Kay-Z said, “I don’t even know what to do about all the mud on my carpet.”
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Shoes walk through mud and shoes walk on carpet, so unfortunately the two paths meet more often than carpet owners would like. It’s best to know how to deal with this situation before it happens, as pushing the mud farther into the carpet fibers while trying to remove it is an easy mistake to make. Even if you did unwittingly spread the mud though, there’s hope; just use the information in the steps below.
Removing the Mud Stain
You Will Need:
- A spatula
- Baking soda
- Salt
- A vacuum
- Dish liquid
- Water
- A cloth
- White vinegar
- Denatured alcohol
- Isopropyl alcohol
Steps to Remove the Stain:
- Use a spatula to scoop off the larger clumps of mud.¹
- Pour baking soda or salt onto the remaining wet mud. Leave the salt there for several hours to absorb the moisture from the wet mud.² When the mud has dried, use a vacuum hose to remove the salt and mud.¹
- Squirt a small amount (about ¼ teaspoon) of dish liquid into a cup half-full with warm water, then stir to make suds. Blot the solution onto the stain with a cloth. Blot the area with plain water to rinse off any remaining residue from the dish liquid.³
- If the stain was not removed by using water and dish liquid, use white vinegar and dish liquid instead. Put about a half cup of the vinegar into a bowl, add a tablespoon of the dish liquid, and whip the ingredients with an egg beater or fork. Dip a scrub brush into the frothy mixture, then press the scrub brush onto the stain and gently wiggle the handle to scrub the stain. Sponge the area with water to rinse.⁴
- For stubborn stains, try using denatured alcohol⁵ or isopropyl alcohol. Test the alcohol on a hidden spot on the carpet first to look for any adverse reaction. If safe, blot the alcohol onto the stain, then sponge with water to rinse.⁶
- When the stain is gone, blot the area with a dry towel to remove any moisture.⁵
Additional Tips and Advice
- Never scrub a carpet forcefully as this can damage the fibers.⁴
- Plain white shaving cream can be used as a carpet spot cleaner and is usually effective on mud stains.⁷
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Sources
- The Spot and Stain Remover Handbook by Jean Cooper
- The Naturally Clean Home by Karyn Siegel-Maier
- Clean it Fast, Clean it RIGHT by Jeff Bredenberg
- Green Housekeeping by Ellen Sandbeck
- 10,001 Hints & Tips for the Home by Reader’s Digest
- Natural Stain Removal Secrets by Deborah Martin
- Stain Removal by Stephanie Zia
I think mud is one of the easier stains to remove from carpets. But nonetheless, untreated mud can make a carpet look dirty. Best to tackle this sort of stain quickly. However, dried mud isn’t too difficult to remove either. Be patient. Know that mud on carpets is not major problem.