Homemade Carpet Powder | 4 Effective Recipes

Learn to make homemade carpet powder with these 4 easy recipes. These are effective and natural alternatives to chemical products.

Carpets, when well-placed in the room, can revamp the whole outlook of the room. It can be used to highlight the theme, add a pop of color, or give a luxurious ambiance to the room. There are several ways you can use carpets for decorating the room, but it is also important to keep them clean. It can be a challenging task to keep carpets always fresh and clean, especially if you have many furry friends.

Carpet powders are commonly used for quick cleaning at home because it is not always feasible to get a professional cleaning done. Keeping them clean is necessary to avoid any infections and is essential if you have little kids crawling on the carpet or have pets. Cleaning can also help in getting rid of the unwanted smell.

Homemade Carpet Powder Recipes

1. Deodorizing Carpet Powder

1. Take 1 ½ cup baking soda and add ten drops of any essential oil of your choice. It depends on which aroma you would like.
2. Some essential oils also provide anti-bacterial properties such as lavender, tea tree, peppermint, etc.
3. Mix well to remove any lumps, and carpet powder is ready.

2. Natural Cleaning Carpet Powder

1. Combine ½ a cup each of borax and baking soda.
2. Now, add 30 drops of essential oils of your choice. Instead of essential oils, you can also use a teaspoon of powdered cinnamon or cloves for scent.

3. Anti-bacterial Carpet Powder

1. Take 2 cups of baking soda.
2. Add lavender, lemon fruit peel, and grapefruit peel in powdered form to it.
3. Mix well.

4. Cleaning Carpet Powder for Stains

1. Mix 2 cups of baking soda with ½ a cup each of cornstarch and cornmeal.
2. Add one tablespoon of borax and one teaspoon cinnamon powder.
3. Now, add 2-3 dried bay leaves.
4. Grind this whole mixture until the bay leaves are also in powdered form.

Commonly used in cleaners, baking soda can absorb odors and also help loosen up the dirt from the carpet fibers.

Borax provides extra cleaning power and is also a flea repellant. You can use it if you have pets but make sure they don’t lick it.

How to Use Carpet Powder

Dust off the carpet using a vacuum cleaner or broom. Now, sprinkle the powder on the whole carpet. Let it stay for about 15 minutes and then vacuum. This can be done weekly or just once a month, depending on the usage of the carpet and the activities around it.

Precautions

1. Not all vacuum cleaners are suitable for vacuuming powder, especially the new ones with good filters. These can clog motors. To avoid this problem, either use a thrift/old vacuum cleaner or clean filters immediately after vacuuming carpet powder.
2. Do not use ground cinnamon or cloves if you have a light-colored carpet. Instead, use essential oils to avoid discoloration.
3. Avoid using baking powder on a wet carpet or a wet stain as this will form a paste and would be difficult to get rid of.

These homemade carpet powders can help in getting rid of unpleasant odors, dirt, bacteria or provide basic cleaning but are not suitable for any tough stains. They can lighten them, but if you have a big tough stain, carpet powders won’t be 100 percent efficient.

Commercial vs Homemade

Commercial carpet powders are useful for cleaning, but they do not always list out all the ingredients used and hence can have pollutants or toxic ingredients.

Using homemade carpet cleaner provides a cheap solution that is free of chemicals and is safe for your pets and kids. All the common ingredients used, such as baking soda and borax, are free of chemicals such as phosphates and chlorine, which can be harmful.