Cleaning the carpet is a tedious and expensive task.
The equipment and solution to do this can be very costly, especially if you have carpet in every room of your house. Buying carpet cleaning equipment already costs more than a hundred dollars; it doesn’t help that the cleaning products you need also empty your wallet.
If you want to try a cheap way to clean your carpet, the MoneySmart Family has the answer for you.
Steve and Annette Economides have shared some smart money-saving tips on their website and social media channels.
Their family is known as “America’s Cheapest Family” because they are frugal and find ways to slash a few dollars from their daily expenses.
One of their famous hacks is their carpet cleaning solutions.
Steve found a way to cut their carpet cleaning costs by more than 50% of store-bought products.
They use two solutions for their carpets: a DIY cleaning solution to clean carpet spots and stains and a DIY carpet cleaner that works like the famous Rug Doctor brand.
Interested? You can make one at home and find the ingredients in your nearest dollar store.
Cleaning Solution:
- 6 oz. Hydrogen Peroxide (3% solution)
- 2 oz. Dawn Dish Soap (Blue/Original formula)
Carpet Cleaner:
- 1 gal. Hot water
- 2 tbsps. Liquid detergent (non-bleach)
- ¼ cup LA’s Totally Awesome Cleaner (Yellow variant from Dollar Store)
- 1 scoop Oxiclean Powder
Creating these DIY cleaning agents is as easy as 1-2-3.
For the cleaning solution, mix the ingredients in a spray bottle, give it a little shake, and you’re good to go. You can spray these solutions on carpet spots and stains before you clean them with your vacuum.
If you want to make a bigger batch, follow this recipe in a 3-to-1 ratio.
Now, let’s make your DIY carpet cleaner.
Boil a gallon of hot water and pour it inside a container. Pour two tablespoons of your favorite liquid detergent but make sure it doesn’t have bleach in its formulation.
Check the label of your detergent because you wouldn’t want to damage your carpet.
Next, pour a quarter cup of LA’s Totally Awesome Cleaner. You can use the all-purpose or multi-purpose cleaner of your choice, but this is a cheaper alternative.
Then, using the scooper included in the packaging, add a scoop of Oxyclean which you can buy in the Dollar Store. Give it a good shake and let it cool before pouring it into your carpet vacuum.
You can save a lot by making these two cleaning products at home.
The DIY carpet spot cleaner would only cost you at least $0.6 per portion of that recipe. Making them in bigger batches would last you a year’s worth of cleaning which means year-long savings, too!
On the other hand, the carpet cleaner solution for your vacuum would cost at least $0.32 per gallon, depending on how much you use whenever you clean.
This is the perfect solution if you have a big home and want to save money on carpet cleaning.
Watch how Steve used both products in cleaning their carpet in the video below.
