Green Floor Freshener

Baking soda + essential oil = FRESH!

A couple of years ago, my house underwent a major transformation. It used to be a girl's group home and as such, was decorated with a lot of pink. For the record, I am a fan of pink. Not the singer, but the color. Although there was this one song that she sang that...oh, sorry, got a little sidetracked again! Here's the problem...pink+farm+kids+dogs+husband=very difficult to keep clean! I could almost hear my steam cleaner moaning every time I pulled her out of the closet. "Oh, please, not again. Even the Lord rested on the 7th day." Maybe that was me...I don't know. Apparently it got loud, because one day my Mister said, "Let's put in wood floors!" Since he is the head of the household, I conceded. (There may have been happy dancing as well.)

We replaced the dining room and hallway with wood floors and had new carpet laid in our living room and bedroom. The wood floors are so much easier to clean up, but we still have to be diligent with dirty feet in the living room. (We have a "no shoes" rule, but our children think that their dirty, BARE feet are still allowed. Not sure how to handle that one!) We were smart and had stain resistant carpet put in, but it still needs to be steam cleaned occasionally. Not so much for the dirt, but more for the peace of mind.

To freshen the carpets in between deep cleaning, I mix 1 cup of baking soda with 5 or 6 drops of lavender oil (any favorite scent will do), then sprinkle it all over the carpet. Of course, the kiddos and dogs are banned to the basement during this time. Hmmm...maybe I should do this daily! Anyway, let it set for about 1/2 hour before vacuuming. Not only does it freshen the carpet, but it is safe for pets and kids.