How To Make An All-Natural Carpet Deodorizer

Between cooking odors, pet smells, and the general aromas of day-to-day life, carpeting can get pretty, well, smelly. And when it does, many of us turn to the sprays and powders available on the market that promise to make your carpeting smell fresh and clean. I don't know about you, but I have never had the greatest results with these products. Let's see. Those sprays that promise to eliminate odors, leaving your carpet smelling clean and fresh? The clean smell went away as soon as the spray dried. Aerosol sprays that claim they will make your carpeting smell like apples and cinnamon? Well. Mine smelled like apples and cinnamon, with a bit German Shepherd mixed in. Yuck. And then, there are those powders that you shake all over your rug, let sit, and then vacuum up. My only problem with those was that, while they did remove the odors (I suppose...) they left my entire house smelling like a cheap perfume counter for days afterward. Add to that the fact that I'm not crazy about letting my kids crawl around on something that's been doused with chemicals, and I knew there had to be a better solution.

There is, and, as with most things, if you want something done right, you'll have to do it yourself! This homemade concoction will remove odors, leave your carpet smelling fresh, is inexpensive, and is completely all natural. Want to learn how to make it? It's way tough, so pay close attention!

1. Pour one small box of baking soda into the container of your choice (more on this later.)
2. Add a couple of handfuls of aromatic flowers or leaves (see sidebar for some ideas here.)
3. Add a drop or two of essential oils, if you want more fragrance. If you just want a light, clean scent, or if you don't have essential oils on hand, feel free to skip this step.
4. Shake or stir to combine.

How do you use it? Like those gag-me perfumey powders, you shake it all over your carpet, and let it sit anywhere from one hour to overnight. Vacuum it up, and your carpet will smell clean and fresh.

This is a very inexpensive solution, especially if you have aromatics on hand or can get them in bulk from a health food store or bulk market. The container you choose to store it in can be anything you want. I like to use Mason jars, because I think they're pretty, and I like the way this looks sitting in my pantry. But you can use anything: washed plastic peanut butter jars, small coffee cans, or inexpensive canisters all work well. To make your container a shaker as well, you'll have to either drill your holes as large as the aromatics you've chosen, or you'll have to grind your aromatics in a blender to give them a finer texture. This can be a good thing to do anyway, because you'll have more of the aromatics going through the baking soda.

Why Does This Work?

It works simply. Baking soda is a proven deodorizer. It absorbs odors, which is why so many of us keep a box in the fridge. The aromatics give the baking soda a light scent once you combine them, so once you sprinkle it onto your carpets, unpleasant odors are replaced with light, natural fragrance.

Unlike those store-bought concoctions, this really works, and you will feel good about using it in your home, around children and pets.