Home Made Carpet/Cloth Upholstery Deodorizer

Dingy carpets needing a refresher?

                      

We've had our dog for about 2 months now. When we got her, I was determined that my house would NOT smell like dog. I don't want anyone who comes into my home to know that I have a dog unless they see her.

Between the dog and young kids, my carpets can quickly absorb all sorts of smells...and even if I vacuum every day, some things still linger...UNLESS I use a really simple homemade (and green) carpet deodorizer. This is a good in-between if you're not feeling like you're at the point where you need to shampoo your carpets, but if you need an extra boost of freshness.

Things you'll need: 

• Baking Soda
• Essential Oils (OPTIONAL, but it adds a really nice fragrance. I like to use Peppermint, Eucalyptus, and Lavender - 3 drops of each. It's a fresh, relaxing and invigorating scent.)
• A sprinkle bottle/shaker can (you can use an old parmesan cheese container, a mason jar with holes poked in the lid, or they even sell 12 oz baking soda bottles with a sprinkle top.)

Directions:

1. Measure out 3 cups of baking soda and place in a plastic bowl. 
2. Add 9-10 drops of your favorite essential oils. 
3. Mix well, and eliminate any clumps in the baking soda. 
4. Place in your shaker of choice. 
5. Take your homemade carpet deodorize and sprinkle very lightly across carpets or rugs (or even cloth upholstered furniture). This amount should cover about 500 square feet of carpet. Let it sit for at least 15 minutes, then vacuum up. With this deodorizer, though, I think the longer it sits the better. It's my recommendation to just sprinkle things all over the carpet right before you go to bed, and when you wake up the next morning, you can vacuum and have extra fresh carpets. The overnight method gives the baking soda LOTS of time to absorb strong odors. 
6. Enjoy fresh carpets for the next 3 hours until your youngest gets her hands on a brand new bottle of parmesan cheese and dumps it all out behind the living room chair. But hey! Now you have an empty bottle to use for your homemade carpet deodorizer. That living room area will probably need some attention.