Cleaning carpets can be daunting, but it's easy to do the this easy Carpet Cleaner Recipe! You just need a few ingredients to make your own carpet cleaner to use at home in your carpet cleaning machine or one that you may rent from a store.
I'm not sure about you, but my carpets could use a good cleaning about once a month...if not more often. Unless you own your own carpet cleaner, that's just not feasible for most people. Paying to have your carpets cleaned can get pretty expensive, and renting a machine can seem like a hassle. And the carpet cleaning solution...it's expensive! I own my own carpet cleaner because we have 3 pets and I'm a clean freak, but if you don't, there are a few options for you. You can either pay someone to professionally clean your carpets, buy your own carpet cleaner, or go to your grocery or home improvement store and rent an industrial carpet cleaner. The industrial carpet cleaning machines are a great way to get your carpets cleaned without spending a ton of money. You can rent them for either 24 hours or even for a few days. I used to do this all the time and clean the carpets in our home over a two day period. They are really strong machines and can really get the job done. The kicker for the rented machines and home owned machines is that you need carpet cleaning solution. The solutions available at the store are quite expensive and quite frankly, I don't think they work very well. So, I made my own! It not only cleans the carpets like a charm, but has my favorite stain busting mix in it as well, so some of those more tough stains will come out! It's great for pet stains and odors as well as wine and food stains.
This post contains affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase using one of these links, I will receive a small commission.
What's in Homemade Carpet Cleaner?
- 1 gallon plastic or glass container with lid (you can use an old milk jug or a bucket)
- 1 cup hydrogen peroxide ( Purchase HERE )
- ⅛ cup dish liquid ( Purchase HERE )
- 1 tablespoon Oxiclean (Purchase HERE )
- ½ cup fabric softener (Purchase HERE )
- Funnel ( Purchase HERE )
If you are interested in purchasing your own Carpet Cleaner for Home, THIS is the one I use.
How to Make Homemade Carpet Cleaner
Step 1 - Add the hydrogen peroxide, dish liquid Oxiclean and fabric softener to a large gallon jug using a funnel.
Step 2 - Fill the remainder of the jug with water and mix well.
Step 3 - Fill the reservoir of your carpet cleaner with warm water and add 2 ounces of the homemade solution.
Step 4 - Clean your carpets according to your carpet cleaners instructions.
Store the remainder of your carpet cleaning solution to use whenever you need it again!
Looking for more carpet cleaning ideas? Check these out!
Use THIS Easy Trick to Remove Carpet Stains ...even red wine!
Need to remove odors from your carpets and rugs? Use my Easy 2 - Ingredient Odor Busting Carpet Sprinkle! Just apply and vacuum the stink away!
Get stains out of just about anything with The Best Stain Remover Ever! It only has two ingredients and is a true miracle worker on carpets, clothes, upholstery and more!
Find these easy cleaning tips and more HERE on my Home Tips Page!
Michele says
Just tried this ony light colored carpets. Worked great!! Had everything on hand and super cheap to make. I made 1/2 the recipe. A must try.
Lorry Norton says
Where is the recipe??? I've looked everywhere and I can't find it.
Lisa says
Step 3 – Fill the reservoir of your carpet cleaner with warm water and add 2 ounces of the homemade solution.
MLT says
1 gallon plastic jug
1 cup hydrogen peroxide
1/8 cup dish liquid. (Dawn)
1 Tablespoon Oxiclean
1/2 cup fabric softener
Use a funnel
Barb says
Wow.. this works great.. I’ve been wanting to try it. Made a half batch.. stored it in milk jug. And to use. I poured some in spray bottle.. before I could even scrub. The grease mark was gone.. my hubby was watching me.. and couldn’t believe his eyes.. it’s was very coooool.
Jessica says
I'm so glad you loved it!
PMH says
It discolors my carpet and I have a steel gray bluish Mohaw carpeting, so try a spot first
Gregg says
Where's the recipe for making your carpet cleaning solution?
MLT says
1 gallon plastic jug
1 cup hydrogen peroxide
1/8 cup dish liquid. (Dawn)
1 Tablespoon Oxiclean
1/2 cup fabric softener
Use a funnel
Mona says
How much of each do you use. Nowhere do I see a recipe on the amount to use on the rug shampoo. Dawn dish detergent, hydrogen peroxide, and oxi clean and water.
Gayle says
The amounts of each ingredient needed is listed just above the how to. Did you scroll right to the how to? You probably scrolled right past it.
Jean says
How much of your solution do you suggest using in a shampooing machine? Or do you just use the solution alone without adding any water?
Nancy says
2 ounces
Sue says
In the actual water part, or where the normal shampoo goes? I have a Bissel.
Trudy says
I have a Bissel as well. Did you get a response to this question? Or have you tried it yet in the Bissel?
Devon says
I love this recipe! I have the Bissell pet shampooer and I just fill the entire shampoo reservoir with the mixture. I skip the fabric softener as a personal preference but it works nicely when I use it. I have light tan carpet and this stuff has held up for blood, vomit, mud, and plenty of other tough stains.
Sarah Murphy says
Can you use this on the industrial professional machines or will it foam too much?
Becky says
What does the fabric softener do? Is it necessary? I do not use it in our laundry so I would waste a whole container.
Jmartatx says
I replaced the fabric softener with Lysol Fresh Scent Laundry Sanitizer. After I used the cleaning solution on the carpets I rinsed the carpet with plain water. My house still smells fresh a week later. Make sure to spot test on lighter carpets as the sanitizer does have a blue tint. I did not have an issue with mine but always best to test first.
Babs says
Eeek!!! Other than the water and hydrogen peroxide....these are bad scary ingredients! At least use a natural dish liquid. I've used Dr. Bronner's liquid castile soap instead. The fabric softener contributes to respiratory issues, especially in children and pets, and leaves a greasy residue (on your clothes too!) and the Dawn has strong chemical scents. Clean just has its own nice scent. For many years I've used borax and washing soda, and have also found a pure and scent free oxygen cleaner online. Works beautifully. Great recipe with a few healthy tweaks. Thx. Love your tips and recipes!
Wendy says
Our carpets look great and it was easy and so inexpensive to make, like some of the other people said I also left out the fabric softener ( I don't have any) and it still did a fantastic job, lots left over for the next shampooing
Thanks again for the great "recipe"
Shirley says
When I bought my oriental rug I was told never to have it cleaned, or use chemicals.
Vacuum well and use a solution of White vinegar. A clean sponge using your hand. . .
..
Jessica says
Oriental rugs are a different ballgame all together and require special care just like dry clean only clothing. I would definitely stick to the manufacturer's recs on this one!
Diane says
Do not use oxiclean on oriental rugs if they’re made of wool or silk.
Marilyn Gebhardt says
Is there a substitute for the Oxiclean?
Rose says
I was wondering the same thing.
Noreen Nugeness says
I have a little Shih Tzu and I'm afraid these ingredients would be harmful to him. Is it pet friendly? The Groomer told me that a client of hers hired a company to clean her carpets and her dog was allergic to whatever was used and his paws and legs were all swollen. I'm really skeptical about using anything that isn't totally natural and PET FRIENDLY. Also, I have a brown rug in my living room and hallway, and I read one of the comments that it faded the rug. Please advise. Thanks so much!
Jessica says
Hi, Noreen! I've used it for years, and we have two dogs and two cats.There aren't any harsh chemicals in this mixture, so I'm not sure why it would be harmful to them...that's kind of why I avoid having a cleaning company come in and clean my carpets with their concentrated solutions. The only thing that some people don't want to use is the fabric softener, but I love it for the smell. You can use less or leave it out if you like.
Linda says
People use Dawn to take off oil from wildlife after an oil spill. I would think if they used it for that purpose it would be okay with the small amount one uses to clean carpets.
Laura says
If you want to store the leftovers make sure to store it in a dark bottle. Hydrogen peroxide is light sensitive. That’s why it comes in a brown bottle.
Deborah says
Has anyone substituted Borax for the oxi-clean in the carpet cleaner recipe?
Dana M Cornelius says
I'm going to try🙄.
Michelle Zee says
Thanks for these tips on how to make your own cleaning solution. For really tough stains, I definitely think that hiring a professional carpet cleaner to give your house that deep clean makes life so much easier and makes such a huge difference!
Sage says
Thank you for sharing this recipe! I also have dogs, and my carpets are constantly in need of deep cleaning! This is a great, affordable option to keep your home looking fresh! I've found getting my carpets professionally cleaned about twice a year and deeply cleaning them myself once a month keeps them looking clean! I can't wait to try out this recipe!
annon says
distilled white vinegar
Kara P says
This worked so well! Thank you for the recipe! We get a carpet cleaning about once a year but the spots and spills with having 2 dogs and a toddler really start to add up, LOL! This was a perfect in-between- cleaning hack! Thank you!
Sending lots of love from Omaha, NE!
Nancy says
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Tanner says
I'm amazed at how well this carpet cleaning recipe turned out! Thanks for sharing!
Mitch Lehrke says
There's certainly a great deal to know about this subject. I like all of the points you have made.
for sale says
Nice i really enjoyed reading your blogs. Keep on posting. Thanks
Jennifer says
I found your recipe a couple of years ago and it seriously is a game changer! Before trying your recipe my carpets would not get as clean and they felt weirdly crunchy when stepped on with bare feet. The fabric softener ingredient makes them soft to the touch, plus they smell good! I can't believe how much dirt comes out with your recipe and my Bissell pet pro carpet cleaner! Thank You!
Tristan Kiffer says
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Judy Berentsen says
This carpet cleaner is the absolutely best I have ever used. It is unbelievable what stains it removes. I use it to spot clean and I use it in my Hoover steam cleaner! It works better than the Hoover brand recommended! It is awesome on cleaning chair cushions!
Elaine says
I can't find your recipe for carpet cleaning solution...
Momamma says
http://www.ehow.com/way_5787069_homemade-recipe-carpet-cleaner.html
Anna says
The link is the last sentence. Click and it takes your to ehow and to the recipe.
Lorry Norton says
That link shows how to use it, but the amounts are not there.
PATRICIA says
1 gallon plastic container
1 cup hydrogen peroxide
1/8 cup dish liquid
1tablespoon oxiclean
1/2 cup fabric softener
funnel
Gayle says
The amounts are listed above the how to.
Robyn says
I leave the fabric softener out...it is sticky and will attract more dirt. Won't even use if for my laundry, as it clogs the drain. Terrible for septic tanks.
Sheryl says
Thank you, I was like others, couldnt locate the amounts for this recipe on the link.
KINDA L VANOVEN says
Can you substitute the oxieclean with something else?
Mary says
I totally agree with you! It has a waxy feel that is so hard to wash off! I use vinegar as a softener in my wash and wool dryer balls in the dryer.