Carpet Deodorizer and Banishing "Wash"

Tara L. Callaghan
by Tara L. Callaghan
5 Materials
Commercial carpet deodorizers are great for getting the stink out of carpets and loosening up pet hair, but the heavy perfume fragrance can cause allergic reactions, contact dermatitis, headaches, and a number of other issues. Making your own is easy, it can be customized to a scent you like, and you can add some magical elements. The addition of salt to this recipe has the same effect as using a floor wash for banishing negativity and blessing your home, but for rugs and carpets.




1. Clean out a Parmesan cheese shaker or any other container that you can use to shake powder. An empty carpet powder box probably isn't the best choice, since it will already be saturated with chemical scent.





2. Place 1/2 to 1 cup of baking soda into the container, depending on the size of the rug or carpet you're working with.





3. Add 30 drops of essential oils to the baking soda, customizing the scent to what you like. For this I added 18 drops of Spice (orange, cassia, clove bud, nutmeg), 6 drops of sweet orange, and 6 drops of Frankincense. This was being used in the master bedroom, so I wanted to take the opportunity to make it uplifting and anti-anxiety.





4. Stir it all together until the baking soda absorbs the oil and it breaks up.





5. Add 1 tsp of black salt for banishing and protection.





6. Add 1/2 to 1 cup of fresh, unbrewed coffee grounds, making it a 50/50 mix with the baking soda.





7. Stir and/or shake it well until the mix blends completely. Shake it out onto your carpet or rug, let it sit for 15 minutes, and vacuum it up.


Alternatives: For flea powder you can add neem oil, lemongrass oil, clove oil, and mix the entire batch into 1/2 to 1 cup of borax, then leave it for a few hours to work; try mixing freshly ground herbs like lavender, sage and rosemary rather than using the oils; or switch black salt with brick powder for banishment.
Suggested materials:
  • Empty cheese shaker or other shakeable container
  • 1/2 to 1 cup baking soda
  • 1/2 to 1 cup fresh, unbrewed coffee grounds
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Frequently asked questions
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3 of 19 questions
  • Cyndy Barnica Cyndy Barnica on Mar 21, 2017
    Do u have a mixture to put on dogs to kill fleas or something that repels. We have a shitzu our first, (we dad bulldogs). She is the sweetest dog u would ever know but the diggest problem is that if there's one flea and I mean one flea she will get it. HELP
  • Gerrie Watson Gerrie Watson on Mar 25, 2017
    What is black salt and where do you buy it?
  • CMag CMag on Apr 04, 2017

    What exactly do you mean by banishing and protection?

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  • Blythe Renton Blythe Renton on May 12, 2017

    For dog pee on the carpet: blot up urine (no rubbing) by pressing a folded paper towel onto the area until as much moisture as possible is removed. Pour plain soda pop just over the area to saturate, wait 30 seconds, and blot this up using the same technique as above (no rubbing). Try to get as much liquid up as possible. Allow to dry. This technique saved my area rugs when our shih tzu had two separate litters of the darlings. It neutralizes the odor and removes stain. I always keep a can in the fridge----it also works with wine, juice and other liquids if you catch it when the stain is fresh.


    And on another note....I love this project!!

  • Blythe Renton Blythe Renton on May 14, 2019

    Yes, I did mean seltzer water, Club Soda?, that sort of thing. In Canada, we rarely call it seltzer water...sorry, I should have been more aware when writing. I still use this method for wine spills as well. Thank heavens the dogs have grown up.

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