"At least it's soap..." Yeah. Right.
September 2, 2007 1:06 PM Subscribe
Just a second ago my daughter spilled approximately a cup of liquid hand soap onto my carpeted hallway. How do I get this up?????
What do you do if you spill carpet cleaner?
Try not to agitate it too much, otherwise you could end up with one spot being noticeably cleaner than the rest.
posted by popcassady at 1:23 PM on September 2, 2007
Try not to agitate it too much, otherwise you could end up with one spot being noticeably cleaner than the rest.
posted by popcassady at 1:23 PM on September 2, 2007
Response by poster: I was hoping to avoid tedious. (This is the last day I have to spend with her and the grandbaby before they fly out to join her Navy husband. )
posted by konolia at 1:24 PM on September 2, 2007
posted by konolia at 1:24 PM on September 2, 2007
Do you happen to have a shop-style vacuum? These can suck up liquid. First empty out any previously vacuumed-up detritus in the vacuum's crud chamber and remove the filter. Then pour water on the detergent spot and vacuum it up; repeat as necessary. This is quick and will get all the detergent, right down to the under-carpet flooring. Check the inside of the shop vac now and then to make sure it isn't filling up with suds. Empty the vacuum and rinse it out as needed. Bonus: you'll have a nice clean shop vac. Un-bonus: you may end up with a visibly extra-clean spot on the carpet and feel the urge to do the whole thing.
posted by jfuller at 1:26 PM on September 2, 2007
posted by jfuller at 1:26 PM on September 2, 2007
Response by poster: IF I had a shop vac I'd have marked that best answer.
posted by konolia at 1:32 PM on September 2, 2007
posted by konolia at 1:32 PM on September 2, 2007
If you're pressed for time and there's no bleach or anything in the cleaner, I'd just leave it there to deal with later.
posted by astruc at 1:33 PM on September 2, 2007 [1 favorite]
posted by astruc at 1:33 PM on September 2, 2007 [1 favorite]
If it hasn't spread out or soaked in too much yet, try to pick up as much as you can off the rug with something thin and flexible (I find magazine subscription cards or shirt cardboards work well for this kind of thing.) Then get up what's left with water - lather, rinse, repeat, etc.
posted by Daily Alice at 1:38 PM on September 2, 2007
posted by Daily Alice at 1:38 PM on September 2, 2007
Best answer: I'd rent a steam-cleaner, and buy a bottle of de-sudster to add to the water. You'll spend about $25 but it might save some tediousness. Plus you can steam clean any other carpet at no extra cost. :)
posted by The Deej at 1:50 PM on September 2, 2007
posted by The Deej at 1:50 PM on September 2, 2007
You're screwed on cleaning.
If any residue gets left behind, it'll be a dirt/stain magnet. You'll have a perpetually dirty (and slightly sticky) patch.
The amount of water you need to lift out that much liquid soap would probably seep out to the walls under the pad. All sorts of fun damage to be had there.
It's a hallway. Pull up that strip of carpet, wipe down the pad throughly with wet towels until it's squeaky clean. Put down new strip of carpet. If you tell yourself it's what you're going to do anyway, it's worth trying to neutralize the sudsiness with vinegar, then try the shop vac. Maybe you'll be lucky.
posted by nakedcodemonkey at 11:30 PM on September 2, 2007
If any residue gets left behind, it'll be a dirt/stain magnet. You'll have a perpetually dirty (and slightly sticky) patch.
The amount of water you need to lift out that much liquid soap would probably seep out to the walls under the pad. All sorts of fun damage to be had there.
It's a hallway. Pull up that strip of carpet, wipe down the pad throughly with wet towels until it's squeaky clean. Put down new strip of carpet. If you tell yourself it's what you're going to do anyway, it's worth trying to neutralize the sudsiness with vinegar, then try the shop vac. Maybe you'll be lucky.
posted by nakedcodemonkey at 11:30 PM on September 2, 2007
This thread is closed to new comments.
Soak it up with a wet sponge? Again and again and again....
or dilute with looooaaaaads of water and then as above.
Sounds like a tedious but not really very tricky job.
posted by ClarissaWAM at 1:18 PM on September 2, 2007