This Homemade Carpet Cleaner Solution Makes Stains Disappear

If you’re looking for the best homemade carpet cleaner solution, you’ve come to the right place! The carpet shampoo recipe I’m sharing in this post uses white vinegar to dissolve dirt and eliminate odors, rubbing alcohol for faster drying, and Lysol laundry sanitizer for an antibacterial boost. It’s the best carpet cleaner solution for your budget and for keeping carpet and area rugs free of dirt, spills, and stubborn stains.

Whether you plan to use this frugal homemade carpet cleaning solution in a Bissell machine you have at home or in a commercial carpet shampooer, it’s an effective way to clean your entire carpet or a single area of carpet. Plus, you’ll save a fortune when you make a homemade solution compared to the cost of hiring professional carpet cleaning services.

What to Do Before Using This DIY Carpet Cleaner

Before firing up your carpet cleaning machine, there are two things you should do first: vacuum thoroughly with your vacuum cleaner, and pre-treat tough carpet stains. Vacuuming the carpet beforehand will make it easier for both the machine and cleaning solution to do their jobs, while pre-treating stains will make them easier to remove and less likely to leave behind any visible discoloration.

Here are some tips for tackling some of most common carpet stains:

Pet Stains

Vinegar and baking soda are great for spot cleaning pet stains, but the method does take a bit of time. I recommend cleaning the stain from a pet accident a day or two before you plan to use your homemade carpet cleaner recipe. Just saturate the stain with vinegar, cover it with baking soda, let it dry, then vacuum it up!

Candle Wax

Getting wax out of carpet may take a bit of time depending on how bad the spill is, but it isn’t difficult, and all you need is a stack of newspaper and your iron. Just lay a piece of newspaper over the wax, and place your hot iron over it (without steam, obviously!) Continue using fresh newspaper until you’ve pulled up all the wax.

Permanent Marker

I’ve found rubbing alcohol to be an effective carpet solution for removing marker stains. Just pour it onto the stain, then blot with a damp cloth to lift the ink out. (If the stain doesn’t disappear completely, you may be able to use your clothes iron to remove the rest of it!)

Blood

Nosebleeds, accident-prone kids, unnoticed cuts and scrapes — we’ve all dealt with a blood stain on carpeting at some point! Get blood out of carpet quickly and effectively with hydrogen peroxide.

Other Stains

For other stains — from spilled food to mud and beyond — I always keep a spray bottle of my trusty homemade carpet stain remover handy so I can treat new stains as soon as I notice them. This simple combination of water, borax, vinegar, and lemon oil is easy to use and works great — just spray this homemade rug cleaner on the stain, let it sit for 5-10 minutes, then blot (don’t scrub) with a damp cloth.

For much more on this topic, be sure to check out my guide on how to remove carpet stains! It includes a variety of homemade stain remover solutions, as well as straightforward tips for treating stains with dishwashing liquid and other simple household cleaners.

How to Make the Best Homemade Carpet Cleaner Solution

Ingredients:

• Warm water
• 1 cup rubbing alcohol
• 2 capfuls Lysol Laundry Sanitizer (filled to lower line)
• White vinegar

Directions:

Fill the water reservoir about halfway full with clean, warm water.

Then add the rubbing alcohol and Lysol Laundry Sanitizer. 

Next, pour white vinegar into the tank until the level of the liquid reaches the “max fill” or “fill to here” line on the tank.

To use this DIY carpet cleaner solution, place the tank of cleaning solution into the machine, then clean your carpets according to the manufacturer’s instructions. (No need to rinse afterward!) The cleaning solution will eliminate dirt, germs, and odors, leaving your carpet softer and cleaner than you ever knew it could be. 

Note: Some carpet cleaning machine manufacturers warn against using anything other than their own special cleaning solution in their machines. Just something to be aware of (but I will say that I’ve personally used homemade cleaning solutions in many different carpet cleaners and spot machines without any problems! Also, I originally used Lysol concentrate in this recipe, but it isn’t available now. The Lysol Laundry Sanitizer works wonderfully, and you can even get different scents.)

Why Laundry Detergent Isn’t a Good Choice for Carpet Cleaning Solutions

Some people advocate for using diluted laundry detergent for carpet cleaning purposes, but here’s why I don’t recommend it:

• Laundry detergent is highly concentrated, making it difficult to rinse out of carpet.
• Lingering residues in carpet can attract more dirt and compound the problem.
• Soaking your carpet in an attempt to rinse it clean can lead to mold problems.

That being said, you can use a heavily diluted laundry detergent solution on carpet if that’s your only option. Just remember the same rule that applies to laundry: more detergent isn’t always better! Also, be sure to spot test your detergent solution in an inconspicuous area before using it on a larger area of the carpet.

BONUS: How to Keep Clean Carpet Looking Great

Once your carpet is clean, the best way to keep it that way is by vacuuming it regularly. Vacuuming not only keeps dirt and allergens to a minimum, but it will extend the life of your carpet. Use your homemade carpet cleaner solution every few months where needed, especially areas of heavy traffic.

You can also draw dirt, moisture, and odors out of the fibers of your carpet by making a simple DIY carpet powder with baking soda, borax, and essential oils. Just sprinkle it over your carpet, let it sit for a while, then vacuum it up for cleaner, fresher-smelling carpet!

Have you tried to make homemade carpet cleaners before?

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