Every homeowner desires to have clean and fresh carpets and rugs all the time. However, there are instances when the carpets will end up with all manner of stains.
Laundry detergents are some of the accidental stains you may have to deal with. Unlike other stains, it is relatively easy to get rid of laundry detergents from your carpets.
The quickest way to remove laundry detergent from your carpet is to use a wet dry vacuum cleaner. Fill a bottle with hot water then spray the detergent stain until the affected area is thoroughly damp.
Run the wet dry vacuum of the damp area to clean up the water, then allow the area to dry. If the detergent stain is still present, repeat the process until the stain is completely removed.
I remember the day I accidentally knocked over a bottle of bright blue laundry detergent onto my pristine white carpet. In a panic, I grabbed a spoon, some vinegar, and a stack of paper towels, following a tip I had read online. To my amazement, the stain lifted, leaving me feeling like a DIY cleaning wizard and my carpet looking as good as new!
Does Laundry Detergent Come Out of Carpet?
It is possible to remove laundry detergent from a carpet. This is the case for all types of laundry detergents, including liquid laundry detergent.
There are various methods that you can use to get rid of the detergent stains. The specific method that you settle upon, however, will depend on the toughness of the stain as well as the ability of the cleaning supplies.
Usually, you should deal with the laundry detergent as soon as it happens instead of allowing it time to settle. The longer it stays on the carpet, the tougher it will be to remove it.
In addition to the extra work you will have to input to get rid of the stain, you may also hurt the carpet fibers and cause additional unnecessary problems.
Therefore, make it a habit of dealing with the stains the moment you notice them or as soon as they happen.
How to Get Laundry Detergent Out of Carpet?
There are various ways at your disposal regarding getting rid of laundry detergent on your carpets.
The use of a wet dry vacuum cleaner after wetting the affected area is probably the most popular one, but others are equally effective which you should also know about.
Here is a brief step-by-step guide on some of these approaches that you can use, depending on the kind of staining you are dealing with.
Step One: Inspect the carpet thoroughly
Before you settle on a particular method to remove the laundry detergent from carpet, you need to carefully inspect the area to weigh out your options more objectively.
To begin with, inspect the carpet to see if it is possible to get rid of the laundry detergent using a washing machine.
If such a possibility exists, then it will be the most ideal route for you. If you can’t toss the carpet into the washing machine, then you can use any of the methods that we discuss below.
Step Two: Gather your supplies
After thoroughly inspecting the carpet region with the stain, it will be easy for you to decide the kind of cleaning approach to take.
Usually, irrespective of the cleaning method you choose, there are certain supplies you will need to have to get laundry detergent off your carpet.
They include hot water, paper towels, wet dry vacuum cleaner, spray bottles, ammonia, white vinegar, and a steam cleaner solution among others.
Please note that you don’t need to have all of them for a great cleaning result.
Step Three: Remove the excess detergent
If the laundry detergent spill is still fresh, the first step to getting the laundry detergent off the carpet is to get rid of the excess detergent.
The easiest way to do this is to use a paper towel to soak up the extra laundry detergent before you apply any of the following cleaning methods.
Step 4: Clean with warm water
Warm, or hot water is always a great cleaner. Add some hot water into a spray bottle and use the spray bottle to apply the warm water on the spot with the laundry detergent.
Continue spraying until the spot become sudsy. Be careful not to use very hot water since this may hurt your carpet fibers.
Step 5: Vacuum clean the detergent spot
Use a vacuum cleaner to get rid of the sudsy detergent from your rug. A dry vacuum cleaner or a wet vacuum cleaner will be just fine.
Vacuum the spot and then allow it some time to become sudsy again. Repeat this process until you end up with a clean spot.
Step 6: Use ammonia on the laundry detergent spot
If you don’t get satisfactory results with the help of a vacuum cleaner, then you may take it a notch higher by applying ammonia to the laundry detergent spot.
All you have to do is get a scoop of ammonia powder and sprinkle it over the liquid laundry detergent area.
Also, add some cold water to the spot. Then, keep on vacuuming until you get desirable results.
Step 7: Dry the detergent out using paper towels
Once you are through with the vacuum cleaner, the liquid laundry detergent spot will still be wet.
You could just leave it alone to dry on its own, however, you can speed up the drying process with the help of paper towels.
Use the towels to draw out any remaining laundry detergent stains before allowing it time to dry naturally.
Step 8: Use a steam cleaner
Depending on the toughness of the laundry detergent stains, you may or may not use a steam cleaner.
If you do all the above to get rid of the laundry detergent from carpet and you are not happy with the results, you can use a steam cleaner for the most satisfactory results.
Simply run the steam cleaner on the spilled laundry detergent area until you see your carpet return to its original state.
The steam cleaner will normally have a cleaning solution. But for better results, you can add white vinegar to the cleaning solution before you start the cleaning process.
White vinegar is a very powerful cleaning solution and you should always include it in your steam cleaner.
Bonus methods to get laundry detergent out of carpet
In addition to the above, you may also consider the following methods when you want to remove laundry detergent from your carpet-:
Treat the stained area with salt
Unknown to many people, salt can sometimes be a powerful cleaning solution.
With this method, all you have to do is pour salt – about a tablespoon or more depending on the area, on the spot, and then add warm water to the spot then let it rest for about one hour. Dry the area using towels.
You may give it a final rinse to fully get rid of the stain.
This is a simple way to remove the stain especially if the stain has been sitting there for just a few minutes.
This method, however, may not be active if you are dealing with a dried detergent that may require you to soak for some time before cleaning. But since it is fresh, you don’t need to soak anything.
The Kitty Litter Method
The kitty litter method may take relatively long in comparison to the other already discussed above. However, it is a great choice to remove liquid laundry detergent if you can’t afford to wet dry vacuum the area.
With this method, pour a good amount of kitty litter to cover the entire detergent stain. Once the litter absorbs the spilled detergent, scoop it as you would normally do and throw it away.
To get rid of any extra laundry detergent that may still be present on the spot, use paper towels or old towels to gently press against the area.
Will Laundry Detergent Hurt Carpet
Laundry detergent will not necessarily hurt your carpet if you act promptly. Whenever you notice a spill of the detergent on your carpet, you should move with speed to get rid of it using any of the methods above.
If you allow it to dry up on the carpet, then getting rid of the stain may be somewhat of a problem.
Depending on the nature of the detergent, as well as the sensitivity of your carpet fibers, you may end up using force to remove the stain.
This may then hurt the carpet fibers. To avoid such, always ensure to deal with the stain as soon as possible.
Will Laundry Detergent Stain Carpet?
Yes, it is possible for laundry detergent to stain a carpet. Carpets near the areas around the laundry room are usually more susceptible to detergent stains than those in other parts of the house.
The major causes of these stains are accidental spills or drips that end up falling on the carpet while you plan or do your laundry.
The good news, however, is that these kinds of stains are not tough or permanent. The secret is to clean them as soon as they occur or immediately you notice them.
Wrap-Up
Getting rid of detergent from the carpet should not be a huge bother to you. This is relatively easy to remove stains.
You don’t need excess water or expensive cleaning solutions to restore the beautiful looks on your carpets.
If you act with speed, sometimes a damp cloth and cold water may be sufficient to help you get rid of the detergent stain.
Consider any of the methods above to clean off any detergent marks on your carpets.
If you don’t have the time or the supplies, then feel free to engage the services of a professional carpet cleaner.zzz