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Make Rosemary & Lavender Carpet Powder
If you have a lot of carpet or rugs in your house, you know that one of the easiest ways to give your rooms a pick-me-up is by using deodorizing carpet powder before you vacuum. I’ve always used an Arm & Hammer “pet fresh” powder, but a few months ago, I ran out and decided to use plain old baking soda.
After all, the carpet powder you buy at the store is about 96% baking soda, 2% artificial fragrance, and 2% other stuff (hydrogen peroxide, water, alcohols, etc.). And baking soda by itself is pretty cheap, especially when you buy it in big containers, which I do because it can be used to so many things around the house.
The great thing about making your own carpet powder is that you can customize the scent each time. I’m using dried rosemary and lavender essential oil to scent mine today. I’d originally wanted to use dried lavender, but I already had dried rosemary on hand and didn’t want to wait on an Amazon order.
I looove the smell (and taste) of rosemary, so I decided to use that as the dominant scent and throw in a bit of lavender oil as well. In addition to customizing the scent, you can decide how strong or weak you want it to be by just adjusting the baking-soda-to-scent ratio. In general, homemade carpet powder isn’t going to have as strong of a scent as the store bought brands, which use artificial fragrance. But the homemade version still smells really nice.
Here’s what I used to make rosemary and lavender carpet powder:
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- 1/2 cup baking soda
- 2 tsp dried rosemary, which you can get here, but if you’re making a small batch, it’s probably better to just grab some out of your kitchen cabinet or pick up a little can at the grocery store.
- Lavender essential oil
- Food processor (here is the one I used) or knife, cutting board, and patience
- Ziplock baggie
And here’s how I do it!
Step #1: First I chop my rosemary up using a food processor. The finer the rosemary, the more evenly it will spread out the scent over the carpet.
Step #2: Next I dump the baking soda, rosemary, and five to ten drops of lavender essential oil into the baggie. Seal shut and mix everything up.
Step #3: I simply sprinkle the mixture over my carpet or rug just as I would any other carpet powder. I let it sit for 15 minutes or more and then vacuum the room. I let my mom use mine, and she loved it!
Other suggested combinations…
- Dried lavender and lemon oil
- Dried eucalyptus leaves and peppermint oil
- Dried rosemary and sweet orange oil
Note: If you Google “essential oils and pets,” you’ll probably find articles about how certain essential oils are toxic to pets. However, many of these articles are about what happens when you put essential oils directly on to your pets and they ingest them (or when you just straight up feed them to your pets). Think homeopathy for pets. I don’t recommend that people or pets ingest essential oils, and I think that a few drops mixed in to baking soda, dispersed over an entire room, and vacuumed up is fine. I’m sure they eat worse things when we’re not looking. If you have any questions, you should always consult your vet. 🙂
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RuBa
Friday 8th of September 2017
This looks amazing and I really want to try it out although, I am worried if it will clog the vacuum cleaner. Can anyone tell me if it is safe for the vacuum?
Theresa
Friday 11th of November 2016
Hi Brittany, great diy! Thanks for sharing at the Inspiration Spotlight party. Shared
Kari
Saturday 5th of November 2016
I love this idea. So much better than the chemical stuff at the store. Pinning for later.
Linda S
Friday 4th of November 2016
Love this! I just brought my little rosemary bush in from the back deck, so I'll put some of it to good use right away. Thank you!
Brittany Goldwyn
Friday 4th of November 2016
You're welcome, Linda! Thanks for stopping by :)
Tana
Thursday 3rd of November 2016
I am defiantly going to have to try this thanks so much for sharing. Please come share with us at the Homesteader Hop linky party! https://www.floydfamilyhomestead.com/2016/11/02/the-homesteader-hop27/
Brittany Goldwyn
Thursday 3rd of November 2016
Thanks Tana! Glad you like it!