Recipes for Floor and Carpet Cleaners

Carpet Deoderizers

Mix two parts cornmeal with one part borax; sprinkle liberally, leave for one hour, then vacuum.
Or sprinkle baking soda or cornstarch let sit 1/2 hr then vacuum.


Floor Cleaner

1/2 cup soap flakes
1/4 cup washing soda
1 cup salt
2 cups water
2 tsp essential oil of your choice

In a saucepan, place the soap, washing soda, salt, and water and heat gently, stirring until soap, soda and salt have dissolved. Cool the mixture to lukewarm, then add the essential oil. Stir well and pour into jar or other container.
To use, pour two to three tablespoons of the mixture into half a bucket of hot water, stirring well. For large areas, you may need to double the amount. After cleaning, rinse the floor with half a bucket of clean water into which you have poured a cup of white vinegar.


For mild drain clogs

To clean out drain clogs( mild ones):

Pour 1/2 cup baking soda down the drain and add 1/2 cup of vinegar. Rinse with hot water.


Fragrant Floor Wash

Combine 20 drops of pure essential oils with Murphy’s oil soap or a health-food store brand of all-purpose detergent (Murphy’s is actually a detergent) as directed, to 2 gallons of water.

SUGGESTIONS
Eucalyptus
Lavender
Lemon
Patchouli
Pine
Rosemary
Sweet orange

Adapted from The Essential Oils Book, by Colleen K. Dodt (Storey Books, 1996).


Herbal Carpet Freshener

MIX

3 cup lavender bud
2 cup rosemary leaves
2 cup baking soda

Sprinkle on carpet. Leave on carpet for a few hours, then vacuum. Fragrance deodorizes, deters moths, fleas, pet smells


Rosemary-Lavender Carpet Shampoo

This recipe makes enough for a 10' x 13' room. If you can't find soap flakes, you can use 1/4 cup borax instead, but test the outcome of thissubstitution on a small area first.

2 cups baking soda
1/2 cups soap flakes
20 drops lavender essential oil
8 drops rosemary essential oil
1/2 cup vinegar
2 cups warm water

1. Sweep carpet to be cleaned with a broom or carpet sweeper to loosen dirt, then vacuum the entire area.

2. Combine the baking soda and soap flakes in a plastic bowl. Add the essential oils and mix well, breaking up any clumps with a fork. Sprinkle the mixture on the carpet.

3. Add the vinegar to the warm water in a bucket or pail. Dip a clean sponge mop into the bucket and squeeze out as much excess liquid as you can. Gently go over carpet with the sponge mop, working in sections. Wait at least an hour and then vacuum again.

** Excerpted from The Naturally Clean Home (c) 1999 by Karyn Siegel-Maier