Natural Carpet Cleaning (or The Cat's New Digs)

We have a new barn cat. Well, actually we have a new barn cat that used to be our house cat before he took to using my daughter’s room as a litter box. Eww. I won’t embarrass her by saying publicly there’s a reason he chose that particular room. I’ll just say that she’s the creative type. They always say that a messy desk is a sign of a creative mind. Well, she’s VERY creative.  

Anyway, the cat is adapting to the barn now that his food has moved up there, and he’s discovered that there is plenty of supplemental food available with just the slightest effort. The mice that were living large on the spilled chicken feed and barrels of horse feed are feeling a bit under siege. 

Back to the smelly room. Although we cleaned up each accident as soon as it was spotted (so to speak), the smell became unbearable. So this past weekend we borrowed a carpet cleaning machine from a friend (thanks Allison!). After two solid days of unearthing, uh, I mean cleaning, the room, we discovered the carpet and along with that plenty of places where the cat left its mark. 

Not wanting to use the expensive, industrial carpet cleaning solutions I found at the store, and having failed to eliminate the stink with my favorite go-to cleaner vinegar, I sought out a natural carpet cleaner. After spending way too much time reading organic cleaning blogs (who knew there were so many!), I found a recipe that seemed to have the most reliable results. While I’d like to give credit where credit is due, this recipe was on several sites and I couldn’t really determine where it originated. 

It worked like a charm and left the room smelling of lavender. Of course, this morning when I was moving furniture back in to the room, the other cat followed me in and curled up on the freshly laundered carpet. I suppose it remains to be seen (and smelled) if we banished the right kitty!

 

All-Natural Carpet Cleaner (for machines)

 6 cups hot, hot water (but not boiling)

¼ cup 3% hydrogen peroxide (the kind in the brown bottle – also excellent for cleaning bathrooms)

1 ½ Tablespoon white vinegar

1 ½ Tablespoons dish detergent

½ teaspoon essential oil (we used lavender and tea tree oil)