Green (and budget!) carpet cleaner recipes

Nobody likes a sick child. And nobody likes the aftermath.

After my daughter threw up on the carpet, the recliner and a multitude of blankets last night, I realized something. As we came out of the bathroom, we were met from a chemical stench of Woolite carpet cleaner, which had drifted upstairs, overpowering everything else. Yuck.

This morning, I decided things needed to be different. I went to work trying to find a homemade solution that would be less fragrant.

Here are a few options I found online that hopefully wouldn't require a trip to the store for that 2 a.m. pinch:

Dry Carpet Cleaner (from easy-homemade-recipes.com)
2 cup baking soda
1/2 cup cornstarch
4 to 5 bay leaves
1 tablespoon cloves

Spot test a small, inconspicuous area of your rug first to test for color stability of the fibers. Put the ingredients through a sifter until blended. Sprinkle lightly on your carpeting and allow to sit several hours overnight. Sprinkle lightly on carpet and let stand for a couple of hours. Vacuum up and enjoy your fresh fragrant carpet. Store dry carpet cleaner and deodorizer in a coffee can.

Homemade Spot Remover (from frugalliving.about.com)
Mix white vinegar and baking soda together to form a paste. Then, work the paste into the carpet stain with an old toothbrush, or something similar. Allow the paste to dry; then vacuum up the baking soda, and the stain should be gone.

Green Carpet Cleaner (from thedailygreen.com)
Spots in carpets often remove with a simple dilution of one part vinegar, one-sixteenth part lemon juice and eight parts distilled water.

There are hundreds others that include essential oils, borax or other ingredients. But when you're tired, simple is the way to go!