Winter is hard on carpeting and rugs.

Damp shoes and boots pick up the volcanic cinders, crushed basalt and sand that are scattered on roads, sidewalks and driveways to improve traction when it’s icy.

Rock salt, magnesium chloride and other deicers may get tracked into the house and absorbed into floor coverings.

There are some simple fixes to help keep carpets and rugs clean in the winter and throughout the year.

The solutions we found are also eco-friendly, since we consulted with Rachelle Strauss, author of “Household Cleaning Self-Sufficiency,” a guidebook for low-cost, green house- cleaning.

Strauss, 38, is married and has a young daughter. She is an avid environmentalist in the United Kingdom who writes about green living in her local newspaper and in a blog (http://littlegreenblog .com).

Strauss became interested in making her own cleaning products when she was pregnant.

“I was determined to have an organic baby!” she writes in “Household Cleaning Self- Sufficiency.”

“I couldn’t believe how easy it was to make these (cleaning) products! They actually worked and saved me money. If that wasn’t enough, I was saving packaging from the landfill and keeping toxic chemicals out of the environment. And my home looked and smelled great, too,” she writes.

Strauss conversed with us via e-mail from England about carpet cleaning.

Prevention

Adopt a “no shoes” rule in the house. “I’m all for prevention rather than cure when it comes to any cleaning job,” Strauss said.

“Offer good quality mats outside your home, ask your guests and family members to wipe their shoes and leave them by the front door. The majority of dirt comes in on the bottom of our shoes, including chemicals, bacteria and dust, so it makes sense to avoid bringing in this dirt in the first place,” she said.

Vacuum more often

Vacuum frequently so that dust and dirt don’t build up in carpet and rug fibers.

“Vacuum at least once a week and consider using a carpet sweeper in between times to gather any fluff and dirt,” she writes in her book.

Catch spills immediately

Strauss recommends mopping up spills as they happen, and blotting or gently scraping — not rubbing — to avoid pushing the spill deeper into the carpet or rug.

“As soon as a spill touches the carpet, pour soda water over it to fizz up the stain. Then immediately put some old, clean towels over the area and stamp on them to draw out as much liquid as possible,” Strauss writes in “Household Cleaning.”

Steam it to clean it

Strauss advocates for natural, nonchemical cleaning products and warns that spot cleaners and carpet cleaning products include “a cocktail of artificial fragrances, optical brighteners, pesticides, fungicides and solvents.”

“The best thing to do is to use a steam cleaner, which doesn’t require any chemicals at all. My mantra is to keep it simple,” she e-mailed. Strauss suggests steam cleaning all carpets at least once a year to keep the fibers in good condition.

For dirty carpets and rugs, Strauss has a recipe for a mild carpet shampoo (see “Make it at home”).

Cover up

Consider covering your carpets and rugs with mats or throw rugs.

“Rugs can be taken outside and aired, and some can be washed in a washing machine,” Strauss said.

Pet towel or paw bath

Finally, this reporter suggests keeping an old towel ready inside the door to wipe Fido’s paws after a walk.

Fill a designated dishpan or small bucket with some warm water before you take your dog for a walk, and give the dirty paws a quick swish upon return.

Greener cleaning

If you decide to go greener with your carpet cleaning, and have several products in your cupboard that you no longer want to use, Strauss has an idea about how to dispose of them.

“We try to waste as little as possible at home, so if you really don’t want to use stain removers and cleaners you already have, there will be someone else who does. Although it might feel a little uneasy to offer your products to someone else once you realize what is in them and the harm they can cause, not everyone feels the same way!

Why not offer your products on Freecycle or to a work colleague? It’s better than throwing them away, and the recipient is bound to be grateful that they can save some money,” Strauss said.