Dear Annie,

What eco-friendly solution do you recommend for spot cleaning carpet? I don’t need to clean the whole carpet because I am happy with a local person who steam cleans them without fragrances. Thanks!

–Sarah M, TX

Dear Sarah,

Good question! One spot cleaner I really like is to make a special carpet foam cleaner. To make it squirt a few teaspoons of a good liquid green detergent into a bowl (your green hand dishwashing detergent is fine), get out the handmixer or a whisk, and agitate it all until it comes into a big foam. Scoop some of the foam onto a clean sponge or rag and scrub into the spot. Rinse. this formula is easy to do on the spot (as it were). Just make enough for what you need at the time.

One hint is to blot up carpet spills immediately before cleaning.