As someone who vacuums and cleans carpets regularly, I often hear about the different products on the market that can clean, deodorize, and remove stains from carpets. Many of these products contain artificial fragrances and toxins. I prefer to use natural products to clean, such as baking soda, so can baking soda clean carpets?
Yes, baking soda can clean carpets. It doesn’t only clean carpets and carpet stains; it can clean your carpets in other ways.
Baking soda is a very inexpensive natural household product meant for baking. But it is also often used for household cleaning. Now that you know you can use it to clean carpets, you may be wondering about all the ways it cleans carpets.
But before I discuss all the ways you can clean carpets with it, I want to mention where baking soda comes from.
Where Does Baking Soda Come From?
As I mentioned earlier, baking soda (also called sodium bicarbonate) is a natural product. It comes from mines in the ground.
These mines contain trona and nahcolite minerals. After mining the minerals, they go through a purification process to turn them into baking soda.
Baking Soda as a Carpet Cleaner
Many stains and odors from grease, dirt, wine, and bodily fluids are acidic. Since baking soda contains alkali properties, baking soda on an acid-type stain causes a reaction resulting in carbon dioxide gas. Due to these oxidized gases, baking soda can dissolve and cleanse these stains and neutralize smells.
Baking soda is also abrasive and can be used as a scouring powder in case you need to put some elbow grease into a carpet stain. Adding water or even vinegar to baking soda can cause even more of a chemical reaction, helping remove the smudge more easily. In some cases, baking soda may even make the carpet brighter.
Does Baking Soda Help Dry Wet Carpets?
Baking soda can remove wetness and moisture from carpets, helping to prevent mildew or mold.
A common way to do this is to place the baking soda on the wet areas of the carpet and then wait for it to absorb the moisture. Once the wetness is gone, you can vacuum it up.
Benefits of Sprinkling Baking Soda on the Carpet
Sprinkling baking soda onto a carpet before vacuuming will help neutralize odors from the carpet. It’s beneficial for getting rid of pet odors. The longer you can leave it on the carpet, the better, but try to leave it for at least 15 minutes before vacuuming.
Sprinkling baking soda throughout your carpet and vacuuming it can also help freshen it and make it brighter.
How Does Baking Soda Clean Carpets?
Since baking soda is an alkali, it will react with a stain, resulting in carbon dioxide gas that will dissolve it.
As mentioned earlier, baking soda is also somewhat of an abrasive cleaner, which can help when you need to break up and remove hard-to-clean stains.
Can Baking Soda Clean Carpet Odor?
Many smells that come from carpets, especially pet urine, are acids. Baking soda’s alkaline properties can neutralize these carpet smells.
Can Baking Soda Clean Carpet Stains?
Yes, baking soda can clean carpet stains due to its alkaline properties and abrasive texture. Here are some stains baking soda can clean on your carpet:
- Urine
- Vomit
- Feces
- Dirt
- Blood
- Grease – Oil, butter, peanut butter, sauces
- Wine or Fruit Juice
To clean most stains, depending on the severity and type, it’s as easy as four steps:
- Make a baking soda paste using water.
- Apply to the stain.
- Wait overnight or until the paste dries.
- Vacuum up the baking soda.
Will Baking Soda Clean Dog Poop from Carpet?
Many solutions and products will remove dog poop from carpets, but there are probably none cheaper than baking soda. Baking soda will not only clean dog poop from the carpet but also neutralize any odor that comes from it.
Whether your dog left it or someone stepped in it and then walked over your carpet, try these steps to clean dog poop from your carpet using baking soda.
- Remove the larger pieces either using a bag or glove.
- Sprinkle baking soda over what is left to dry it out.
- Use a vacuum to remove what is left, including the baking soda.
- If there is still a stain left, apply a small amount of vinegar and dish soap, then use a microfiber cloth to blot the stain. After that, repeat steps 2 and 3.
How to Use Baking Soda to Clean Carpets
To freshen up and deodorize your carpet.
- Sprinkle baking soda on it.
- Wait at least 15 minutes.
- Vacuum it up.
How Long Should Baking Soda Sit on the Carpet?
This is a common question. Baking soda should sit on the carpet for at least 15 minutes, depending on the severity of the odor. For stronger smells, baking soda may need to remain on the carpet for up to 24 hours.
Baking Soda Carpet Cleaning Solution
There are many ways to use baking soda to clean carpets, and every baking soda cleaning recipe or solution will depend on the severity of the stain.
As mentioned earlier, if you are just going to freshen up your carpet and deodorize some minor smells, sprinkle some baking soda onto the carpet and leave it for 15 minutes. Then vacuum it up.
But you may need to add another cleaning agent to the baking soda for more serious stains or carpets that get a lot of traffic and wear and tear. Some carpet solutions may include vinegar and/or dish soap and possibly distilled water.
Baking soda and vinegar is a good recipe for cleaning household items. The chemical reaction between the two releases carbon dioxide, helping break apart and lift stains.
Dish soap is an alkaline, and adding it to the baking soda and vinegar will help release even more carbon dioxide.
Dish soap is also excellent for grease, so it works well for cleaning grease-type stains on the carpet. Distilled water helps to make baking soda into a paste.
You may need to experiment with the amounts for each one of these cleaning agents to get the best results.
Does Baking Soda Ruin Vacuums?
This is also a good question, and it depends on what the manufacturer recommends. Before you use a vacuum, always read the owner’s manual. If the manual mentions to avoid vacuuming baking soda or other fine-type particles, please follow it.
before using them. I have never seen any manuals say to avoid vacuuming baking soda. And I have never had any issues with my vacuums after vacuuming carpets with baking soda.
Conclusion
As you can see, baking soda can clean carpets. And you can do it in as little as three steps. Baking soda’s alkali properties help remove stains, neutralize bad odors, absorb moisture, and freshen carpets.
When you use baking soda on your carpet, let it sit on the carpet for at least fifteen minutes before vacuuming it.
Before using your vacuum, read the owner’s manual to find out if vacuuming baking soda or other fine particles can ruin it.
If you want to learn what else in your house you can use to clean your floors with, read our post – Say Goodbye to Harmful Chemicals: Explore the World of Non-Toxic Carpet Cleaning
