Even if your carpets look clean, they may not smell fresh due to everyday use. Odor-causing particles, such as dirt and debris from shoes, may borrow down deep into the carpet's fibers, making it hard to reach with a vacuum. You may also find that the carpet smells pungent in your cat's or dog's favorite spots.

Rather than spending money on traditional carpet fresheners that are typically filled with toxic chemicals, deodorize the flooring naturally using products you may already have in your home. Not only are the natural methods less expensive, they're better for use around pets and children.

Here are a couple of non-toxic, eco-friendly ways to freshen up your carpets:

1. Make your own deodorizing powder using pet- and child-friendly baking soda, which will draw out odors that are lurking deep within carpet fibers.

Pour three cups of baking soda into a plastic container with a shaker-style top. To customize the freshening powder, add 20 drops of your favorite essential oil, such as peppermint, spearmint, sweet orange, lemon or lavender. You can also add a combination of scents if you'd like. While the baking soda pulls the scents out of the carpet, the oils will leave behind a sweet scent.

Sprinkle the baking soda all over the carpet, paying special attention to high-traffic areas such as in front of doors and hallways. Allow the powder to sit on the flooring for up to 24 hours for best results. Then, vacuum it up.

2. Another way to clean and deodorize carpeting is with distilled white vinegar, which you can use to remove odor-causing stains, such as food or urine.

To create the scent-removing stain remover, fill a plastic spray bottle with 50 percent vinegar and 50 percent water. Again, you can customize the scent by adding about 15 drops of your desired essential oil to the vinegar solution. Shake the bottle thoroughly to mix.

If the stain is wet, blot up any excess moisture using an absorbent cloth. Then, spray the mixture over the stain, saturating the spot. You can work the cleaner deep into carpet fibers using a soft-bristled brush.

Allow the solution to rest on the stain for five minutes before blotting the carpet dry with another clean, absorbent cloth.

As another option, you can add vinegar to a steam cleaning machine if you want to refresh the entire carpeting. Just make sure to test a small, inconspicuous spot on the carpet first to check for colorfastness. 

For professional carpet cleaning services, contact a company such as ALPS Professional Services.