Natural Carpet Cleaning Recipes

If you are looking for reasons to ditch your toxic household cleaners and switch to non toxic natural cleaners you need look no further than the dirtiest, most used area of your home - your carpet! Consider this:

Carpet cleaning products, especially those used as a spot or stain remover, are often made with chemicals that dissolve dirt without soap and water. Because they are not rinsed with water they leave residues and strong odors behind. These fumes and odors are often created from toxic substances such as formaldehyde, acids, pesticides, disinfectants, lye, fragrances, and antibacterial chemicals all of which are harmful to your wellbeing in so many ways.

After cleaning the carpet, the residues of these chemicals remain on the carpet where they are easily transferred to skin, feet, and onto hands where they can make their way into the mouth especially by children and pets.

Using natural cleaning products is the way to go for sure and certainly there are more and more natural cleaning products on the market but you have to be sure of what's in your cleaner. You can read the labels but be warned; as with most household cleaners, reading the label on carpet cleaners may not be enough.

Companies often times won't list all the ingredients on the label for fear of giving away their secret formula. Many times it is these very ingredients that are most harmful to us. If you'd like to learn more about the safety of chemicals in carpet cleaners read "Are Carpet Cleaners Safe"

With all the rolling and romping my children do on our carpets I absolutely make sure there are no chemicals being used to clean it. I use Young Living's Thieves Household Cleaner and Young Living Essential Oils for most of my household cleaning - my carpets are no exception.

Order Your Non Toxic Natural Cleaner - Thieves Household Cleaner Here.......

The advantage of using Thieves Household Cleaner over other natural cleaners is the added benefit that its made with Thieves Essential Oil Blend. This blend is comprised of oils which are found to be highly anti microbial, antibacterial, anti fungal, and antiseptic. So while its cleaning, the oils are killing the germs that are carried in from shoes and even feet. And if odors are coming from your carpet, the oils will help destroy the bacteria that is causing the odor. The essential oils work as a natural disinfectant. Now that's natural cleaning at its best!

Its important to note that a carpet that is not regularly maintained will often require stronger chemicals to get it clean. Avoid that and enjoy cleaner and healthier carpets by using Thieves Household Cleaner in your steam cleaner on a regular basis.

Following are some carpet cleaning and deodorizing recipes using Thieves Household Cleaner and essential oils. Note how little of the Thieves cleaner is necessary which makes it very cost effective as well:

Spot and Stain Remover

Use the Thieves Household Cleaner recipe for MEDIUM DEGREASING (1:30)
(1 capful cleaner: a little less than 2 cups water)

Spray directly on the stain, wipe with a clean cloth.

(Always spot test an inconspicuous area to ensure no problems occur.)

Carpet Cleaning for Steam Cleaner

I have a couple of different recipes for the steam cleaner style carpet cleaners and I list them below. Personally, I determine my mixture based on the need of the carpet. You'll get a feel for your own machine and how much Thieves Household Cleaner to use.

Carpet Shampooing (1:100) 1 capful cleaner : 6.25 cups water
1 teaspoon Thieves household Cleaner.......filled it with water.

All essential oils have some antibacterial/antimicrobial properties so they're useful to use as a carpet deodorizer. I like to make different mixes based on my preferences at the time. I like Purification for the carpet in my car. Its a great way to replace the air freshener you have hanging from the mirror.

Carpet Freshener

Mix all ingredients in a widemouthed glass jar and tighten the cap or mix in a bowl with a wire whisk and cover.

Set aside for 24 hours to allow the aromas to permeate the powder.

Sprinkle over carpeting, leave for 10 to 15 minutes then vacuum .

Lavender: 60 drops

Cinnamon: 20 drops

Orange: 20 drops

Bicarbonate of soda (baking soda): 1/2 cup (120 ml)

Recipe from the book 500 Formulas For Aromatherapy: Mixing Essential Oils for Every Use by Carol & David Schiller, ©1994.

Got a Stinky Vacuum Cleaner

or just want to freshen the room while you vacuum? Saturate a disposable cloth or tissue with several drops of essential oil and place into the collecting bag of your vacuum. This will diffuse a pleasant odor as you clean.

Does your vacuum cleaner collect dirt into water? Simply add a few drops into the water reservoir before cleaning. This is excellent for freshen up the carpet and the room.

Would you like to learn more about Thieves Household Cleaner? Here is a great tips and usage document from the excellent website Secret of Thieves.

We live in a very toxic world and I feel removing toxic chemicals from our lives is of paramount importance and should be part of every one's wellness plan. Using natural non toxic household cleaners is one to control what goes in you and your family's body and is one of the easiest ways to move toward optimal wellness.

I hope you'll consider greening your cleaning for you and your family. If you'd like to learn more about green cleaning and the toxins that are in your home Green This! Volume 1: Greening Your Cleaning by Dierdra Imus is a great, informative read. It is filled with tons of information on personal care and household cleaning products.

If you have any questions or would like help ordering Thieves Household Cleaner please contact me. I would love to help.

Yours in Scentsible Wellness,
Elizabeth