Does peppermint oil stain carpet

Peppermint oil has a lot of benefits to offer in terms of the human body’s health and better condition. This is the reason that it is utilized in various kinds of activities from trying to mitigate headaches and itching to reducing stress and improving the mental function of a person. These are quite big benefits but we haven’t even scratched the surface of what it offers.

While using peppermint oil for any of your desired purposes, there may come a time when you accidentally drop or spill peppermint oil onto the carpet. This is the part where a question rings immediately which is, does peppermint oil stain carpet? You will get all your answers in this article but the good thing is that we have also included a full-fledged step-by-step method that can help you get rid of peppermint oil stains on the carpet in almost no time.

Does peppermint oil stain carpet

What is the main ingredient in peppermint oil?

Methyl salicylate and menthol are the two main ingredients of peppermint oil and they are well-known for their abilities in curing stomach or indigestion issues in the human body. Although these two are the main ingredients, some other ingredients that contribute to making peppermint oil reach its complete composition include:

  • Methone
  • Cineole
  • Volatile oils
  • Menthyl acetate
  • Isovalerate
  • Pulegone (a naturally occurring pesticide)
  • Limonene
  • Pinene

Apart from these major ingredients, peppermint oil also includes its natural composition along with some other constituents. The essential oil included in peppermint oil is directly extracted from the leaves and flowering portion of the green and healthy peppermint plant.

Does peppermint oil stain?

People have different opinions in this regard as some believe that peppermint oil does not cause stains while many do claim that peppermint can stain various surfaces.

The difference in opinions is because peppermint oil is just essential oil and people think that if the essential oil is in its pure form, it will never stain carpet or any other surface.

The reason is that oil particles in essential oil are capable of evaporating from the surfaces.

Although this factor is almost true, still the peppermint or another essential oil will leave a mark that will be a stain just like you get from grease or a drop of oil.

Is peppermint oil safe on carpet?

Here is a fact, peppermint oil will only stain carpet or clothes if spilled or sprayed directly on the surface in its original form.

We all know that people have problems with fleas that usually grow in carpet or rugs fabric and peppermint oil is one of the effective solutions to fight them.

Adding a few drops (depending on the amount of mixture) of peppermint oil into the mixture of baking soda/salt and water will make a good cure for these fleas.

Simply spray the solution into the carpet or your pets and it will not only remove the fleas (adult or in larvae form) but will mitigate or completely wipe off the bad smells as well.

What can neutralize peppermint oil stain?

Peppermint oil causes stains that are not too difficult to remove if you know the right product and the right step-by-step methods to do so.

As peppermint oil is usually kept in the kitchen, the very best thing you can do to neutralize peppermint oil stain is using the products that are already found in the kitchen such as white vinegar, baking soda, cornstarch, lemon juice, salt, and yes, (warm/lukewarm) water.

Apart from these, you can go with commercial products such as a powerful liquid laundry detergent (preferably the one with huge amounts of enzymes), liquid dish soap, or other mild and safe stains removing agents.

Anything you apply, it is better to test it on a small hidden part of the carpet to see whether it is safe to use on the carpet’s fabric or not.

How do you get peppermint oil out of carpet?

  1. You need to first absorb the oil from the carpet which can effectively be done by sprinkling a good amount of baking soda on the stained area.
  2. Gently push the baking soda into the fibers if the peppermint oil has reached deeper fibers so that it can be absorbed completely.
  3. Let baking soda or cornstarch work for about 15 to 30 minutes depending on the intensity of the peppermint oil stain.
  4. Use a vacuum to suck all the baking soda along with oil particles from the carpet.
  5. Make a solution of ⅓ white vinegar and ⅔ (warm/lukewarm) water.
  6. Damp a clean cloth into the solution and gently rub the stain. Keep on doing this until you see no more residues or particles coming along with cloth.
  7. Now put 1-2 tablespoons of liquid laundry detergent in (warm/lukewarm) water and wash the stained area thoroughly. Make sure you don’t scrub outwards as it can make things worse.
  8. Once the satin has been gone completely, use towels or paper towels to blot dry the carpet.

Peppermint oil stain FAQs:

Does peppermint oil stain clothes?

Yes, peppermint oil will stain clothes but sometimes you can get all the oil out of your clothes if you immediately wash the clothes with water but it only happens if you are fortunate enough. In some cases, you may get rid of stains by applying some dish soap or laundry detergent. In most cases, the oil will leave a stain and you will have to treat it with a proper stain removing agent while following a step-by-step procedure.

Do peppermint oil satin sheets?

Sheets are a lot less prone to peppermint oil stain because of their fabric. There are a lot of cases where the oil will remain on the sheets and you can remove it as soon as you get it. If you let the oil stay on the sheet for a bit longer, the chances of stains will increase rapidly. Some sheets that are manufactured by using fabrics just like carpets or rugs will get stains almost immediately.

Does peppermint oil stain walls?

Walls can get peppermint oil stains especially if the wall paint doesn’t have a protective layer such as a weather layer. The stain will be a lot like oil but the good thing is that peppermint oil will take time to cause stain and even when it leaves a stain on the walls, removing such stain from walls is quite easy as compared to greasy or oily stains. Do keep this fact in mind that peppermint oil will only stain cloth if it gets spilled or sprayed onto the surface directly.

You may also want to learn the following carpet cleaning articles