How to make carpet freshener at home: Easy, natural carpet deodorizer

Our easy-to-follow guide for how to make carpet freshener shows you how to make your own, natural carpet deodorizer at home with just three simple ingredients. No toxins, no fuss and - at the end of it - a fresh smelling carpet that feels and looks refreshed and clean.

Every time we come home we bring a little bit of the outside in. While vacuuming gets rid of the dirt on the surface, a deeper clean is required to remove stubborn stains and odours.

However, you don’t need expensive carpet cleaners to freshen up your rugs and carpets. A few cupboard essentials will do the trick for a fraction of the cost.

Sodium bicarbonate, or baking powder as it’s more commonly known, isn’t just for baking cakes - oh no - it’s for cleaning too! A handy cleaning hack, it’s a key part of any eco-friendly cleaning kit, absorbing odours without harming the environment in the process.

Plus, with the help of essential oils, this cleaning paste leaves a lovely smell. We’ve chosen an orange essential oil as citrus-based fragrances give the impression of freshness. You can choose whatever scent you like, something floral like lavender or ultra-fresh like peppermint.

Don’t just try it out on your carpet, this freshener is a fantastic mattress cleaner too - just leave out the water and sprinkle over the top. Vacuum up once it’s done its magic. There’s plenty of forgotten places to clean with this miracle carpet cleaner.

How to make carpet freshener at home

Note: Always do a spot test with any homemade cleaning product before using it for the first time.

To make your own carpet cleaner you will need:

• 50g sodium bicarbonate
• 20ml cool boiled water
• Orange essential oil
• Glass jar
• Small bowl

For supplies, check out Wilko

How to make your own carpet cleaner:

1. In a small bowl, mix the sodium bicarbonate with the cool boiled water.
2. Add 10 drops of orange essential oil, then stir.
3. Store in an air-tight glass jar, ready to scoop onto a cloth or brush and scrub away spots of dirt and grime on your carpet.
4. Once scrubbed, allow the paste to dry. Scrub once more with a dry brush and then use a vacuum cleaner to remove any dried residue that remains on the carpet fibres.
5. Alternatively, omit the water completely. Sprinkle the essential oil and sodium bicarbonate mixture onto the carpet and let sit for about 30 minutes. Vacuum up the powder to leave behind a fresh smelling rug or carpet. This is a much quicker method for cleaning larger surfaces rather than spot cleaning.

For bigger clean-ups on all sorts of surfaces, try our homemade multi-purpose spray to add to your eco cleaning kit.

For those who don’t want to make their own and just want the best products for the job, our list of Mrs Hinch’s favourite cleaners is sure to have a suitable alternative.