Carpets go through a lot. They pick dirt, debris, dust, and anything else thrown at them. When oil comes in contact with carpet fibers, a stain will occur if not cleaned properly. Knowing how to remove oil from carpet is your first line of defense. The good news is that you can do it all by yourself.
How to Remove Oil from Carpet
Just like you want to know how to remove oil from tile, it’s important to be prepared with carpets too. In this article, you will learn how to remove oil stains like a pro. You will know about two easy methods that will leave your carpet looking like when it was new.
Removing Cooking Oils from Carpet
- You should begin cleaning the stain by hand as soon as you notice it. Fresh stains are easy to remove because they have not penetrated deep into the fabric. Get a paper towel and use it to blot as much of the oil as possible. Keep blotting until you cannot pick any more oil.
- Get a small amount of rubbing alcohol and pour it directly on the stained area. Use a clean cloth to rub the alcohol. Be careful not to wipe it as this will only spread the oil to a wider area.
- Create a mixture of a tablespoon of your dishwashing soap, and a quart of water. Ascertain that your dishwashing liquid has no traces of bleach or lanolin. Using a sponge, rub the mixture on the stained patch. Keep rubbing until you see no more stain. You should now have your carpet looking like it never picked up any oil stain.
Removing Motor Oil Stains from Carpet
When you visit a garage or if you work there, it is not unheard of to bring back motor oil to your home. Your carpet will be the most natural target. Do not worry; here is how you get rid of the stains.
- Arm yourself with a butter knife. Use it to scrub off the thick motor oil from the carpet surface. Be gentle while scrubbing as you do not want to tear the carpet fabric.
- Get baking soda and pour a considerable portion on the stain. If you have corn starch, it will do the same job. Let it stay on the stain for not less than ten minutes.
- When the ten or so minutes elapse, vacuum the stained portion.
- Get a clean cloth and soak one end of it with dry-cleaning solvent. Spread the solvent on the stain and see what happens.
- If the stain does not go away, it is time to try a more thorough carpet cleaning method. Warm two cups of water and mix it with one spoonful each of dishwashing liquid and white vinegar. Use a sponge to apply the mixture on the remaining stain. It will remove both the stain and any residue remaining. After this, use cold water to rinse the carpet and leave it to dry.
Bottom Line
How to remove oil from carpet is easy. With the methods discussed here, your carpet will never be an oily mess.