3 Step Guide To Getting Motor Oil Out Of Your Carpet

If you or someone in your household unknowingly stepped in a puddle motor oil and tracked it into your house, you may wonder what you can do to get the oil out of your carpet while the stain is still fresh. If so, use the following three-step guide for getting motor oil out of your home's carpet.

Step 1:  Blot The Oil With A Dry White Cotton Cloth

Before you try to clean the motor oil out of your carpet, the first step is to remove as much of it as possible before it soaks deeper into your carpet's fibers. Do this by blotting the oil stain with a dry cotton cloth.

When selecting your cloth, only use a white one. The petroleum in the motor oil may break down the dyes in colored cloths, making the pigments bleed onto your carpet. This would create an even bigger mess because you would have to contend with the oil and dye staining your carpet.

Also, use a cloth that is free from lint, such as a mechanic's cloth or diaper. Neither of these will leave behind lint that may stick to the oil, creating a gummy mess in the fibers.

Step 2:  Apply A Dish Soap And Vinegar Mixture

Once you have blotted as much of the oil up as possible, the next step involves applying a mixture of dish soap and white distilled vinegar. The soap cuts through the grease in the oil, while the vinegar breaks down the petroleum.

In a small bowl, mix a teaspoon of dish soap with a cup of vinegar. Use a sponge to apply the solution, but do not rub the stain. Rubbing the stain will only spread it around and make it larger. 

Leave the solution on the stain for about an hour. Then, go on to the next step to rinse.

Step 3:  Rinse With Cold Water

After breaking up the stain with the cleaning solution, rinse the stain by blotting it with a clean sponge saturated with cold water. Blot a few times until the sponge starts turning black, then rinse and repeat the process until you have removed as much as you can.

Do not use warm or hot water to rinse the stain. The warmer temperatures will thin out the oil and make it run into the fibers around the stain.

After you have rinsed the area, let your carpet air dry. Then, vacuum your floor.

The above guide should remove most of the motor oil stain out of your carpet, provided it is still fresh. However, if the stain has set in or was not totally removed during the cleaning process, you may want to contact a carpet cleaning service to have them professionally clean your carpet with stronger solutions designed to completely remove the stain.

Check with places like Campo's On The Spot Carpet Services INC for more help.


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