How to Make Carpet Shampoo at Home
Regular maintenance of your carpet is essential if you want it to look good, feel good and odor free. However, sometimes it costs too much to buy commercially produced carpet shampoo, and we have to find other ways to make carpet shampoo at home to produce the same results as pre-made products.
Supplies for Method #1:
- Bucket
- 1 part mild laundry detergent
- 1 part fabric softener
- 6 parts water
- Add some hot water to a clean bucket. Do not use cold water because hot water does a better job cleaning carpeting than cold water.
- Add the mild laundry detergent to the hot water in the bucket. The detergent helps to remove the dirt embedded down in the carpet fibers.
- Mix your favorite fabric softener to the water and laundry solution in the bucket. Using the fabric softener will make the carpet smell fresh and also soften the carpet fibers.
Supplies for Method #2:
- 1/4 cup mild liquid detergent
- 1 cup vinegar
- 2 tablespoons white distilled vinegar
- 4 Gallon water
- Spray bottle
- Add 1/4 cup of mild liquid detergent to four gallons of water, and mix the two ingredients together. You can also use castile soap for this shampoo cleaner if you do not have mild liquid detergent. Add approximately two tablespoons of baking soda and mix all the ingredients together. Add these ingredients to your carpet shampoo machine and this should clean your carpet.
- Neutralize odors on your carpet by using one cup white distilled vinegar and a cup of water. Mix the two ingredients together and pour the solution in a spray bottle.
- Spray the area that has an odor. Wait at least ten minutes then blot the affected area. This is a good solution if you have pet odors. The smell of the vinegar may last awhile, but it will disappear. Add the deodorizer before you shampoo the carpet.
- Always do a spot test prior to adding any cleaning solution to your carpet in an inconspicuous area to make sure you don't damage the carpet.