Homemade Carpet Deodorizer for a Natural Clean
Freshen carpets naturally with this homemade carpet deodorizer. Easy to make, budget-friendly, and great for everyday odors. Great for homes with children and pets.
I have three pets, which means I know exactly what “the smell” is.
Not the obvious smell. The sneaky smell.
The one that slowly settles into carpet fibers until one day you walk into a room and think, “Why does it smell a little… off in here?”
That’s when I reach for this DIY carpet deodorizer.
I’ve tried store-bought powders before, but many of them have such a strong scent that they end up smelling more like perfume than a clean house. Sometimes I just want to get rid of the odor—not replace it with something that makes my eyes water.
That’s why I started making my own.
This DIY carpet deodorizer uses simple ingredients you probably already have at home. The star ingredient is baking soda, which helps absorb odor from carpet fibers while leaving everything smelling fresher. Add a few drops of your favorite essential oil and you can customize the scent however you’d like.
I especially love lavender because it’s clean and relaxing, but peppermint is another great option if you prefer something fresh and energizing. You can even add dried herbs for extra fragrance and visual appeal.
One thing I appreciate about this DIY carpet freshener is that it’s inexpensive. A large box of baking soda lasts a long time, and a little essential oil goes a surprisingly long way.
Another bonus? You can adjust the strength of the scent. If you’re sensitive to fragrances, use fewer drops. If you love a stronger fragrance, add a little more.
While this recipe works wonderfully on everyday carpet odor, it’s also helpful for rugs, pet areas, and even upholstery. I’ve used it after muddy paws, wet dog days, and small spills that left lingering smells behind.
Is Homemade Carpet Deodorizer Safe?
This homemade carpet deodorizer uses common household ingredients, but you’ll still want to take a few precautions.
If you have kids or pets, keep them away from the area while the powder is sitting on the carpet. Once you’ve vacuumed everything up, the room is ready to use again.
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.
Why This Natural Carpet Deodorizer Works
The secret is baking soda.
Baking soda naturally absorbs odor rather than simply covering it up. That’s why you’ll find it in so many cleaning products.
For even more deodorizing power, I like adding borax. Borax helps tackle stubborn odor issues and works especially well in homes with pets. Combined with baking soda, it creates a simple but effective natural carpet deodorizer.
The mixture also helps freshen areas affected by minor spills, muddy footprints, and everyday household smells.
Customize Your Scent
One of the best things about making a DIY carpet freshener yourself is choosing the fragrance. Try:
- Lavender for a calming fragrance
- Peppermint for a clean, fresh scent
- Citrus oils for a bright smell
- Rosemary and other herbs for an earthy aroma
You can also mix herbs directly into the powder. Dried lavender buds are a favorite, but rosemary and other herbs work beautifully too.
One more thing. This is a freshener – not a stain remover. Check out this homemade stain remover or how to remove pet stains from carpet.
Get the recipe below:
DIY Carpet Deodorizer
Equipment
Materials
- 1 cup baking soda
- 1/2 cup Borax
- Essential oil(s) 20-30 drops
Video
Instructions
- Add the baking soda and Borax to a shaker container.
- Add about 20-30 drops of essential oil to the container. If desired, stir in dried herbs.
- Close the container and shake until the mixture is well combined. Let the mixture sit for several hours so the oils can distribute evenly.
- To use, sprinkle on the carpet or rug and let sit for about 10 minutes. Vacuum up immediately.
Notes
- For tough odor problems, leave the DIY carpet deodorizer on the carpet longer before vacuuming.
- This recipe works well on area rugs too.
- The powder can help freshen spots affected by minor spills.
Have you tried this? How do you keep your carpets fresh? Let me know if it worked great in the comments! I’d also love for you to check out the following household posts:
Cleaning Tips • DIY Headlight Restoration • DIY Soft Scrub • Dye a Baseball Hat • Granite Cleaner • Silica Gel Uses
Essential oils can be toxic to dogs. A quick google search will show you this.
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.
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!
Hello,
Love the recipe but really interested in your recipe!
Please share. I’ve never used lemongrass before…
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!
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!
Pleasure!!
many essential oils are very harmful to pets especially peppermint oil.
My friend is a vet and I asked her about this coincidentally! In this manner and type of exposure and quantity it is not harmful to pets.
We just purchased a cottage, and haven’t had a chance to take out the old carpet yet, we will try this recipe and see if it helps! I would much rather make my own than purchase it from a store!
Looks easy, thanks for the DIY recipe! Just a question, this will deodorize the carpet, will it disinfect as well? Thanks!
It will not disinfect. BUt I did find this! https://www.republicworld.com/lifestyle/home/how-to-disinfect-carpet-steps-to-remove-bacteria-from-carpet.html
With three kids and two dogs, I swear my carpets always smell like something funky!! I typically get a carpet cleaning twice a year to combat all the messes and smells that end up on my floors, but this recipe will be perfect for keeping my carpets smelling good in between those cleanings. I just bought some new lavender essential oil, so I’m excited to use it in this recipe!
Holy moly!! Day 3 and I finally got to the directions! 😒😂
@Abby, hahaha. And still no true measurements
There’s a jump button bro. Plus my measurements aren’t going to match anyone else’s. Everyone will have a different size container depending on what they purchase or have to reuse. Plus you just don’t need “exact” measurements for a successful recipe.
@Abby, there’s a jump button at the top you could’ve skipped right to it – it’s big and very noticeable . . .