This Easy DIY Is The Most Affordable Way To Freshen Carpet

blond woman pouring powder on a rug/vacuum taking powder off rug

Freshen Up Carpet With This Easy DIY Carpet Powder

I don’t do it every day, but sometimes it’s nice to boost the “clean smell” of the house by sprinkling my carpets with a little deodorizing carpet powder. (I can only imagine that if you had pets it would be more of a necessity than a nicety!)

But rather than spending $5 on a bottle of carpet powder with all sorts of strange and hard-to-pronounce ingredients, I decided I’d whip up a batch of my very own deodorizing carpet powder! It worked wonderfully, and I’ve been using it ever since!

Related: Here Are 7 Quick And Easy Ways To Deal With Musty Smells

While this DIY carpet powder might not remove tough stains from your carpet, it’s made from all natural ingredients, and it’s also made with products you can easily find. It’s fairly inexpensive to make, too!

Related: Make This Carpet Machine Solution To Save A Fortune

Since my homemade carpet powder relies on essential oils for its freshening power, it has other benefits too. Essential oils not only smell great, but they can also improve your mood, clear your sinuses, or even make you feel more energized.

How To Make A Natural Carpet Powder

deodorizing carpet powder ingredients on white background

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup borax
  • 1/2 cup baking soda
  • 30 drops essential oil(s)
    OR
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon or cloves
  • Glass jar
woman's hand pouring borax from measuring cup into jar

Directions:

Start by combining the borax and baking soda in a glass jar. Using borax around the house is not only safe, but offers similar benefits to baking soda in terms of absorbing dirt and odors.

woman's hand putting essential oil into powder in a jar

Add around 30 drops of your essential oil(s) of choice, then put the lid on the jar and shake until the mixture is free of lumps.

woman's hand putting a spoonful of cinnamon into jar of white powder

If you don’t have essential oils on hand, you can add a teaspoon of cinnamon or ground cloves for scent instead. (Or why not combine the two? Try 20 drops of sweet orange essential oil and 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon for a scent inspired by homemade orange rolls – yum!)

blond woman using cordless vacuum to get powder off rug

How To Use Your Natural Carpet Powder

Simply shake the powder onto your carpets, and let sit for 15 to 20 minutes before vacuuming thoroughly.

vacuum taking powder off rug

Bonus Tips For Success

  1. Avoid ground cinnamon or cloves if you have a lighter colored carpet, because it could cause discoloration. If it’s the scent you’re after, you could use cinnamon or clove essential oil instead.
  2. If you or someone in your household is sensitive to smells, use plain baking soda as a carpet powder instead. It can effectively absorb odors on its own.

How do you freshen up your carpets?

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Jill Nystul Photo

Jill Nystul (aka Jillee)

Jill Nystul is an accomplished writer and author who founded the blog One Good Thing by Jillee in 2011. With over 30 years of experience in homemaking, she has become a trusted resource for contemporary homemakers by offering practical solutions to everyday household challenges.I share creative homemaking and lifestyle solutions that make your life easier and more enjoyable!

About Jillee

Jill Nystul

Jill’s 30 years of homemaking experience, make her the trusted source for practical household solutions.

About Jillee

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16 Comments

  1. I only use Baking Soda and let it sit for 5 mins then vacuum. I have a cat that is 11 yrs old and loves to smell and taste things. lol So, I have to be careful.

    Please log in or create a free account to comment.
  2. Ok so I have read several things about essential oils and cats (sorry I do not have dogs) and these oils are NEVER good for cats at any time any where. They do not have the means to metabolize the phenols in these oils and can cause a lot of bad side effects. The only reason I say anything is because I have five fur babies and try to make sure I don’t do anything that will hurt or effect them. But I do love a LOT of Jillie’s recipes for sure. This one I can’t do for the above reason. Do your research if you have pets. Thanks Jillie for all you awesome tips, I do/use a lot of them. :-)

    Please log in or create a free account to comment.
  3. Borax should never be used around pets where it could accidentally be ingested per my vet.

    Please log in or create a free account to comment.
  4. Works like a charm every time! I have loved this powder and my daughter has started to love making it with her favorite essential oils. We usually have a professional carpet cleaning service out once a year to reset our carpets and then use the powder once a week and our carpets always smell great. Thanks for sharing.

    Please log in or create a free account to comment.
  5. Love this post! I am going to try this today as I have small animals and teenage children and this mix can cause overwhelming aromas, so I’m going to mix up a batch or two, and freshen up my carpets throughout my house.
    Cheers from Auckland New Zealand.

    Please log in or create a free account to comment.
  6. 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!

    Please log in or create a free account to comment.
  7. Research essential oils prior citrus oils are toxic to cats not sure about dogs. It causes either kidney or liver damage I’m not sure which one

    Please log in or create a free account to comment.
  8. Made this and loved it. Just went to use it only to find the kids had used it up and put the empty container away. Oh well, the borax was out for making laundry soap, so I’ll just whip up some more.

    Please log in or create a free account to comment.
  9. I have yet to find a newletter of Jillee’s that DOESN’T have great tips I use and comments that bring up other things. I am definitely using this one, with a cat and old carpet (and a husband;)). Thanks Jillee!

    Please log in or create a free account to comment.
  10. LOVE THIS! Used just baking soda & cinnamon and it was subtle & delightful! THANK YOU!

    Please log in or create a free account to comment.
  11. I use pretty much the same recipe, with 1 difference. I grind 1/4 cup of Purex Crystals until it’s powder. Add it to the Borax and Baking soda. It smells amazing, and the scent refreshes every time I run the vacuum!

    Please log in or create a free account to comment.
    • No. It is dangerous to use borax around pets. This works well without the borax.

      Please log in or create a free account to comment.
      • OOOOh, good to know, thanks!

  12. Our camper carpet needed freshening. So, surprisingly, my hubby looked online for just such a recipe. The one he found was similar, except it called for whole cloves. The reason stated was more antibacterial power. It also included bay leaves. (It was all mixed in the blender)

    Please log in or create a free account to comment.
  13. We inherited an oriental that had been very friendly with a dog, and smelled like it!. I didn’t know that borax could be in this recipe, but found that baking soda, with rosemary, lemongrass and lavender essential oils shaken together and applied as Jillee describes above worked amazingly well.

    Please log in or create a free account to comment.

Leave a Comment

16 Comments

  1. I only use Baking Soda and let it sit for 5 mins then vacuum. I have a cat that is 11 yrs old and loves to smell and taste things. lol So, I have to be careful.

    Please log in or create a free account to comment.
  2. Ok so I have read several things about essential oils and cats (sorry I do not have dogs) and these oils are NEVER good for cats at any time any where. They do not have the means to metabolize the phenols in these oils and can cause a lot of bad side effects. The only reason I say anything is because I have five fur babies and try to make sure I don’t do anything that will hurt or effect them. But I do love a LOT of Jillie’s recipes for sure. This one I can’t do for the above reason. Do your research if you have pets. Thanks Jillie for all you awesome tips, I do/use a lot of them. :-)

    Please log in or create a free account to comment.
  3. Borax should never be used around pets where it could accidentally be ingested per my vet.

    Please log in or create a free account to comment.
  4. Works like a charm every time! I have loved this powder and my daughter has started to love making it with her favorite essential oils. We usually have a professional carpet cleaning service out once a year to reset our carpets and then use the powder once a week and our carpets always smell great. Thanks for sharing.

    Please log in or create a free account to comment.
  5. Love this post! I am going to try this today as I have small animals and teenage children and this mix can cause overwhelming aromas, so I’m going to mix up a batch or two, and freshen up my carpets throughout my house.
    Cheers from Auckland New Zealand.

    Please log in or create a free account to comment.
  6. 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!

    Please log in or create a free account to comment.
  7. Research essential oils prior citrus oils are toxic to cats not sure about dogs. It causes either kidney or liver damage I’m not sure which one

    Please log in or create a free account to comment.
  8. Made this and loved it. Just went to use it only to find the kids had used it up and put the empty container away. Oh well, the borax was out for making laundry soap, so I’ll just whip up some more.

    Please log in or create a free account to comment.
  9. I have yet to find a newletter of Jillee’s that DOESN’T have great tips I use and comments that bring up other things. I am definitely using this one, with a cat and old carpet (and a husband;)). Thanks Jillee!

    Please log in or create a free account to comment.
  10. LOVE THIS! Used just baking soda & cinnamon and it was subtle & delightful! THANK YOU!

    Please log in or create a free account to comment.
  11. I use pretty much the same recipe, with 1 difference. I grind 1/4 cup of Purex Crystals until it’s powder. Add it to the Borax and Baking soda. It smells amazing, and the scent refreshes every time I run the vacuum!

    Please log in or create a free account to comment.
    • No. It is dangerous to use borax around pets. This works well without the borax.

      Please log in or create a free account to comment.
      • OOOOh, good to know, thanks!

  12. Our camper carpet needed freshening. So, surprisingly, my hubby looked online for just such a recipe. The one he found was similar, except it called for whole cloves. The reason stated was more antibacterial power. It also included bay leaves. (It was all mixed in the blender)

    Please log in or create a free account to comment.
  13. We inherited an oriental that had been very friendly with a dog, and smelled like it!. I didn’t know that borax could be in this recipe, but found that baking soda, with rosemary, lemongrass and lavender essential oils shaken together and applied as Jillee describes above worked amazingly well.

    Please log in or create a free account to comment.