DIY carpet freshener

If you have a furry friend that can sometimes leave mess around the house than you are probably used to cleaning the carpets? I have a beautiful long haired cat, but he likes to groom himself silly and this often results in a hairball (or two) and he never does it on the tiles, always the carpet!

We only installed new carpet recently so I went searching for a way I can freshen it after accidents like these. I should probably mention that I am very clumsy, it looks like I have pinned all of my carpet woes on the cat but to be honest I do drop things (red wine, food and even makeup) on the carpet and sofa often. This is why we decided to get dark brown carpet, but I still need a good way to quickly and easily freshen carpet and upholstery as I find the regular carpet cleaners don’t do enough to help lift the odours.

Here is a recipe I have been using, Although it does not completely lift stains (like red wine) it does wonders for removing the odours that may come with these little accidents.

You will need: 

• 1/2 cup Baking soda
• 12 drops of essential oils (any fragrance you like)
• Jar or container for storage

The baking soda helps absorb odours and the essential oils leave behind a delicious smell, I chose lavender because it is my favourite but you could use a lemon for fresher scent, or whatever you like!

As soon as you spill something or notice mess on the carpet or upholstery clean up as much of it as you can (either by removing it with some paper towel or vacuuming it up). If you are dealing with a nasty stain, like red wine, use your normal cleaning routine or try this one out. Next, pat the area dry with paper towel, but don’t rub this will just drive the stain and odours further into the fibres. Sprinkle the baking soda mix over the area generously and leave it for 15-20 minutes to absorb. Vacuum the mix up and you should notice a delightful scent left behind.

You can use this mix on any materials, carpet, couches even cars and car seats to help freshen up after life’s little messes.

Do you have a secret carpet freshening recipe or routine?