DIY Carpet Powder

Last year at Crafty Feast, I picked up the most amazing handmade carpet powder. It was lavender scented and even had pieces of dried lavender bud mixed in. It came in a 16 ounce jar which [unfortunately] only lasted me one application.

I may have ignored the “sprinkle lightly” instructions… {I have 3 dogs!}

Being frugal [and stocked with essential oils] I was determined to make my own.

I was quite surprised at how simple it was to make. Let me follow that with: I am not a professional carpet-powder-connoisseur. I am just a frugal gal who was in desperate need of help alleviating the affects of three dogs on rugs – and I think I found a pretty good solution!

What you need

• Glass jars with lids
• Baking soda (1 pound will fill a 16-ounce jar)
• Essential Oils (my favorite odor-busting combination is Young Living’s Thieves [10 drops] + Purification [20 drops])
• Mixer or whisk 
• Mixing bowl

To start, I gathered two 16-ounce jars. After realizing how easy this was to make, I would’ve made more if I had more jars available!

One of my jars was leftover from the carpet freshener I purchased at Crafty Feast. The other jar was a salsa jar that I cleaned and thoroughly air-dried. I found that running the jar through my dishwasher loosened the label enough for me to peel off, but if you do not have a dishwasher, you could soak the jar in hot, soapy water and use some lemon essential oil to remove it.

The purchased powder came with a super cute lid for sprinkling, but I have seen some at Hobby Lobby and also here on Amazon. Alternately, you could drill holes into the lid you have or just plan to sprinkle with the lid off.

One two-pound box of baking soda will fill two 16-ounce jars. Any brand of baking soda is fine!

Gather your supplies. While I used my electric mixer, you could easily mix this with a whisk. The substance is light so you don’t need much power.

Some essential oils (mostly citrus-based) can break down plastic so I avoid using plastic kitchenware when mixing recipes with essential oils just in case. I found this metal mixing bowl at Target, but a glass bowl would also be fine.

You can either measure out two cups of baking soda or pour the baking soda into your jar until it fills the top then dump into your mixing bowl. The latter is probably best – I  found that when I measured out exactly two cups I ended up with a little spilling over my jar.

The best recipe I have found incorporates 10 drops of Thieves Essential Oil and 20 drops of Purification Essential Oil. These are definitely two of my favorite, most used oils (second to lavender!). The fragrance of the Thieves oil reminds me of Christmas so the scent is really comforting. The Purification oil is great for cleansing the air and alleviating odors (also makes a great spray for your car).

Note: I use Young Living essential oils. I have a membership with them and have been very pleased with the quality. I have not tried this recipe with other brands of EO’s, but use whatever suits you best!

The Thieves + Purification combination is a heavy hitter for odors. It is a great combo if you have pets. Another combination I tried for a fresher scent was Grapefruit and Citrus Fresh (Orange could be a good substitute) – 7-8 drops of each oil.

Whatever combination you choose, sprinkle the drops directly onto the baking soda dumped into your mixing bowl. Try to sprinkle them evenly – I found that the oils clump a bit in the baking soda so spreading them around is best.

Now mix it up! Again, you really don’t need much power since this is a light mixture. If you are using an electric mixer, use the lowest speed. You could also use a whisk.

If you do not have a funnel in your kitchen (I did not), grab a clean piece of paper and twist for a make-shift funnel. Use the funnel to help pour the mixture into your jar. This can still get quite messy so placing a tea towel under your jar might be a good idea 😉

You  will want to let your mixture sit for at least 30 minutes for the oils to mingle with the baking soda. I let mine sit for a few days before use. Since these are so easy to make, it’s worth whipping up several at a time so they are ready for use when you need them. This would also make a great housewarming gift.

Be sure to label your jars – particularly if you are making multiple scent combinations so you will know which to grab depending on your needs. You can use washi tape across the top of the jar or on the side of your jar if you don’t have a label-maker (that’s on my wish list!). Alternately, you could use these chalkboard mason jar lid labels.

I’m a heavy sprinkler so one jar typically lasts me one area rug. Depending on the odor you’re dealing with, you could very likely stretch it further. Since I know how easy it is to whip up, I’m less concerned with stretching it 😉

Once you sprinkle on your carpet, let it sit for at least 30 minutes. I usually let it sit for a few hours or even overnight before vacuuming up.

And you’re done! Can you believe how easy that was?!

Turn this recipe into a room air freshener/odor absorber by cutting in half for an 8-ounce jar (like these) or quartering for a 4-ounce jar (like these). Just leave the lid off or add one of these pretty lids.