People, especially parents, are always left wondering how to remove playdough stain from carpet. If your kids or even yourself love playing with playdough, it is important to learn the right way of dealing with these unique stains.
What is playdough made of
Playdough or Play-Doh is the modeling compound that young children use for different arts and crafts home projects. This product was originally manufactured in the 1930s as wallpaper cleaner in Cincinnati, Ohio, US. When the mid-1950s came, playdough was reworked then marketed in schools in Cinnacinnati.
Hasbro, the current manufacturer of playdough claims that the compound is mainly a combination of flour, salt, and water. Its 2004 US patent states that this is made up of water, a retrogradation inhibitor, a starch-based binder, lubricant, salt, preservative, surfactant, humectant, fragrance, hardener, and color.
The compound has a smooth feel thanks to its petroleum additive while borax prevents the development of mold. There is also some wheat content in playdough and might cause allergic reactions in people with allergies to wheat gluten. Playdough is not meant to be ingested.
Does playdough stain carpet
The answer to this question has a couple of answers. Most of the time, commercially-made playdough doesn’t really stain if this remains pliable. An issue occurs if the material has dried out and dampened with water. In particular, hot water causes some dyes to linger.
On the other hand, homemade playdough, depending on the colorant used, can stain. This is why it is important to use the correct dyes if you have plans to make your own playdough.
So, your best option if you are worried about playdough stains on your carpet is to buy only the original Play-Doh brand.
Does playdough stains come out from carpet
Yes, playdough stains can come out from carpet. So, the next time you discover some of these sticky globs on your precious carpet, you don’t need to panic at all. There are some quick cleaning tips that can help you get rid of the pesky playdough stains without damaging your carpet.
What can remove playdough stain from carpet
Avoid using hot water for removing playdough stains from your carpet since it will only make the dye run that can worsen things further.
What you should do instead is grab the fresh glob of playdough then blot off the mess gently to remove the sticky material as much as possible.
Allow it to dry on your carpet first and use the knife to help loosen up the solid playdough bits. Vacuum then repeat scraping with knife as needed. Use some gentle soap and cold water to wash off residual stains.
How to get playdough stain out of carpet
Getting playdough stains out of your carpet is not really complicated since it all it needs is some care and elbow grease. Follow these steps to free your carpet from playdough stains:
- Vacuum or pick up any remnants of playdough.
- Use some fresh playdough for dabbing up the bits stuck to the carpet while they are still moist.
- After you have successfully removed everything without scrubbing, let the remaining playdough dry up first before you deal with the rest of it.
- Scrub the dried bits using a stiff brush.
- Use a rag and cold water to soften any remaining material.
- Apply a gentle laundry or dish soap on the toughest bits.
Playdough stains FAQs
Here are other things you need to know about playdough stains:
How to remove playdough from fabric
The process of removing playdough from fabric is almost the same with the approach you use for removing it from your carpet with only a slight different. The main advantage when dealing with fabric is that you can just grab the item and soak this afterwards.
- Pick up all of the dried playdough material.
- Soak the fabric in a bowl and apply some amount of liquid detergent on the area with stuck playdough.
- Run the fabric in the washing machine on pre-soak for around 15 minutes to allow the detergent to penetrate the stained threads.
- Wash the fabric as usual.
- Repeat all the steps if there are lingering stains.
How to get playdough out of furniture
- Let the playdough dry overnight on the furniture. This method might not be ideal but the doughy mixture will only smear if you try removing it when it is still wet.
- Rub or scrape the dried playdough off your furniture using a stiff bristled brush or butter knife. Avoid applying too much pressure since it may ruin or fray the furniture fabric. The playdough must fall off in small bits.
- Vacuum the remnants of scraped playdough to be sure that it is completely off the furniture without getting on your clothes.
- Mix one cup of cold water with pea-size amount of soap. Soak a wash rag in this soapy water then dab this on the remaining playdough to lift the remaining stains. Continue to blot with the rag until you remove most or all of the stain.
- Apply some fabric stain remover on the wet area on the furniture then continue blotting the furniture with wet rag to get rid of the playdough remnants and other stains left behind by playdough dyes.
How to remove playdough from couch
- Avoid using any kind of cleaning solutions or hot water when removing playdough from the couch.
- Allow the playdough to dry off completely before you use a stiff brush for loosening it.
- Clean up using a vacuum to pick up any remaining bits.
- Wash out the rest using cold water and soap.
- Repeat the process to completely remove the stain.
How to remove playdough from wall
- Use an absolutely dry and clean paintbrush to scrape off the playdough from the wall. Take time when doing this to ensure that it doesn’t smear. Never let the playdough get wet since the dye may seep out that can worsen the stain situation.
- Apply a thin coat of primer to cover the stained area and ensure that you create an even surface. It is ideal to use a stain-blocking primer although other primers will be enough most of the time.
- Paint over the affected area using the same color of paint with the rest of the area. The coat must be thick enough for covering the stain without being too thick that the stain’s site becomes noticeable. Some discolorations may be visible between the old and new paint but it should fade in several days.
How to remove playdough from hair
- If the playdough on the hair is still moist, you can use a wide-toothed comb for gently removing most of the playdough as much as possible. If the playdough is dry, crumble or crack the pieces gently off the hair.
- Wet the hair thoroughly and apply generous amount of shampoo. Work this into a lather.
- Avoid the rinsing out the shampoo yet. Allow it to sit for 5 minutes or so. Cover the hair with a shower cap to prevent dripping.
- Rinse out the shampoo completely then apply conditioner. You can use a comb for even distribution and remove any last remnants of playdough.
- Rinse the hair again to finish the process. Repeat the steps above as needed.
A thorough conditioning and shampoo is sometimes all it takes for removing playdough out of hair. However, if ever this doesn’t get the best results, you can also try to use baking soda and water or some oil such as baby oil, canola oil, vegetable oil, and olive oil.
- Wet the hair then apply baking soda on it as needed. This will form a paste. Allow this to sit on the hair for several minutes before washing it out properly.
- Rub any of the oils above on the playdough bits then comb this out.
If still struggling removing playdough stains from your carpet, please send us a message. Our professional carpet cleaning will give help.
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