Carpets are soft and inviting, but they can also trap a lot of allergens like dirt and dust mites. Steam cleaning is the perfect way to draw out the allergens, odors, and grime that are sticking to your carpets. Sometimes hiring someone to come and steam your carpets just isn’t in the budget; in that case, it is entirely possible to do on your own.

Unfortunately, there is not a way to steam clean carpet without an actual steam cleaner, so your first step will either need to be renting or purchasing a steam cleaner. But don’t worry about buying those fancy steam cleaning shampoo products; we have a homemade recipe right here for you to try.

*All steam cleaners are different, so follow the directions provided.

Non-Toxic Homemade Cleaner for Carpet Steamers

• 1 gallon hot (near-boiling) water
• 1 Tablespoon liquid dish soap (No bleach added!)
• 1 ½ Tablespoons white vinegar
• ¼ cup of 3% peroxide

Before you start steaming your carpet, remove all furniture, vacuum thoroughly, and make sure that stains have been removed. Many stains can become set into the carpet when hit by the hot steam, and you definitely do not want that to happen. Most stains can be removed with liquid dish soap and water, or even club soda.

Fill the steam cleaner’s water reserve with the hot water, leaving a little space. Add the rest of the ingredients. You are now ready to steam clean your carpet by following the directions provided with the machine. You can do a final hot water rinse using the steam cleaning machine, but with this homemade cleaner you really don’t need to.

Allow the carpets to dry completely before returning the furniture.