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DIY Carpet Deodorizer (Two Ingredients & It Works!)

This DIY carpet deodorizer REALLY WORKS! You don’t need to buy anything with chemicals – this carpet freshener uses just two ingredients. Great for homes with children and pets.

Skills Required: None. You can make this homemade carpet deodorizer even if you’ve never made anything before. You’re mixing a powder with essential oils – that’s it!

Two Ingredient DIY Carpet Deodorizer Powder

We have a brand new home and brand new carpet – yet we still use carpet deodorizer. Why? Because we have three pets. Pets that love to go outside.

And while we wash them regularly, it rains here a lot in the Pacific Northwest, and that sometimes causes a doggy smell to occur. When we get pet odors in the carpet fibers, we bust out the homemade carpet freshener.

I’ve found that vacuuming alone doesn’t always work, even with a fabulous vacuum that cleans well. Sometimes you need a little something extra to battle those odors!

Steve recently purchased a name brand carpet odor eliminator (basically a carpet powder) and used it, but it gives me a big headache. I hate the smell. That’s why I love to make my own homemade cleaners. I just don’t like those fake smells.

Baking soda, essential oils, and a shaker container

I decided it was time to make my own DIY carpet deodorizer with natural ingredients. I totally support having a carpet and room that smells good and not like wet dog, but I needed something that didn’t give me a headache.

This was the happy medium. Not only that, but I got my baking soda (the main ingredient!) at Costco for just under $7 for a 13.5 pound bag. Score!

Is DIY Carpet Deodorizer Safe for Kids and Pets?

Your kids are going to be fine. The ingredients in your deodorizer powder are pure baking soda but also essential oils. These are both safe if applied to the carpet and then vacuumed up.

For pets, certain essential oils are not safe. See the list here. Lavender is a favorite of mine that is safe for cats and dogs. If you have any concerns or your pet is sensitive, ask your vet.

You do need to remember that baking soda is a leavening agent. When it’s combined with heat in your pet’s stomach in large amounts, it will release dangerous gasses and can cause problems and even heart failure.

If you apply this to your carpet and leave it, section off the area so that your pet can’t access the mixture. My pets had no interest in this carpet freshener, but that doesn’t mean yours won’t.

Are you ready for the recipe?

How to make carpet freshener

Not only is this two-ingredient carpet freshener all natural (so no toxic chemicals), but it’s very effective. You are going to love the smell it disperses throughout your home!

Part of that depends on the essential oil you pick, but I’ll leave that up to you! I’m partial to lemongrass, peppermint, and lavender – customize this recipe with your favorite. I also love lavender essential oil.

Gather These Supplies

Tips on Usage

To use your natural carpet deodorizer, sprinkle on the carpet or rug and let sit for about 10 minutes. Then vacuum up immediately. Your carpet or rug is going to smell amazing!

If you don’t get all of the powder up the first time, run over the area again and again until it’s gone. Your vacuum will smell great too!

For tougher odors, you can leave this mixture on the carpet up to 24 hours. This powder is especially great for picking up wet spills or grease that you haven’t had a chance to get rid of. It leaves them smelling oh-so-fresh!

Will This Carpet Powder Remove Stains?

No – this is a carpet freshener – not a stain remover. Check out this homemade carpet stain remover or how to remove pet stains from carpet.

This carpet powder will soak up moisture, but it’s not going to remove something that has changed the color of the carpet. I suggest cleaning the carpet first and then using this carpet freshener!

Yield: 1 jar

DIY Carpet Deodorizer

Carpet deodorizer shaken out

Make this DIY carpet freshener with just a few simple ingredients! This homemade carpet deodorizer will make your entire home smell great.

Prep Time 5 minutes
Active Time 10 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Difficulty Easy
Estimated Cost $4

Materials

  • Pure baking soda
  • Essential oil(s)

Tools

  • Dredge shaker

Instructions

  1. Fill the shaker about halfway full of pure baking soda.Adding baking soda to the bottle
  2. Place about 7 - 8 drops of your favorite essential oil in the container.Putting essential oil drops in the container with baking soda
  3. Shake the container, then repeat step one and two so that the container is full to the top with baking soda. Let the mixture sit for a day or two so the oils have a chance to spread out.Carpet deodorizer shaken out
  4. To use your natural carpet deodorizer, sprinkle on the carpet or rug and let sit for about 10 minutes. Vacuum up immediately.

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Did you make this project?

Please leave a rating or share a photo on Pinterest!


Have you tried this? How do you keep your carpet fresh? Let me know in the comments! If you like this article, check out our amazing household cleaning tips! I’d also love for you to check out the following household posts:

All Purpose CleanerCleaning ScheduleCleaning TipsDIY Soft ScrubGranite CleanerHomemade CleanersKitchen Cleaning HacksLaundry HacksLiquid Laundry DetergentWindow Cleaner

DIY Carpet Deodorizer Web Story

Jessica

Sunday 4th of June 2023

Essential oils can be toxic to dogs. A quick google search will show you this.

Amy

Sunday 4th of June 2023

Yep. And there's a list of ones that are safe too: https://pupford.com/essential-oils-and-dogs/ Found it with a quick Google search.

Michael

Tuesday 23rd of May 2023

Great recipe. I’m allergic to chemical smells so I have a reaction to store bought deodorizer. The lemongrass smells amazing. I moved into a rental house with terrible pet odor. They previously had 6 cats and 2 dog’s living in it.

After (2) 24 hour extra strong treatments, the house smells amazing. I can’t thank you enough!

Mimi

Saturday 29th of October 2022

Hello, Love the recipe but really interested in your recipe! Please share. I've never used lemongrass before...

Leslie

Monday 14th of March 2022

Thank you for this recipe. Despite one disclaimer from an earlier commenter, some essential oils can be toxic for pets, particularly cats. There are many that you can't safely use with cats, but citrus oils can be a particular problem. (There's a reason that citrus oils are often used in cat repellants.) There are some that are not safe for dogs. Check with your own vet or visit a legitimate veterinary web site, like the ones from Tufts or Cornell. A caution notice to this post would be helpful. Thanks again!

Michael

Monday 30th of August 2021

Thank you for this! I am excited to have a version of those toxic commercial products that I feel comfortable using in my home. And I can change it up with different oils!

Amy

Monday 30th of August 2021

Pleasure!!

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