I gaze in horror at the tv ads for spray fresheners.
The lady of the house spritzes away like a madwoman then sticks her nose right in the middle of it and inhales deeply. She goes after it all: sneakers, beds, clothes, everything. Why, I wonder, don’t they just clean the stinky things? If my bed emanated a palpable odor I think choosing the right deodorant spray would be the least of my concerns.
That said, I have a terrier (see above). Dip him in a vat of peppermint and he’d smell like terrier two minutes later. It has an effect on the vacuum cleaner bag, turning it into an odor dispersal system. Not the ambiance I’m going for right before company shows up.
Baking soda and essential oil to the rescue. I use the baking soda by itself with good results, but the essential oil is sort of a treat. And if you have a terrier like mine it is almost a necessity.
Dry Freshener Recipe
2 cups baking soda
essential oil(s) of choice
With a fork, stir in your favorite essential oil by drops until your nose tells you it’s enough. I use about a teaspoon or less. It’s best to let the oils permeate for awhile before first use.
To use, sprinkle on carpeting and let it sit for a couple of hours or overnight then vacuum.
Oils such as peppermint, eucalyptus, and rosemary are invigorating and fresh. Lavender is soothing and floral.
Store in an empty shaker bottle such as a clean parmesan cheese container.
Bonus: This also makes a great scouring powder for sinks and tubs. Then when you’ve finished cleaning house, sprinkle some into a nice hot bath.
{ 18 comments… read them below or add one }
Ha! Good thing I finished reading. At first I thought you meant this was to sprinkle on the dog!
How much powder becomes airborne when you vacuum? Do you get sneezy?
Me, my family, our 4 male cats, and our chickens eagerly await the answer…
I have to say I’ve never really been one for carpet fresheners….just get on my hands and knees and scrub…however this I think i will give a go…..baking soda added to the shopping list for this week…thanks for the tip!!
I have two mutts and – thank god – all wood floors. That said, I do vacuum up a lot of dog hair and understand the “odor dispersal system” to which you refer. I like to add a scented dryer sheet to the vacuum bag, which seems to counteract the doggie smell. I’d bet your baking soda/essential oil combo would get the same effect.
YES! Baking soda has been a housecleaning staple in my family for yeeeeaars. It does everything — deodorizes your carpets, declogs your sinks, freshens up your, umm, self — and you can cook with it! I’ll take baking soda, vinegar, and lemons over most commercial cleaners any day.
To all the naysayers, just try bathing in febreze or carpet fresh – yuck. I’ll bet no one would try it, but with homemade stuff, I would!
How would this work with a bagless vacuum?
I make this up, but I usually use a citrus oil like lemon or orange. And I mix mine in a mini food processor I have that came with my stick blender. It really thoroughly mixes the EO through the powder in a few seconds, without leaving any lumps. The original recipe I had for this suggested putting in dried lavendar, which gets chopped to tiny pieces in the chopper & smells wonderful.
Ashley–I don’t see why not. Anyone have experience with this?
OKAY–Monica says not to use powder when you have a bagless. Did NOT know that!
Kat–I never notice it in the air. There’s something heavy about baking soda, doesn’t seem to want to stay afloat.
For Ashley— Read the instruction manual for your vacuum before using a dry carpet cleaner!! I have a bagless Eureka vacuum and used powder cleaner for months before it started squealing (and yes, I changed the filters and made sure there were no clogs). What I didn’t know was that the powder settles on all the parts INSIDE the vacuum, including the motor. I read the manual (after taking it apart, cleaning everything I could reach, putting it back together and still hearing the same squeal) and it specifically said not to use powder products. So, my lesson learned is hopefully anybody’s repair bill avoided. Happy spring cleaning!
I like adding dried lavendar flowers to baking soda for a carpet freshener, or even just sprinkling them on the carpet before vacuuming (sans soda). That might be a better option for bagless folks.
How “refreshing”, to see that there are Others out there like Me. I’ve used baking soda for years, for everything from the litter box, to the rug, the bath, brushing my teeth,…
I never thought to scent it though! What a great idea. I’m really liking the Lemon oil.
And thanks for the warning with the bag~less, that’s what I have.
I’m with you, I cannot imagine not CLEANING the smell rather than spraying Febreze on it! But this baking soda/lavendar oil is just up my alley! I vacumned this morning and when I emptied the canister it was smelly. Thanks for solving my problem! Come visit Granny Mountain when you have the time…
I just went and did the drain thing, and dang , it worked. CooL.
Thanks for that.
Dried rosemary ground with a mortar and pestle mixed with the baking soda is nice too!
Never thought to use the oils with the baking soda, have to go try a new scent on!! Thanks for the tip.
This is great. I have been looking for something like this because of the odor from our dog. Thanks for sharing.
Ashley, I have a bagless vacuum and I have done this, it works great. When you dump the bin there is a bit more “powder” dust, but not too bad!