How to clean your carpets organically
Every year it seems I get on a new cleaning kick. This year was the carpets upstairs. Today, I am sharing how to clean your carpets organically.
Last year I shared how to clean your stove grates
How to clean your granite counter tops
and How to clean your wood floors.
All good tips by the way.
The only place in our home with carpet is the upstairs.
I would love to rip it out to be honest with you. However, it clearly is not in the budget this year and it may not be for years to come. Considering we have a son going off to college this year.
Over Christmas I saw on line a Bissel carpet cleaner for about 80.00 at Walmart. I thought, geez that is a good deal considering it cost you about $50.00 just to rent one. I ordered it with free shipping an in less than a week it was at my door.
I knew I would wait until the kids went back to school and this would be my top priority to get this upstairs carpet cleaned. You see, I have never once had Stanley Steamer at our home.
Steam cleaning your carpets is one of the most toxic things you can do to your home because of the chemical perchloroethylene contained in most commercial carpet cleaning solutions. However, there is an alternative and I was bound and determined to try it.
We all know how effective vinegar is. One of the latest trends I am seeing is the use of Essential oils. People are really into them and swearing by their every effectiveness. I thought I would try some lavender essential oils and combine the two.
The solution I used was 3 cups of hot water to 3 cups of vinegar and about 20 droplets of Lavender.
You can use as many droplets as you like. This was just an experiment so I thought for my first room I would try with 20 droplets. The entire house smelled heavenly.
You can also use any essential oil scent you prefer. They all have a purpose and you can investigate accordingly to which one you use.
Just some of the uses of Lavender essential oils are:
Calming
Sleep aid
Bee sting / Insect bite
Minor burns and cuts
Eczema / Dermatitis
Nausea or motion sickness
Nosebleed
Dry or chapped skin
Dandruff
Cold sores. Those are just to name a few I found off the net. Who knew?
Back to the carpet cleaner.
Did this natural carpet cleaner work?
You bet it did! I poured most of it down the toilet but I wanted to share with your the dirt and crud so I poured it in the sink to show you.
It was so gross. Even though I mentioned I never have had Stanley steamer here, I have however had the Oxi-clean carpet companies here. No comparison, sorry oxi-clean, you are off the list.
I would really recommend you investing in a steam cleaner and doing it yourself this organic way.
The carpets seriously look like new again. Considering we have been in our home for almost 9 years and this sitting room is more of the boys hang out room, these carpets get a lot of wear and tear on them.
The room itself is in much need of a re-do. I have done nothing to it in years.
Everything in here is old, or redone, or from the thrift store. Nothing wrong with that, but it will be time for a change this coming year.
If nothing else, it sure is clean!
This desk is was painted with Annie Sloan chalk paint a few years ago.
I have to say it is holding up well.
Along with the Good will stool, I also painted with Annie Sloan. I believe the color was duck egg blue. One of my favorite colors.
I do like the Family rules sign I found at Walmart last year. I hope the boys obey it..I would say for the most part that I could hear anyhow, they do.
Lamp and curtains are from World Market. I do like those too. Somehow, I will have to keep these items incorporated in the redo.
Cheers and Cheers to clean carpets. I hope you give it a try and let me know.
If you are not a regular here, I sure would love to see you back again.
XO
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Great tips..thanks for sharing.I have seen this Bissel Carpet Cleaner at Walmart just yesterday,now I think I will get one,considering it does such a good job.Your post on this came at the right time for me..as I need to clean some carpets as well.Have a great day!!!!
My mom alway used vinegar even before it was popular. I remember it well as a kid. Great post:)
Your carpet looks amazing!! Great tips!
Debbie
It looks SPARKLING. White. Wow.
Bet it does smell good too!!
I know, when I think about the fumes I’ve sucked in cleaning all these years… gah. Not good.
This is such a smart solution.
Great tip! I use vinegar a lot in my house! You know I will be trying this. I too would love new floors, but it’s not in our budget either.
I have used vinegar for years in a carpet steamer, even the ones I have rented. I use equal parts water, vinegar and alcohol and my carpets smell wonderful.. I like the addition of essential oils!!
Love this tip, Debbie. I have had a Bissell steamer for years and it has more than paid for itself. However, I have not tried vinegar…I am excited to do so! (As excited as I can be about carpet cleaning – or any cleaning for that matter, lol!). Love your green owl, btw! Jane
Wow, Debbie those are clean. Now I just need a steamer. I would love the carpet ripped out upstairs, too. We need to win the lottery!
WOW Debbie your carpet looks brand new!! I bet the room smells heavenly…that last shot is so pretty!
It’s funny how we go back to things our mothers did or said to do. Thought they were stupid then . Makes a lot of sense now.
Not only is it so wonderfully clean, it must smell amazing too!…Love lavender and thanks for all of the great tips Debbie!!!
Dear Debbie…we also had oxi-clean do our carpets because it was supposed to be non-toxic and I am so sensitive and allergic to stuff. The guy was really friendly and nice, but we were disappointed with the results and the carpet felt “hard” afterward instead of soft. (If that makes sense?) Ha So this vinegar/water and lavender mixture is really a great idea. I think next time we will try this method. Thanks so much! Your carpets look wonderful..bright and fresh! 🙂
Linda @ Truthful Tidbits
Thanks Linda! yes our Oxi-clean guy was super nice and friendly. It just didn’t do the trick for us though, and yes our carpets were a little crunchy too lol!
Looks great, Debbie! Thanks for \the wonderful tip! What kind of oil did you use if you don’t mind my asking? Also I absolutely love that desk area. Beautiful! Have a blessed day!
Disregard my question asking what kind of oil you used:) I just saw it in the picture! lol Have a great day!
Debbie do you think it would work on oriental rugs? I just might try it but unfortunately there is no spot that is not exposed. I am also going to look up lavender oil and exema. I have a terrible time of it in the winter and I am open to all suggestions. Thanks Debbie.
Patty not sure on the oriental rug. I would be a little leery on that one. Good luck with your eczema.
Oh Debbie I love the idea of my home smelling like lavender. Thanks so much for sharing this tip, I mean you could start bottling that yourself! I think I need one of those cleaners stat!
Your carpet looks so good! We have carpet and I would LOVE to rip it out, too. But, in the meantime we just need to do a deep clean. In fact, I was looking for coupons to have someone come do it for us just this morning. So glad I saw your post. What brand of lavender are you using?
I ordered from Piping rock. Thanks Sharon, you will truly enjoy this way of cleaning your carpets.
The bissell is fantastic. We have always had multiple dogs and therefor rug cleaners. I have had mine now for 5 years and it is holding up great. I never much cared for the store cleaners myself and was thinking of trying vinegar. I am glad to read your post about using vinegar with happy results. I feel encouraged now.
I was wondering I have a lot of kitties and a dog. Will the lavender harm pets ? I can’t wait to try if it’s pet safe. If not I know I can us the vinegar. Love the smell of lavender. Also need to try it on my skin really have dryness in the winter. /
I don’t know that for sure, but I am thinking NO..it is pure, and certainly not as bad as carpet cleaner with chemicals. I just did my Mom’s carpets yesterday and she has two pets and they are fine:)
I was just wondering do you put this solution in the part of the tank that you would normally put the carpet shampoo ? or just have it in the clean water tank ? I cant wait to try this . I already use vinegar for so many things. Its a wonderful natural product .
I put it in where the soap would go. Do not use carpet cleaner, this should be your new go to!
My carpet cleaner has a ‘shampoo’ dispenser and a water tank. You pull the trigger and the ‘soap’ gets dispensed along with the water from the tank. Do I just substitute the vinegar for the carpet shampoo? Not sure if this is the same ratio of vinegar to water that you used or if this ratio is correct. Your thoughts? Thanks! 🙂
Yes that is what you substitute. No more carpet cleaners with all those chemicals. They are bad for us. Equal parts of water to vinegar and add in as many drops as you like of your essential oils. Good luck! You will love it, trust me:)
Hi Debbie,
Which model Of Bissell did you use? I need a model number or name please. Thanks!
Judy
Powerforce/Powerrush. It is the smaller Bissel model.
I tried this earlier in our living room and it worked great! I’m always looking for natural ways to clean, and it’s a bonus if I can use essential oils as well. Thanks Debbie!!
Wonderful Sarah! I want to do mine again when our son leaves for College. I will be moving furniture around this time.
Well Debbie, I’m so glad that you had a wonderful time with your friends. Think I’d be in ‘the same boat’ as you; have never been on a cruise but wouldn’t feel comfortable on the sea!!! I really enjoyed the info and pics of your floors and carpet cleaning tips. My house is full of the nasty fuzzy crap but cant replace it at this time. I’ve always felt that it was still dirty after cleaning (do it myself – no pros). Definatley will be trying your vinegar recipe this Spring. Looking forward to it!!
Thank you Carol! Yes, if you even get a little motion sickness or even claustrophobic, I don’t think a cruise is the way to go. I know many many people absolutely love them. It just wasn’t a love for me. In spite of it, I still had a ball of a time.
I really wanted this to work. I hate chemicals! We use our rainbow vacuum to vacuum the carpet first. You can see the dirt in the water basin. We do this about three times. Them when the water in the basin was clean we used the vinegar in our carpet cleaning machine. Nothing. Then was ot the usual carpet cleaning product from Home Depot. I know, gag! Muddy liquid, more gag. Unfortunately the vinegar didn’t do the job. :-(((
I am very surprised, because as you can see it did mine. I am sorry it did not work for you.
Would you still recommend this Bissell Carpet Cleaner if we have 3 br, hall, & livingroom to clean? Or would we need a bigger size?
Sure I would. The only thing is you would be emptying out the water tank more:)
Debbie will the diluted vinegar cause a bleach out to color effect? Oxi clean will bleach out carpet w/ diluted to water ; I would not recommend it. But if vinegar and water would clean , it is also an organic disinfectant for wash. If you want blue jeans to stay blue , when you first get them wash them with about 1/4 c. vinegar to a wash machine full cycle (alone no other clothes) and it keeps the color in. Thank you….