A few days ago I made some Easy Room Freshener for my 10-year old son’s room. I put the little jar on his bedside table and as I was leaving he said it looked like the stuff I sprinkle on the carpet before I vacuum.
Light-bulb! I immediately did some research and was happy to find out that baking soda alone would do the same job as Carpet Fresh since it absorbs odors and adding some essential oils would make the whole room smell divine. Plus it would cost only pennies and I could reuse the Parmesan cheese container I had just put in the recycling bin. Recycling is good but reusing is even better. And having your genius son teach you a new way to save time, money and eliminate toxic chemicals–that my friends is farm girl heaven!
I have occasionally purchased Carpet Fresh or similar products but I have never liked the fake, perfumey fragrance they leave behind and they can be a disaster if you or your pets have any sort of allergies. Not to mention that it costs around $5.00 which is a crazy amount to pay when baking powder costs next to nothing. And did I mention using that empty Parmesan cheese container? Free. Those giant spice containers from Costco work great too, assuming you ever use up all the spice. If you use a recycled container just be sure to check out my post on All-Natural Goo-B-Gone so you can remove all that sticker residue with no problem and no chemicals.
My son was very excited that he came up with the idea of using the Easy Room Freshener as carpet freshener and that he was going to get credit for it in this post. He also wanted to make the recipe. He measured the baking soda into the bowl, and picked his favorite essential oils– Cedarwood and Wild Orange. Then he mixed it all up with a fork until it was totally blended. He put a few spoonfuls into the jar but then got bored so I finished it up. From start to finish it took about 5 minutes. And it smells wonderful.
I used my All-Natural Carpet Freshener in every room of my house today. It was actually fun and the great cedar-orange smell made me very happy. You of course can add any variety of essential oils you like. I’ll probably experiment with a different combo every time.
Note–If you don’t have an empty sprinkle-top container you can always use the good ol’ farm girl standby…a mason jar. You can now purchase shaker tops for mason jars at stores like Walmart or online but they cost about 4 bucks a piece (see Another Note). Or you can add one of these darling punch-cut lids that you can get on Amazon, eBay or Etsy and sprinkle away in true farm girl style.
Another Note–the lid from the Parmesan cheese container actually fits a standard (not wide-mouth) mason jar. Seriously? Yes, seriously. Genius!
All-Natural Carpet Freshener
3 cups baking soda
50-60 drops (total) single essential oil or combo of your choice
Mix baking soda and essential oil in a bowl until thoroughly combined and all lumps are gone. Put in a container with a sprinkle-style vented lid.
To use: sprinkle on carpet, wait 15-20 minutes and then vacuum. Use one or more times per week.
Rachel @I Heart Crafty Things says
Ooooh what a fabulous idea! Can’t wait to try this!
Fabulous Farm Girl.com says
Thanks Rachel–I promise you will never buy it from the store again once you’ve made your own. Enjoy!
–Leah
Sandra says
THANKS so much! I need this!!! Seriously, thank you.
Fabulous Farm Girl says
Your so welcome Sandra! I promise you will love it. Come back soon!
–Leah
kashan rug says
I like your products about cleaning the carpet even freshener. Is it operational for bathroom outside carpet? Looking really some great things.
Fabulous Farm Girl says
Yes , this should work great on any carpet.
–Leah
Amberjane says
I need this in my life – we have a puppy staying I need all the help I can get to keep the carpet fresh – thanks for sharing 🙂
Fabulous Farm Girl says
You’re welcome AmberJane! I have a dog, 2 cats and 3 teenage boys. Keeping my carpet fresh is an ongoing battle, that’s for sure. LOL! All-Natural Carpet Freshener has saved me lots of money and lots of smelliness. It’s a must-have part of my Cleaning Cabinet Makeover. Thanks for stopping by and have a fabulous week!
–Leah
Tiffany says
Thanks for this awesome idea and recipe! I love your blog! So happy you’re my SITStah!
Fabulous Farm Girl says
Wow Tiffany-that is such a sweet compliment. You made my day and I hope you have a fabulous week!
–Leah
Kathy says
This stuff is AWESOME!!! I have 3 dogs and they leave their doggy “perfume” all in my carpet. I sprinkled, I waited….No more doggy odors!!! Thanks for the tip!!!
Leah says
Wow Kathy–that is so great. I only have one dog so I’m stoked to hear that it works for your multi-dog family. And it only costs pennies per use so which I’m sure you love as much as I do. Give your dogs a hug from me and thanks for stopping by!–
Leah