How to get an oil or grease stain out of carpet

How to remove grease and oil from carpet

1. 1

   Blot or scrape up the excess

   Blot liquid oil with paper towels, pressing straight down. Scrape solid grease, butter or bacon fat up with a rounded spoon. Don't rub.

   Why: Oil wicks along the fibers and down toward the backing. Rubbing spreads it sideways and drives it deeper.

2. 2

   Absorb fresh oil with a powder

   On a fresh spill, sprinkle a layer of cornstarch or baking soda over the spot and give it time, a few hours or overnight, then vacuum it up. Repeat while the powder keeps caking with oil.

   Why: Absorbent powders soak up oil that hasn't bonded to the fibers yet. They only remove the excess, so you still need the next steps.

3. 3

   Draw the oil out with a solvent

   Dampen a white cloth with dry-cleaning solvent, lay it on the stain and press down, or stand on it for a moment. Lift it, move to a clean part of the cloth and repeat as long as oil transfers. Never pour solvent onto the carpet.

   Why: Solvent dissolves oil and moves it into the cloth. Poured solvent can dissolve the latex that holds the carpet's backing layers together.

4. 4

   Blot with a dilute dish-detergent solution

   Mix ¼ teaspoon of clear dish soap in 1 cup of lukewarm water. Apply it with a white cloth, working from the edges toward the center, let it sit a few minutes and blot. Repeat while the stain keeps lifting.

   Why: Dish soap is made to cut food grease: it surrounds the remaining oil so water can carry it away. A stronger mix leaves sticky residue.

5. 5

   Rinse with vinegar solution and water

   Blot on 1 cup of white vinegar in 2 cups of water, then mist with plain lukewarm water and blot several times.

   Why: Any detergent left in the pile attracts dirt and makes the spot reappear darker. Vinegar neutralizes the alkaline residue and water rinses it out.

6. 6

   Weight-dry and fluff the pile

   Cover the spot with a half-inch stack of paper towels, set something flat and heavy on top and change the towels as they absorb moisture. When dry, brush the pile with your fingers.

   Why: Weighted towels pull moisture and leftover oil up out of the base of the yarns so the stain doesn't wick back.

Why oil is so stubborn in carpet

Fats, oils and greases are non-polar: they repel water and are attracted to other oily materials. Most carpet pile is nylon, polyester or olefin, synthetic fibers that oil clings to readily. Iowa State notes polyester is an oil-loving fiber on which oil stains tend to darken over time. Motor and bike grease also carry black metal and carbon particles that lodge in the pile.

Carpet adds depth. Oil sinks down the yarns into the backing, where you can't reach it, and as the surface dries it can wick back up as a dark spot. That's why the method uses a solvent first, to dissolve the oil, then a weak detergent and a thorough rinse, and finishes with weighted drying. It's an oil stain, so heat and plain water alone won't help.

The Carpet and Rug Institute's order for grease

For grease on carpet, the Carpet and Rug Institute lists, in order: nail polish remover or dry-cleaning solvent on a cloth, then the dilute dish-detergent solution, then the vinegar solution, a warm-water rinse, a spot-cleaning kit, the ammonia solution (1 tablespoon per cup of water), and finally a professional. Use each step only while the stain keeps transferring to the cloth, and rinse between products.

The University of Georgia's carpet guide takes a similar approach: solvent on a cloth pressed onto the spot, then a combination prewash-type spotter applied to a cloth, then a neutral detergent and water rinse, and weighted drying under a stack of cloths. See how to clean carpet for routine care.

By situation

Cooking oil, butter or bacon grease

Scrape up solid fat, absorb the rest with cornstarch or baking soda, then use the solvent and dish-detergent steps. Food oils usually respond well to dish soap alone if you catch them early.

Motor oil or car grease

These are heavier, darker and carry metal particles. Expect to repeat the solvent step several times before moving on to detergent. Large motor-oil stains are a job for a professional carpet cleaner.

Old or set-in grease stains

Old oil may have oxidized and attracted dirt, leaving a dark, dingy patch. Work through the solvent and detergent steps patiently with dwell time between blots. If it still shows, the University of Georgia notes that a professional may help, or in some cases a skilled installer can patch the damaged section.

Wool carpet or rugs

Wool is sensitive to alkaline cleaners, so skip the ammonia step. The University of Georgia warns against oil-based solvents on antique or fine oriental rugs. Blot, use the mild detergent solution sparingly and call a rug cleaner for anything more.

What not to do

• Don't pour solvent on the carpet. It can dissolve the latex bonding the backing layers and soak into the pad.
• Don't scrub or use a stiff brush. Scrubbing spreads oil and permanently frays the yarn tips.
• Don't use laundry or dishwasher detergent. Laundry detergent can contain brighteners that dye carpet fibers, and dishwasher detergent can contain bleaching agents that destroy carpet dyes.
• Don't skip the rinse. Leftover detergent is sticky and attracts soil, so the spot returns darker within weeks.

Other methods that work

Waterless hand cleaner

Kentucky's extension guide notes that waterless degreasing hand cleaners are especially effective on greasy stains. On carpet, apply a little with a cloth, blot, then remove it with the detergent solution and rinse.

Caution: Test on a hidden spot and rinse thoroughly, since it leaves residue.

Ammonia solution

1 tablespoon of household ammonia in 1 cup of water is a late step in the Carpet and Rug Institute's grease sequence for synthetic carpet.

Caution: Test first, as it can change some dyes. Not on wool. Never use it with bleach.

Professional carpet cleaning

For large spills, motor oil, wool rugs and stains that keep wicking back. Tell the cleaner it's oil so they choose a solvent-based treatment.

Stain still there?

The spot came back darker after a few weeks

Detergent or oil residue is attracting dirt. Mist with plain lukewarm water and blot repeatedly, then weight-dry. If oil remains, repeat the solvent step first.

A dark ring formed around the spot

Too much liquid spread the oil outward. Let it dry, then work the solvent from the outer edge of the ring inward with a barely damp cloth.

Nothing transfers to the cloth anymore but the stain is visible

The oil may have left discoloration or dye damage. A professional cleaner can try stronger treatments, and a carpet installer can patch the area if needed.

Safety

• Dry-cleaning solvents are poisonous and may be flammable. Ventilate, wear gloves and keep flames and sparks away.
• Don't put solvent-damp cloths in the dryer, and let them dry outdoors before disposal.
• Never mix ammonia and chlorine bleach.

Never mix cleaning products; see chemicals you must never combine.

Questions

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