Make Herbal Carpet Deodorant and Freshener

If you have animals or children, live in an area that gets humid in summer, or do lots of home cooking, you're probably plagued by carpets that can smell less than fresh. The following recipe will help you deodorize your carpets and repel fleas and other insects.


Herbal Carpet Deodorant Recipe

1 Cup rosemary leaves
2 Cups lavender (Buds and Leaves
2 Cups Baking Soda
6 bay leaves

Crumble bay leaves, chop or crumble rosemary leaves, and then add lavender and baking soda to make a coarse mixture. You can also grind the ingredients fine using a food processor or coffee grinder. I prefer the second method because it smells quite a bit stronger, but it will take more vacuuming to get it all off the carpet later.

Directions for Use

*Sprinkle the mixture liberally on carpeting and leave it in place for a few hours or overnight. To vacuum thoroughly, go over each area of the room at least three times to get up all the residue.

Once treated, don't walk on the carpet until you've vacuumed.

This recipe makes about five cups, which should be enough to treat a 10' x 10' room.

*Test a small inconspicuous area of the carpeting overnight with one tablespoon of the mixture to make sure that there's no discoloration. I've never had a problem, but if you have a light colored carpet it's a safety precaution worth taking.