What do WD40, baking soda, vinegar, and slime have in common? All of them are extremely versatile household items that no home or school lacks. Teachers use this non-Newton fluid to teach viscosity, polymers, the nature of solids and liquids, and more to kids.
Adults like squishing this marshmallow-soft substance to relieve stress. Nerds use cleaning slime to remove crud from computer keyboards. And kids love stretching and playing with it all the time.
But some of the slime inevitably spills onto the carpet, staining it. And when this little accident happens, parents and grandparents ask, how do you get slime out of the carpet?
Lucky you! This post presents tested and proven tricks for removing fresh and dried slime from carpets.
Related: How to Get Slime Out of Your Carpet
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How Do You Get Slime Out of Carpets Fast?
There’s at least 9 ways of getting slime out of carpets. The best way to remove fresh slime from a carpet is to cool it using ice cubes, scrape it out after a brief wait, and finally pick it all up with a wet/dry vacuum. As for removing dried slime out of the carpet, apply a diluted white vinegar solution to the mess and then scrub it off thoroughly with a soft-thistled brush. You may have to reapply this DIY slime stain remover if the initial results aren’t satisfying.
Other methods to eradicate slime from carpets and clothes is to use baking soda, WD40, rubbing alcohol, regular carpet cleaners, Goo gone, dye-free dish soap/laundry soap, and even club soda.
9 Tested and Proven Ways of Getting Slime Out of Carpets
Whether the slime sits on your car’s carpet or spilled onto your household carpet, there’s a bunch of slime cleaning techniques you can leverage.
The slime removal methods described in the following sections work, some much better than others. I suggest that you start with the most effective ones, and chances are you won’t need to experiment with the less effective ones.
Note: No matter which method you opt for, the first step should be scraping away a decent amount of the slime. End the cleanup with vacuuming to pick up the very last bit of slime debris and restore the carpet back to its usual fluffy look.
1.Get Slime Out of Carpet With Ice (Best for Removing Fresh Slime)
Is there a way to eradicate slime deposits from a carpet without the usual duo, vinegar and baking soda? Yes! You can use ice cubes/ice packs to solve the problem.
In fact, freezing slime with ice cubes is the smartest strategy for tackling fresh slime spill on carpets. If you’re around when the mess happens, make sure to handle it immediately.
- Get ice cubes into a plastic bag and place them on the fresh slime. Wait 15-20 minutes for the cooling process to complete. Next, grab a butter knife or a scraper and scrape the frozen slime out of the rug.
- The beauty of this method is that it works. And it works exceptionally well provided you attack the mess as soon as it happens.
- When you finally remove the ice, what you see is a wet-ish, goopy mess.
- But it’s a mess that scrapes effortlessly and neatly. What’s more, this slime eradication method leaves behind no color residue.
This is definitely the strategy to unleash on just-spilled slime before you try any of the others described in this slime clean-up tutorial.
Why? Because it works like a charm. But it gets even better; it’s completely chemical-free. Thismeans there’s little chance it’d ruin your rug or carpet. This method is by far the cleverest trick for getting spilled slime out of carpets without vinegar.
2. Remove Slime from Carpet With Distilled White Vinegar (Best Method for Dried Slime)
Borax and glue are among the miscellany of common ingredients used to formulate DIY slime. And vinegar is super effective when it comes to cleaning up these substances.
- Using a paint scraper, butter knife, or other not-too-sharp tool, scrape out as much of the excess slime as possible. Attack the mess from the outer edges going toward the center. That’s how you avoid spreading it further out on the rug.
- Concoct a white vinegar solution in the ratio 1:2: 1 cup of warm water + 2 spoons of white vinegar.
- Pour the solution into a spray bottle. You sure have one lying around.
- Then, spray a considerable amount of this distilled white vinegar solution onto the slime stain. How much? Use your judgment. Pour out enough vinegar solution to completely coat the stained spot. However, you shouldn’t apply too much of the cleaner, otherwise you’ll inadvertently saturate the carpet.
- Let this effective DIY slime remover sit for about 1 hour if the stain is fresh. What if the stain is deeply embedded in the fibers because you didn’t notice the spill when it happened? In that case, let the cleaner sit overnight.
- Using a brush with soft, plastic bristles, scrub the stain off. Use enough force to loosen up the slime, but not too much that your cleaning efforts damage the fibers.
- Reapply the distilled white vinegar solution if need be. Do it again and again if there’s still some color residue remaining. But you can’t repeat this step forever, right?
- If the slime stain color proves too tough for white vinegar, turn to a gentle commercial stain remover. It’s always OxiClean for me and most cleaning enthusiasts.
- Spray a liberal amount of this oxygen-based stain remover and wait 5 minutes.
- Rinse the OxiClean off with a damp cloth and use a dry one to pat the treated spot dry.
- Vacuum the area up to make sure no tiny pieces of slime remain on the carpet or rug.
You just did it!
3.Get Slime Out of Carpet with Baking Soda and Vinegar
When you combine the cleaning powers of humble baking soda and white vinegar, slime has no choice but to come out of carpets and rugs.
- Formulate a white vinegar/water solution in the ratio 2:1 (2 spoons of white vinegar + 1 cup of warm water).
- Add in a reasonable amount of baking soda.
- Spray the solution onto the slime-stained spot and leave it fizzing for 10-15 minutes.
- Use a soft-thistle brush to scrub the slime out.
- Rinse off any remaining baking soda with warm water.
- Using dry paper towels, pat the treated spot dry.
- Finally, vacuum the cleaned area to remove the last traces of slime while fluffing up the rug.
Note: You may find that the treated spot looks somewhat brighter than the rest of the rug. If this bleached effect isn’t a result you’d like to see (who’d like it?), use white vinegar diluted with water without adding in baking soda.
Use OxiClean as described above if any color residue still remains after the stain cleanup.
4.Get Slime Out of Carpet With Rubbing Alcohol
Rubbing alcohol is yet another readily available household item that gets slime spills out of carpets easily.
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- Mix 2 parts of rubbing alcohol with 1 part of water and pour the contents into a spray bottle.
- Spray the Isopropyl alcohol solution onto the slime-y spot.
- Let the solution soak in for 10-15 minutes.
- Mop up the area with a sponge or soft cloth.
- Repeat the treatment as many times as are necessary to vanquish the pesky stain.
- If there’s still a bit of the stain’s color on the carpet, it’s time to ask good old OxiClean for help. Appy this stain remover and let it sit for 5 minutes before rinsing it off with a damp cloth and vacuuming the area back to glorious fluffiness.
What if the rubbing alcohol ruins my carpet? I find that most professional cleaners recommend this substance for stain removal on carpets. You can use it on clothes and carpets without damaging them for the most part. If the care label discourages rubbing alcohol use, obviously avoid it.
I’ve used rubbing alcohol to tackle messy footprints, red wine stains, coffee stains, and even pet pee countless times. And I honestly can’t remember one incident where rubbing alcohol caused damage to any of my carpets or rugs.
5. Club Soda is a Staple of Cocktails, But it also Tackles Slime
I drink tons of club soda because I like the taste. Plus, club soda never made anyone fat since it’s carb-free and calorie-less.
But did you know that club soda is also great at getting slime stains out of rugs and carpets? Yes, it is.
- Use a kitchen spatula, the backside of a butter knife, or a paint scraper to get out as much of the slime as possible.
Whether the slime is fresh or is dry around the edges, always try scraping a decent amount of it off before treating the affected area with any chemical or cleaner.
- Pour a decent amount of club soda into a spray bottle.
- Spray the club soda onto the slime and leave it in for 5-10 minutes.
- Use a soft-thistle brush or the green side of a scrubbing sponge to agitate the slime, loosening it up.
- Soak up excess club soda with a sponge or dry cloth.
- No need to rinse off the soda since it’s basically carbonated water.
- Vacuum the spot back to fuzziness.
This trick works. I didn’t have any color residue to deal with after the exercise. But I had to reapply the soda several times. And I doubt I’d have obtained a good result without brushing the area.
6. Use WD-40 to Remove Slime from Your Carpet (Not the Best Strategy)
WD40 has won heaps of praise in the versatility department. I love me some WD40! And I bet you too love it and always have some around the house.
WD40 is the world’s unchallenged dirt, grease, dust, and grime remover. And you can use it to tackle slime as well. Learn more about WD-40’s usefulness here.
- Grab a WD-40 bottle and spray enough of this universal cleaner onto the slime.
- Let the WD-40 sit there for 10-15 minutes to loosen things up.
- Agitate the stain with a soft-thistle brush.
- Get a small amount of warm water on the stain to rinse off the cleaner.
- Blot the spot with a dry cloth or sponge.
- Terminate the cleaning exercise with vacuuming.
But how effectively does WD40 deal with slime on carpets? While WD-40 is an amazing degreaser and soil remover, its results aren’t particularly great when tasked with tackling slime.
WD40 certainly removed the slime from my carpet. However, the treated spot had an oily feel.
And when I gave the backing a look over, it was greasy.
And who knows what the oily substance might do to the carpet’s padding. Then there was that distinct WD40 smell to endure afterward. Not that WD40 smells bad, but it’s a smell, right?
Bottom line? WD40 gets slime off carpets, but it’s hardly the best way to do it.
7. Try Dye-free Dish-washing Soap
Dish soap amounts to a potent cleaning power that easily removes fresh and dry slime from clothes and carpets. Use a 100% plant-based dish soap. And if the soap is dye-free, that’s even better.
- Put a solution of dish-washing soap into a spray bottle. To prepare this cleansing liquid, pour 2 cups of warm water into the bottle and then add in 2 drops of dye-less dish soap.
- Spray a generous amount of the soap onto the slime.
- Wait 5 minutes for the soap to soak the slime, disintegrating it.
- Rinse off any sudsy residue with a damp cloth.
- If the slime stain color not vanishing problem persists, reapply the diluted soap and repeat the rest of the steps as described above.
- Give the spot a final rinse with warm water and pat dry with paper towels.
- Vacuum.
8. Use a Conventional Carpet Cleaner
Sometimes, all you need to do to remove slime from the carpet is to apply a regular carpet cleaner.
Read the carpet maker’s care label to find out which cleaner they recommend. Or research around what’s the best cleaner for the carpet’s specific fibers.
- Apply a reasonable quantity of the cleaner to the slime-covered area.
- Let the carpet cleaner stay on the mess for 5-10 minutes (or as per the cleaner’s use instructions).
- Dip a cloth in water, wring out excess water, and give the stained area a good scrub using gentle circular motions.
- Use a damp cloth to blot the cleaned spot. Rinse and repeat until there’s no more stain color on the cloth.
- Finally,lift up any remaining bits of slime with a wet/dry vacuum.
I expected this method to work better than the dish soap or vinegar trick, but the result disappointed me, at least initially.
Not only was there soap suds to blot, but there was also quite a bit of slime stain color remaining.
I had to dab at the stain with a rinsed cloth quite a few times. Luckily, vacuuming the area afterward helped a great deal, removing the remainder of the slime.
9. Goo Gone Works, But It’s Not a Great Result
Important: Don’t use Goo Gone on silk carpets.
Do this: Use Goo Gone in a well-ventilated area because if inhaled, it can wreak havoc to your airways.
Speaking of airways, don’t use this product if you experience allergic reactions. ALWAYS spot-test Goo Gone on a small hidden spot to see how it treats the carpet.
Good Gone effectively gets grime and dirt out of tiles and grouts. Also, it removes yellow armpit stains from clothes. And it can help you remove sticky slime from the carpet albeit not effortlessly.
The reason this suggestion came last is that Goo Gone proved least effective of all 9 slime eradication techniques tested.
The first attempt left more slime on my carpet than any other method. Moreover, the treated spot felt oily just like it did with WD40.
But there’s one nice thing about using Goo Gone for slime removal — it smells really nice…like freshly peeled oranges.
- Apply some Goo Gone to the slime-marred spot. Fortunately, Goo Gone comes in a spray bottle. All you have to do is spray it onto the messy slime.
- Let the Goo Gone sit for 15-20 minutes.
- Agitate the mess with a plastic thistle brush to loosen it up.
- Blot the spot to get rid of the Goo Gone.
- Pick up any remaining slime debris with a good wet/dry vacuum. I’m afraid you won’t get a great result without vacuuming.
How to Get Slime Out of Clothes
Getting slime out of T-shirts, jeans, dresses, and other clothes is similar to removing it from carpets and rugs.
First, use a blunt tool to get a good amount of slime out of the stained spot on the garment. Then apply an effective slime remover such as ice cubes, a dye-free dish washing soap, a dye-free laundry detergent, white vinegar, Goo Gone, or OxiClean.
Once you apply the cleaner, let it stand awhile and then scrub the spot with a toothbrush or other small, soft brush.
Finally, wash the garment per the care label’s instructions. Air-dry or tumble-dry the item, again as per care instructions.
How to get Slime Out of Car Seat
Your lovely kids played with slime to their little hearts’ content and even painted the backseat! Now what?
To get fresh slime out of a car seat, first use a spoon to scoop most of it out. Alternatively, use a butter knife, a paint scraper, or any other suitable blunt tool to scrape the slime off.
Then, place ice cubes in a plastic bag on the slime-sticky spot and wait a few minutes for the mess to cool. Once the slime’s hardened enough, it scrapes away with surprising ease. This method works fast. What’s more, it often doesn’t leave any slime stain color on the car’s seat.
If you still notice color on the car seat, use OxiClean, diluted white vinegar, baking soda, rubbing alcohol, dye-free laundry soap, dye-free dish soap, or a carpet cleaner on the affected area.
Finally, use a handheld vacuum cleaner to pick up whatever remains of the slime.
But how do you get dried slime out of a car seat? Removing dried slime from a car seat works similar to tackling just-spilled slime. But when agitating the stain with a brush, use a little more force to loosen up deep-seated slime. Rinse off the cleaner and finally vacuum-clean the car seat.
Remove Slime from Carpet FAQs
Does Slime Ruin Carpets?
Yes, slime can ruin your carpet if left in for too long. It contains a number of ingredients, some of which might harm the carpet’s fibers. And since slime contains tons of glue, this can cause the fibers to become matted, detracting from the rug’s fuzzy look.
How Do You Get Dried Slime Out of Carpet?
Spray a white vinegar/water solution formulated in the ratio of 2:1 onto the slime. Let the vinegar sit for 1 hour (or longer if the slime’s sunk deeply into the pile). Scrub with a brush, using circular motions, to knock the slime loose for easier removal through blotting. Vacuuming to lift any remaining slime bits is the final step of the cleaning process.
How Do You Get Purple Slime Out of the Carpet?
Use the same carpet cleaning tricks you’d use to remove red slime, blue slime, or any other slime color. The process is essentially the same no matter the color.
What Do You Do When All Slime Removal Tactics Fail?
Call in a carpet cleaning expert and pay them to solve the slime. Professional cleaners normally have heavy-duty cleaners and powerful equipment such as carpet extractors as part of their cleaning arsenal. Combined with expert knowledge, these resources get the job done in no time.
Summing It Up
Slime time doesn’t have to culminate in a nightmarish carpet cleaning experience. With common household substances such as carpet cleaners, Goo Gone, dish soap, or laundry detergent, you can get sticky slime out of any carpet in minutes. It may take a little longer in some cases.
Alternatively, use natural cleaners such as white vinegar, ice, and baking soda to slay slime.
Please let me know how the clean went for you.
