Oil stains are a nightmare to clean, and if you let them sit on your carpet for too long, they will spread, stain, and change the colour of your carpet. Remember, when oil sticks on your carpet, it becomes a dirt magnet so you must remove it as soon as possible.
It is important that you clean the oil properly as you risk spreading and pushing it deeper into the carpet. Here’s a simple guide on how to remove oil stains from your carpet at home.
1. Blot The Oil
The first thing you must do if you spill oil or grease on the carpet is to blot the oil. Blotting helps remove excess oil from the carpet.
This step is very important since it will prevent the oil from spreading and attracting more dirt. The best way to blot is by pressing or gently rubbing a paper towel on the area. Bloat until the paper towel isn’t picking up more oil.
2. Scrap With A Butter Knife (if set)
If you don’t clean the oil immediately, it might start to stick or dry on the carpet. If this is the case, you can use a butter knife to scrape the oil. Do it slowly and smoothly to avoid damaging your carpet. If you scrape too hard, you will push the oil deep into the carpet.
3. Sprinkle With Baking Soda/Corn Starch
After scrapping and soaking up as much oil as possible, apply baking soda or cornstarch smoothly and slowly to the stained area. Let it rest for about 15 minutes. Cornstarch and/or baking soda is effective in absorbing the remaining fluid and smell. You can leave the baking powder on the carpet overnight for the best results.
4. Vacuum The Oiled Carpet Area
After 15 minutes have passed, you need to vacuum the stained area or the whole carpet. Vacuuming helps remove all the baking soda and/or the cornstarch from the carpet.
5. Rubbing Alcohol
Alternatively, you can use rubbing alcohol instead of baking powder/cornstarch to remove stains, especially stubborn stains. So if you have some rubbing alcohol in the house, apply it to the stained area after bloating. Rinse the alcohol with water and leave the carpet to dry.
Rubbing alcohol works by separating the carpet fibers from the oil. You can also use a dry cleaning solvent in place of rubbing alcohol. Always wear protective gloves if you decide to go the dry-cleaning solvent route.
Wrap Up
We hope you learned something from this quick and simple guide on removing stains from the carpet at home.
If your carpets still haven’t recovered from an oil stain and you would like the professionals to have a go! Please get in contact via the website or by giving us a call directly on 07436 811184. We often have exclusive offers on our website so don’t miss out and get in contact today!
