Knowing how to remove slime from carpet is a skill you'll have to master if you have little ones in the house. But, as a favorite plaything of many kids today, it's easy to find slime laying around the house, especially if your kids are the creative type.
The truth is that even the best vacuum can't save you once this sticky substance gets on your carpet. So, how do you save your carpet from complete ruin? We'll look at that in this article and so much more.
So, let's first look at what exactly
What Is Slime?
There are various forms of slime, including unicorn, glow-in-the-dark, and more. Slime is a soft and slimy-feeling substance that takes on the shape of its container.
Children love to play with it because of how it feels, looks and the fact that they can make various shapes with it. There's even homemade slime if you're kids like to make their own.
Think of slime as a softer and malleable version of plasticine. Some of the cool ingredients you can find in slime include glue, water, food coloring, glitter, and starch. Unfortunately, the glue and food coloring are what make getting slime out of carpet a hassle.
The glue is difficult to disintegrate, and the food color can stain your carpet if you're not careful. Luckily, we're here to ensure that once you're done carpet cleaning with the tips we have, your carpet will be left spotless.
Rubbing alcohol or vinegar is essential in ensuring that you get the glue out. But, first, let's look at the steps to follow.
What Products Do You Need to Remove Slime from Carpet?
White Distilled Vinegar
Why is vinegar a viable option? Because when you mix it with water, you get a solution that will safely remove the slime from the carpet without damaging the fibers.
Paint Scraper or Butter Knife
Our first option is the paint scrapper because it offers a greater surface area. This will mean that you can cover more ground in one movement.
Once you gently scrape as much slime as you can at once, you'll be happy with the effect. If you don't have a paint scraper, you can use a spoon or butter knife to remove the slime from the carpet.
Scrubbing Brush
Choose a gentle scrubbing brush to remove any remaining slime on your carpet.
Vacuum
This part is optional to remove any residue that has remained on the carpet fibers.
Note that you can also add other products to the list if you feel like you need them. Let's now see how to use vinegar to get slime out of your carpet.
How to Remove Slime From Carpet With Vinegar
Using white vinegar to remove slime from the carpet is one of the quickest ways to do it because the vinegar breaks down the glue. This means that you'll have an easier time carpet cleaning because you won't be struggling to disintegrate the slime.
Let's look at the steps to follow.
Step 1: Remove Excess Slime
The first step is gently removing the excess wet slime with your butter knife or spoon. It's easier to start from the outside and gently work your way into the center of the slime. This will make it easier to work on the remaining slime with ease.
Scrape as much excess slime out of the carpet as you can. You can also use a clean paper towel to take away the remaining slime.
Once you're sure that you can no longer remove the slime with your spoon or butter knife, you can now use your white vinegar and water solution.
Step 2: Mix Vinegar and Water Solution
Take 2/3 cup of your distilled white vinegar and mix it with a 1/3 cup of warm water. You can mix your solution in a clean spray bottle.
This spray mixture will help break down the glue and borax in slime, making it easier to remove. As you are removing slime, spray a generous amount of the mixture on the slime stain to cover it well.
However, ensure that the carpet is not saturated. In case you're no longer dealing with wet slime, and it's now dried slime, you may want to leave the mixture on the slime spot for about 15 minutes.
This will give the spray bottle mixture time to break down the slime residue.
Step 3: Scrub Away Loose Slime
Once the slime spot has been saturated with the mixture and the residue has become easier to work with, it's time to bring in the brush.
Ensure that you use a clean brush with soft bristles to avoid ruining the carpet fibers. Apply just enough pressure to loosen the slime for easier carpet cleaning.
Step 4: Pat the Area Dry
Use your clean and dry towel to pat the carpet area dry. This will collect the broken-down slime and excess vinegar to leave behind a clean carpet.
You should do this until there is no carpet stain or slime stain as proof of what went down. Once you're satisfied with the work, you can then vacuum the area.
Step 5: Vacuum the Area
This part is optional and helps to remove any small bits of slime that may be stuck between the carpet fibers. This is especially useful if you've been dealing with dried slime.
Let's now look at some alternative ways to remove slime out of carpet if you don't have or don't want to use white vinegar.
Alternative Ways to Remove Slime from Carpet
Let's look at some other products and methods you can use to remove slime out of carpet if you don't want to use white vinegar.
Regular Carpet Cleaner
Follow the package instructions of the carpet cleaner for the best results to deal with slime stains. Let it calmy sit for approximately 5 minutes, and then use a sponge dipped in warm water to gently scrub the area.
You can use both the green scouring and spongy sides to work on the carpet. Continually refresh the sponge to allow it to pick up as much slime as possible. Note that this method will require patience on your part.
Unlike the vinegar method, using a carpet cleaner may not be as effective, and you'll need to vacuum at the end for the best results.
Ice Cubes
So, how do you use ice cubes to remove slime out of carpet? This will only work if you're dealing with fresh slime.
Therefore, apply ice cubes or an ice pack on the area for about 15 minutes when the slime has just spilled. This will help freeze the slime and allow you to gently scrape it off and vacuum it.
Once you remove the ice cubes, gently scrape off the watery goop and leave it to dry. Although you may be skeptical, you'll be happy to see how well this method works.
Club Soda
When using club soda, you'll need to scrape away as much slime as possible and vacuum the area before using the club soda.
Once you've vacuumed, you can then spray some club soda on the area. Wait for about five minutes and use a clean cloth to blot the area and carefully absorb the excess soda water.
The disadvantage with this cleaning method is that you shouldn't expect it to work as well as the others.
Dish Soap
Finally, we have our good old dish soap. Mix 2 teaspoons of your liquid dish soap or dish detergent with 2 cups of warm water in a clean spray bottle. Once you're satisfied with the mixture, spray it on the stain and dab the slime spot with a clean rag or sponge.
Wait for about 4 minutes after spraying the warm water before you dab up the slime particles with a clean towel. Once you're satisfied with the way things have turned out, allow the area to dry.
Although this cleaning method is effective, you may have to soap up the generated soap suds with a clean paper towel.
You can choose to use whichever cleaning method works best for you.
Frequently Asked Questions About Removing Slime from Carpet
What do you do if you can't remove slime out of carpet with the steps above?
Call in a professional carpet cleaner. If you have followed the steps above to the letter but are still having trouble getting the slime out of carpet, it's time to bring in the big guns.
The professionals will use heavy-duty tools and products that can properly deal with carpet stains and stubborn slime. In addition, they will probably use powerful cleaning solutions and steam cleaners that you may not have in the house.
The advantage of bringing in the professionals is that you don't risk accidentally damaging your carpet by trying too hard.
Can you remove slime from a floor rug using these steps?
Yes. Whether you're working on a carpet or a floor rug, the principle is the same. Therefore, you don't have to worry about the vinegar damaging your rug's backing.