My friend recently spilled olive oil on his off-white carpeting while hosting a dinner party. Apparently, he didn’t know what steps to take to get oil out of his carpet. So he approached me and asked: how do I get olive oil out of carpeting?
I helped him to clean and sanitize his carpet. Then I thought to myself: how many people out there are going through the same menace? They say sharing is caring. After some hours of holding some holistic conversation with my inner self, I decided to share this step-by-step guide on how to remove oil stains from carpet.
When oil soaks into the carpet fibers, pulling it out is frustrating enough and poses a whole new challenge. Fortunately, oil spills aren’t permanent and can be eliminated. The following do-it-yourself techniques will help you get oil out of carpet and keep it looking its best in no time.
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Note –
It is always imperative to consult your upholstery manufacturer prior to attempting any kind of carpet cleaning approach. Different carpet types have materials and finishes which react in different ways. Make sure you check whether or not a specific cleaning method is appropriate for your carpeting and cannot damage your flooring. Additionally, don’t forget to do a spot removal test on a less visible portion of your upholstery.
The Essential Supplies
- White Cloths/Absorbent Cloths/Brown Paper Bags/Newspapers
- Cornstarch/Baking Soda/Baby Powder
- White Distilled Vinegar
- Dry-cleaning Solvent
- Vacuum
- Bowl
- Liquid Dish Soap
- Towel
- Sponge
See Also: How to Get Hair Dye Out of Carpet
Steps to Remove Oil From Carpet
- Freshen up the stains —Freshen up old oil stains by rubbing them with a small amount of liquid vegetable glycerin. You can also use one or two drops of cooking oil instead of glycerin. Leave the glycerin or cooking oil to sit on the old oil stain for one hour, and then skip to number ix.
- Soak up the stains — For fresh oil stains, start the cleaning task by soaking up as much of the stain as you can with an absorbent material. You can use brown paper bags, towels, or newspapers. Press one of the absorbent materials onto the spot so as to soak up the stain. If you’re using newspaper as your absorbent material, don’t let it sit on the carpet for a long time as it can transmit the ink onto the carpet.
- Cover it with cornstarch —As soon as the majority of the oil stain has soaked up; cover the entire area with cornstarch. Brush the cornstarch slightly over the area to get it deeper into the carpet fibers. Cornstarch is used to soak up the oil from the fibers. This leaves you with only less stain to tackle in the subsequent steps.
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- Leave the cornstarch to rest on the stain for no less than 1 hour.
- After the one hour is over, go ahead and vacuum the carpet to suck up the cornstarch or baking soda. If need be, you can repeat the process by sprinkling the absorbent and vacuuming it out.
- In case the oil spill covered a huge portion of the carpet, repeat the procedure with a second coat of cornstarch or powder. Allow it to rest for at least one hour.
- Vacuum the carpet to get the excess oil stains out
- Now it is time to tackle the last bits of oil stains remaining in your carpet
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- Apply a little amount of dish washing detergent to the stained portion of the carpet. Spread this grease-fighting detergent around to create a thin layer. Use your fingers to work the detergent deep into the carpet fibers. This ensures that the entire area affected by oil is covered.
- Using an old toothbrush or a soft brush, work the detergent further into the fibers
- Remove the dish soap. This is the most time-consuming part of this process. Although you only used a small amount of dish soap, adding water suds it up.
- Pour a little amount of water onto the stained area. Then, blot it up immediately with a clean and dry cloth.
- Repeat the blotting process as many times as possible until no more soap is visible.
- If you have a carpet cleaner, it will be much easier to rinse the carpet. Note that many units don’t like suds, and vacuuming the dish soap suds it up. Always empty the water container regularly to keep the suds from becoming a problem later.
- After rinsing up the carpeted area completely, place a few paper towels over the carpet and press them down firmly. Doing this helps in absorbing the excess water.
- Last but not least, allow your carpet to dry. You may also blot dry it with a towel.
See Related Reading: How to Get Mold Out of Carpet in 3 Easy Methods
Final Word!
Whether it is motor oil stains or cooking oil stains, removing them has never been easier. The best part is that this do-it-yourself oil removal guide will not take time. So, be sure to try this method the next time you needto get oil stains off your carpet. If you know any other method that can be used to remove oil stains from carpet, please tell us about it in the comments section below.
