How to Get Slime Out of Carpet: Effective Guides and Tips for Parents

If you are a parent then your kid probably loves slime toys. What is slime? Since 1976 slime toys are produced by the company Mattel. You can easily recognize them – they are sold under the category “hand gum or creative toys”. Slime is a non-toxic, squishy and oozy substance of very bright color that a kid can squish.

These toys are wonderful for boosting your kid’s creativity, but unfortunately, slimes stick not just to hands but also other surfaces like thick carpets or wooden floors. It is extremely challenging to get rid of slimes easily and make your carpet clean again. The following guide is going to give some expert tips and instructions you should try.

What should you know about slimes before cleaning?

The major problem with slimes often stick to floors and carpet and eventually leave greasy traces. It is not so easy to clean such stains. You will need special cleansing products, softening the composition and separating the slime from carpets.

Opt for the solutions that may dissolve the contents of jelly-like products called slimes. Most manufacturers produce slimes from polymers. Homemade slimes are mostly made of glue, sodium tetraborate (borax), detergents. Despite the origins and contents, slimes leave sticky stains on the carpet and they quickly collect the dirt.

It does not take much time or money to get the carpet back to its original state. It is easier to work if you know the content of the slimes that are stuck to fluffy carpets. For example, if the slime is made of starch and water, all you need to do to remove it is just soften and remove it with a damp cloth. When the hand gum is made of glue, you will need to use solvents and other powerful chemical substances.

How to remove slime from carpet safely: major tips

• Work with chemical removers only in an air-conditioned room. Most chemical stain removers have a strong odor, most of them are toxic and can cause poisoning if you inhale them for a long time;
• Wear a face mask to protect mucous membranes and the respiratory system from inhaling chemicals when applying them on the dirty carpet. Also, protect the skin from toxic substances. You should wear rubber gloves and an apron;
• Prepare the necessary tools. A knife or scissors, cotton pads, rags, and sponges are essential;
• If you need to mix several components, prepare containers. Remember that they should not be intended for food storage;
• Test the selected product or homemade remedy on a piece of carpet. Some chemicals may discolor the carpet’s coating. If this happens, you’ll have to pick up another solution;
• It’s better to clean the carpet from slime with a medium-hard brush. An old toothbrush will do. It easily removes slime’s particles from a high pile;
• Wipe the applied remedy intensively for 2-3 minutes;
• Let the remedy sit on the dirty area within 10-15 minutes. This will make it easier to remove remaining dirt if intensive friction is not applied;
• A sponge richly soaked in water helps to remove soap foam and other cleaning products;
• After washing, dry the clean carpet with a hairdryer and make sure that all dirt is removed. If this does not happen, repeat the procedure or use other chemicals;

How to get dried slime out of carpet?

There are situations when the slime just sticks to the carpet and you can’t get rid of it. However, before you apply any chemical products, you have to cleanse the major bulk of dried slimes. Subsequently, it will be easier to remove the remaining leftovers and dried stains of slime:

Dried slimes can be removed from carpets in such a way

1. Mechanical rubbing with a knife. The easiest method to get a lot of dried slime out of carpet is mechanical rubbing. It is produced with scissors, a knife, blade or other sharp objects. Gently scrape the slime off carpets, cleaning the area from sticky handgum’s particles.
2. Freezing. If sharp objects don’t help, ice can remove slimes from carpets by freezing. You just need ice, a warmer or a plastic bag. Put the ice in pieces in a bag or a heating pad and apply it to the slimes. Leave it for half an hour until the slime stain freezes. Then the dried slime can be easily separated from carpeting.
3. Use another slime. You can get dried slime out of carpet without vinegar or baking soda but with… slime. Although this method seems unbelievable, the new slime may effectively gather all leftovers of a previous product. Take a new slime and gently roll it in the area of contamination. Try not to stick it as well. This method works only for high-quality homemade or manufactured slimes. It won’t help to remove a cheap putty out of the carpet and will only make the stain worse.
4. Heating. If you have removed dried up slime, but still have its particles left on the carpet, remove them by heating. Moisten the contaminated area with hot water using a sponge. When the particles become soft, remove them with a cloth or cotton disc. The solution will peel off easily from the high-pile carpet.

How to remove stains after getting rid of slime: DIY remedies

Some slime stains can be cleansed with simple rubbing and lots of hot water. However, in most cases you may save a dirty carpet saved only using DIY remedies or chemical-based stain removers.

When you decide how to get slime out of carpet, at some point you will start looking for homemade remedies and universal cleansing solutions. Natural and synthetic acids, solvents and other potent chemicals are known for a quick handle of sticky substances and stains.

The following recipes for preparing DIY cleaning removers are simple and can significantly save your time:

• Salt with lemon juice and alcohol. To make this carpet cleaner you will need a pinch of sea salt, 1 tsp of ammonia and 1 tsp of lemon juice. Rub this paste with a brush or white dry cloth into the dirty carpet for 2-3 minutes. If slime stains are dried, leave the paste on the carpet for 15 minutes, then continue rubbing for another 3 minutes. Remove the slime and paste’s residue with a sponge soaked in water;
• Soap. Sometimes it’s an effective way to get slime easily out of the carpet. Soap can even deal with old stains without damaging the pile texture. Just take a soap bar and rub it on the moist carpet surface. There will be a thick foam and leave it for half an hour. Walk over the carpet with a brush to remove the slime’s hand gum. Rinse off the soap’s leftovers with a damp sponge;
• Dishwashing gel. There’s a dishwashing product in every house. The product contains surfactants that can handle any contamination. Slightly moisten the carpet’s dirty area and apply the gel. Leave it for 2-3 hours. Heavily rub the stain with a brush. Repeat the steps if necessary. Clean the carpet from slime’s particles and soap foam with a sponge;
• Hydrogen peroxide is suitable for light delicate carpets. Do not use it for cleaning dark carpets: peroxide is a lightening agent and can leave even more stains. Dip a cotton pad into the peroxide and rub the dirty area with it. Thoroughly, brush the carpet after cleansing, then rinse with a sponge or remove the handgum’s particles with a damp cloth;
• Gasoline. A specific way to get slime out of carpets, because such products can leave greasy stains on the rug. But, if dried slime stains are palpable and not gently removed, try gasoline. Take a cotton disc or cloth and dip it in the product. Rub the dirty area. Then rinse the pile thoroughly;
• Acetone. This is the most suitable way of cleaning slime-contaminated surfaces. The method of treatment is similar to the previous one. Dip a cotton pad in acetone and apply the product to the carpets. Keep rubbing until the slime’s particles are off the surface. Thoroughly rinse the carpet after applying such remedies;

Also, vinegar, hair masks, baking soda, starch or baby powder can help to remove sticky slimes out of carpets.

Recommendations for picking the chemical remedies to get slime out of carpet

Household chemicals are perfect for removing traces of slimes on any carpet, even thick rugs. Spot carpet cleaners can even handle difficult and dried dirt on heavy traffic zones. They are not expensive, but it is not difficult to remove slime stains.

How to pick the best chemical product for carpet cleaning:

• Check the remedy that contains the chemicals for removing slimes, glue or chewing gum. The chemicals in the contents must remove both homemade and factory-made hand gums;
• Such products should not be expensive – about 14-10 per gallon;
• Universal grease removers will also help to remove even the stickiest carpet stains left by slimes;
• I would also recommend an aerosol type of spot carpet cleaners. Such remedies are applied when you need to get rid of dried dirt. Apply, let it for a while, and then wash with cold water;
• Expensive professional cleaning products are the last resort when other household chemicals do not help. The talk is about specific stain removers that can handle tar, gum, glue stains;
• Always follow the instructions on the label! In general, all stain removers work in the same way. Dirty carpet area is firstly drained in water and then a spot carpet remover is applied;

In addition to the above-mentioned carpet stain removers, aerosols and cleaning gels work well.

Final thoughts

It is much easier to use special chemical products for cleaning any residue left by slimes. The sooner you start cleansing slime stains, the better. That’s the major rule to remember. Also, carpet cleaning solutions can be extremely helpful – look for the labels capable of dissolving non-toxic glue substances.