This year I am on a mission to rid my house of all the toxic cleaners we have been using.  Growing up my mother used vinegar to clean many surfaces and I never thought much of it, until I became a mother myself.  This year I will be slowly changing all my cleaning products to healthier, more natural homemade products.  I will be doing this for cost and because it is safer in my house for my children.  Each week I will have another tip to add to our crunchy household.

Homemade Carpet cleaner

Ingredients:

1 cup vinegar

1 cup water

1 tsp liquid dishwasher soap

Directions:

Combine all ingredients together.  Either use in a steam cleaning machine or put in a spray bottle.

Homemade Deodorizing Solutions

Ingredients:

Baking Soda

Directions:

Sprinkle baking soda onto carpets, let sit overnight, Vacuum in the morning.

Other Carpet Cleaning Tips

For tough carpet stains, create a paste made by mixing 1/4 cup borax, 1/4 cup distilled white vinegar and 1/4 cup salt. Rub it into the stain and leave it there until it dries. Vacuum it up when it is thoroughly dry. Another spot cleaning solution that works equally well with synthetic and natural fiber carpets is made by adding 1 tsp. of clear liquid dishwashing detergent to 1 cup of warm water. Pour the solution into a spray bottle and spray it on a damp rag, then wipe up the stain.

Do you use any homemade cleaners?  Please share with us!

Ashley Myers