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Don’t you just love walking into a house that smells good? It feels so warm and welcoming. Our sense of smell is closely linked to our memories. Particular scents can evoke emotions and memories from our past.
Right now it feels like I am evoking memories of smelly dogs and stinky socks. Don’t get me wrong, I love my smelly dog and stinky sock wearing boys, but I don’t want that to be the first (or second) whiff guests get, you know?
I also don’t want to overwhelm my house with toxic, chemical laden fresheners. Healthwyze.org reports that the chemicals in air fresheners are more toxic than cigarettes! No thank-you! I try to keep chemicals to a minimum in our home.
So what’s a girl to do to keep her house smelling fresh? Carpets and rugs are one of the big sources of not so pleasant smells. Their fibers absorb odors form the stinky socks running across them, and smelly dogs that lay down for a nap.
That’s why I started making my own Carpet Deodorizer and Refresher. Not only does it take just minutes, it’s waaaay cheaper than buying a toxic national brand! There is hope for a good smelling house!
The first thing you will need is a jar. Did you know the lids for parmesan cheese shakers fit perfectly on small mouth mason jars? That is what I use. You could also repurpose the whole shaker and use that for your container. Other ideas are pasta sauce jars, or small pickle jars. Any jar with a lid will do. Tip: If you are using a jar with a solid lid, carefully tap a nail into the lid to make shaker holes.
There are a few ways you can make your carpet deodorizer. Baking Soda will work all on it’s own, but I like to add pretty smells to it too. Add 1 cup on Baking Soda to your jar. I also add about 20 drops of essential oils. In the Spring and Summer I add 10 drops of Lavender and 10 drops of Lemon. In the Fall and Winter I use Orange and Clove or Cinnamon.
If you are using Essential Oils make sure they are safe for your pets. Here is a list of 30 Essential Oils you should avoid.
Extracts will also work to add a nice smell. Vanilla is a natural odor absorber that smells good, as does lemon, orange or mint.
After you have your scents mixed with your baking soda, it is best to let it set overnight so the scent permeates. However I have used it right away before. Shake over your carpet and rugs and let it set at least 15 minutes before vacuuming. One hour is better. I have left in on my carpet overnight for strong smelly dog odors.
Nice smelling house restored.
Comment down below and let us know what scents you like to use best!
Awesome! Fortunately we don’t have any carpets in our new home — but I’m sure I’ll need this for a few area rugs we have, thanks for sharing!
Our only rooms carpeted are the bedrooms, this helps a lot with the stinky teens room and the rug the dog like to lay on!