A carpet cleaning comparison has found that baking soda outperformed a branded Zoflora product, leaving a rug spotless at a fraction of the cost. The test, carried out by Nicola Roy, a Spare Time writer for Express, pitted Zoflora's Carpet Fresh and Care Foam against a box of baking soda on a well-worn IKEA rug.
The Zoflora foam test
Roy first tried the Zoflora foam, bought from Savers for around £3.49 in the Mountain Air scent. The method involved spraying the foam about 50cm from the carpet, working it in with a cloth or sponge, and leaving it for around 10 minutes.
While the foam was satisfying to apply and smelled fresh, Roy found it needed a vacuum afterwards despite the label stating otherwise. The scent did not linger as expected, and the carpet looked clean but not deeply refreshed.
The baking soda method
For the second test, Roy scattered baking soda, which costs around 65p, over the carpet and left it for about an hour. The process was messier than the foam but required no scrubbing—only a vacuum to lift it away.
Roy noted that baking soda was cheaper and more versatile, and the vacuum removed every trace, leaving the rug spotless. While Zoflora smelled better initially, the scent faded within 30 minutes, making it less worthwhile in her view.
The baking soda method proved effective at neutralising odours and delivered a thorough clean, leading Roy to recommend it highly over the branded foam.
