dander out of my carpeting.
Carpet Cleaning Guide
Ingredients
| Amounts
| Best Used For
| Directions
|
|---|---|---|---|
baking soda
| 1/2-1 cup depending on size of room
| daily or weekly freshness
| sprinkle on carpet, let sit for at least 10 minutes and then vacuum as you normally would
|
baking soda and vinegar and water
| ratios of 1 part baking soda with 1 part vinegar and 2 parts water
| reducing odor
| baking soda on carpet then spray the vinegar/water mixture over baking soda covered carpet, let sit for a few minutes or even overnight and vacuum thoroughly after vinegar and water dry
|
baking soda, vinegar, water, and dish detergent or vegetable based liquid soap
| mix 1 part vinegar with 3 parts water and a small amount of liquid soap/ keep baking soda seperate
| removing stains
| Scrub the area with a microfiner towel or sponge dipped in the liquid solution. After scrubbing well, sprinkle a little baking soda on, let sit for 5 mins. and then scrub again with the liquid solution. Use a clean wet rag to wipe up excess baking soda. Let it dry and then vacuum the area well.
|
vinegar and/or lemon juice
| depending on the odor you may need to use straight white viinegar or fresh lemon juice, otherwise you can dillute it to no less than 1 part vinegar to 10 parts water
| eliminating strong odors
| pour a little vinegar or lemon juice right onto the area and then press down into the fibers, Soak up everything with dry rags. After area is dry you can also sprinkle with baking soda and vacuum for a fresher smell.
|
Borax
| 1/2-1 cup
| preventing or fighting fleas
| sprinkle on carpet, let sit overnight and vacuum in the morning
|
vinegar and water
| 1 to 3 ratio of vinegar to water
| steam cleaners
| put in place of regular steam cleaning liquid and use cleaner as usual
|
Steam Cleaner Review
- Must-Have Carpet Deep Cleaner for Homeowners
A heated deep cleaner for carpets is essential for every homeowner. This review shows why the Bissell PROheat is an excellent choice.
Using Homemade Cleaners in Steam Machines
The best homemade carpet cleaner is one that is made of natural ingredients yet provides a deep clean. Depending on the type of carpet you have and the amount of traffic it gets, the equipment you use to clean the carpet could be just as important as the cleaner. A good steam cleaner will have chemical filled liquids sold right next to it, but you can just use vinegar and water instead and still have excellent results. The mixture will not harm your cleaner in any way.
Steam Cleaners Designed for Pet Owners
Tips for Cleaning Carpets with Homemade Cleaners
Since homemade cleaners do not have chemicals, it takes a little bit more work to use them. However, I have found the few extra minutes are worth it. Here are a few things you need to keep in mind when you use homemade carpet cleaners of any kind.
- The machine you use is sometimes more important than what you put into it. Pay the money to have quality cleaning equipment in your home.
- Homemade cleaners work best when you deal with the mess/pet stain immediately.
- Many times the cleaning procedure needs to be repeated two-three times to achieve the desired result.
- Make only enough cleaner to deal with the targeted area and dispose of unused mixes; do not store them.
- Always test a small area of your carpet and adjust ratio of ingredients as needed for your carpet. Dark carpets may benefit from less vinegar and lemon juice.
For stubborn or very dark messes or stains, check out my article on homemade carpet stain remover.
Is Vinegar Safe for Carpets?
Vinegar is very acidic and if not diluted, it can take the coloring out of carpeting. However, when diluted, vinegar is very safe and effective in cleaning carpets and keeping them free of bacteria which can cause odors.
Cleaning Pet Stains Naturally
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Natural Ways to Deal with Cat Urine Smell
Use a Black Light to Find Cat Urine in Your Home
Dealing with Cat Urine
Cat urine is one of the most difficult pet smells to deal with, especially if that urine had gotten into your carpet and carpet padding. Many times people think they have eliminated the odor, only to find it has returned a few weeks later. Since cat urine naturally has ammonia in it, using vinegar to clean and neutralize the smell is one of the first things you can try. You can also try making a homemade enzyme cleaner which will react with the contents of the urine and naturally neutralize it. However, many people will find that using liquid products causes the smell to go away immediately but resurface at a later time. Here are some ways you can use natural liquid cleaners and completely dry up the area so the smell does not return:
- When cleaning with vinegar or liquid enzyme cleaner, dry the area immediately with absorbent rags. You can stack books or other heavy objects on the cleaned area overnight to absorb all moisture.
- After cleaning the area with liquid cleaners, wait about 2-3 hours and then sprinkle the area with baking soda and rub the baking soda into the carpet. Let sit for about an hour and then vacuum well.
- A day or two after cleaning the area, use a black light to see if any urine is still present. If so clean the area again and follow the above drying techniques.
The video to the right and this article on dealing with cat urine also offers additional tips for dealing with the smell and the cause.
