How to remove grease stains from carpet

Grease stains are probably one of the peskiest blunders you can ever deal with. These spots don’t just stick out annoyingly because they are also notorious for being too tricky to remove. This is why you need to know how to remove grease stains from carpet before they end up ruining your precious rugs.

What is grease stains

Grease easily stains all types of surfaces and fabrics, from linens to clothing, upholstery, carpets, and even concrete. Grease stains are the result of many things including the following:

How to remove grease stains from carpet
  • Food spills like fried foods and cooking oil
  • Oil-based cosmetics, lotions, and creams
  • Mechanical lubricants like motor oil or axle grease

Are grease stains permanent

Basic chemistry explains the resilience of stains. Many oils and greases are solid or semi-solid at room temperature. This means that you need to use hot or warm water to remove them. This will also depend on the specific fabric in question.

Synthetic fibers such as polyester in particular are difficult to treat since they tend to attract oil and grease. Due to the surging popularity of synthetic fibers, you might have a hard time dealing with these stubborn stains.

However, removing grease stains is definitely impossible if you do it right away. The secret here is to act as fast as you can, preferably once the stain occurs. The moment the stain sets or dries, that pesky grease stain will be more difficult to remove.

If you want to get that grease stain out of your carpets, whether set in or fresh, there are a few things you need to keep in mind.

What is best to remove grease stains

Baking soda is the star ingredient when it comes to cleaning. This can act fast when it comes to absorbing grease from the carpet fibers. Baking soda also helps get rid of odors related with grease, making it a win-win situation.

Just like all types of stains, grease stains should be removed at the soonest time possible. Getting to it faster increases the chances of removing it effectively.

How to remove old grease stains from carpet

No matter which of the following methods you use to remove grease from carpet, the very first step is to get rid most of the grease as much as you can without making it spread further.

How to remove grease stains from carpet with baking soda

Baking soda can work through pulling oil into itself and out of the carpet fibers.  Since there is no way that you can wash your entire carpet, it is recommended that you use baking soda as your first line of defense prior to treating the stain.

  1. Use a piece of cloth or paper towel to get rid of any excess oil.
  2. Sprinkle some baking soda over the affected area and let it sit for up to 24 hours.
  3. Once 24 hours have passed, brush away or vacuum the baking soda.
  4. Spray a water and vinegar solution on the affected area.
  5. Scrub it with a brush and soap and rinse afterwards.
  6. Repeat all the steps if the grease stains remain.

How to remove grease stains from carpet with hydrogen peroxide

You can also use hydrogen peroxide for removing grease stains from your carpet. For this procedure, you will need hydrogen peroxide, isopropyl rubbing alcohol, and detergent.

  1. Blot away most of the oil with white paper towel or scrape it with a dull knife.
  2. Soak a cotton ball, white paper towel, or clean white cloth with rubbing alcohol. If the stain has settled into the fabric, use the blotting motion until you remove the spot and color no longer transfers to the cloth. Don’t let alcohol get to the backing because it will damage the latex bond. For spots found on the surface alone, rubbing should be done one direction at a time. Avoid using circular motion to eliminate the spot because this might damage the texture. Stop once you remove the spot. If not, you can continue with the next steps.
  3. Put a small amount of detergent solution on the spot. To prepare this detergent solution, just mix 1 quart water with ¼ teaspoon of hand dishwashing detergent that doesn’t contain bleach or lanolin. Use blotting motion for working the detergent on the affected spot. If the stain is removed, continue to apply detergent solution and blot with white paper towel until you remove the spot.
  4. Use a spray bottle to rinse it with tap water. Blot afterwards to get rid of excess moisture.
  5. Lightly spray water on the area and don’t blot for now. Apply some paper towel pads and brick and let it dry.
  6. If there are still lingering grease stains on the carpet and blotting doesn’t remove them, moisten the tufts on t he stained spot with 3% hydrogen peroxide. Allow it to sit for an hour. Blot then repeat until you remove the stain. Light causes peroxide to change back into water so there is no need to rinse it.
  7. Apply paper towel pads and weigh it down with brick.

How to remove grease stains from carpet with bleach

  1. Spray bleach on white carpets only in the spot that requires cleaning.  For carpets that are not completely white, you might need to lightly spray the entire carpet to keep the carpet uniformed.
  2. After spraying the area with water and bleach solution, let it sit for 30 minutes up to one hour.
  3. At this point, use water to flush the carpet and use a brush and carpet shampoo.
  4. Rinse the carpet once more and let it dry.

You can also try using a carpet cleaner vacuum to make the process faster and make sure that all the bleach solution has been completely removed.

How to remove grease stains from carpet with OxiClean

  1. You can liberally and directly spray OxiClean on grease stains on your carpet.
  2. Saturate the spot to allow the solution to penetrate into the carpet fibers.
  3. Be sure to wait for 10 minutes to let OxiClean do its job.
  4. Blot the spot with sponge a sponge or clean color-fast cloth.

How to remove grease stains from carpet with salt

  1. You can use four tablespoons of salt, one tablespoon of rubbing alcohol, vacuum, and damp cloth to remove grease stains from your carpet.
  2. Mix the rubbing alcohol and salt to form a paste.
  3. With a damp cloth, rub this mixture gently on the carpet.
  4. Ensure that you rub in the nap’s direction and be careful to avoid spreading the stain.
  5. Let the spot dry completely then vacuum up any residue.
  6. Repeat the process as needed.

How to remove grease stains from carpet with carpet cleaner

If you would rather use a machine for doing most of the job for you or you need to clean a large part of your carpet, you might be better off with using a carpet cleaner. 

Just remember that not all types of carpets and cleaning solutions are made equal. The cleaning mixture of 2 cups water and one cup white vinegar can be ideally used on synthetic carpets with no need to use any harsh chemicals. This will not only remove the tough grease stains as this will  also ensure that your carpet stays clean and fresh.

For natural fiber carpets, you can also use the white vinegar and water solution. The only difference is that you just need ¼ cup of each ingredient.

For tough stains on carpet, you will need 1 ½ tablespoon of dish soap, ¼ cup of hydrogen peroxide, 1 ½ tablespoons of white vinegar, and 1 ½ quarts of water. This cleaning solution is an excellent carpet degreaser for those rugs that require heavy-duty cleaning and extra attention. The combination of these ingredients will make sure that your rugs will be cleaned with no need to add chemicals.

If you are dealing with a heavy duty mess, you will need one gallon of water, ½ cup laundry softener, ½ cup laundry detergent, and one cup ammonia. This is a great carpet shampoo for getting out even the toughest stains out there, such as grease. You can store and use this cleaner just like store-bought brands. You can add the solution to the tank water for you to get a few cleanings using this solution.

How to remove grease stains from carpet with WD40

You might not believe it but you can also use WD40 to remove grease stains from the carpet. Yes, oily removes oily. The issue here is that you also need to remove the WD40 since it may leave a residue of its own, too. 

Since WD40 is not an eco-friendly option for removing stains, it is recommended that you use an oil-based soap instead.

  1. Spray WD40 on the stain to prevent the stain from settling into the carpet fibers.
  2. Let the WD40 sit on the grease stain for the carpet to fully absorb it.
  3. Rub it using a clean cloth until there is no longer any visible stain.

Please call our carpet cleaners singapore team if you need extra help.

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