Oil stain in carpet

Angie Bosanic
by Angie Bosanic
My dog ate vegetable oil soaked ashes. He threw them up on my carpet. I dabbed up every bit that I could, and it is a big dark stain. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.
  11 answers
  • Neeta Neeta on Dec 03, 2016

    You can try spreading a thick layer of corn meal over the stain to absorb the oil. Let it sit for a couple of hours and then vacuum it up thoroughly. Next try scrubbing it with a solution of 1 tsp Dawn dish soap, 1 tbsp baking soda, and 2 tbsp white vinegar in enough hot water to make 1 quart of solution. Mix it in a bowl so the foaming isn't too explosive, then pour it into a spray bottle. Liberally spray the stain with the solution and scrub with a scrub brush. The Dawn will help break up the oil so it can be blotted up by a good towel. The baking soda and vinegar can help pull the ash stain up. You may have to treat the stain a few times, but it has helped take vomit stain up from a white carpet at our old house.

  • Shawna Bailey Shawna Bailey on Dec 04, 2016

    Cornmeal or chalk absorbs oil very well. For chalk you rub it in let it absorb the oil then vacuum it off. Repeating as many times as necessary, and only use white chalk.

  • Connie Pate Connie Pate on Dec 13, 2016

    clean it with simple green. you can buy it at wal mart in automotive dept. spray onto carpet and wipe with soapy rag. should come right out


  • Diane Hamilton Hinkle Diane Hamilton Hinkle on Dec 21, 2016

    I mix up a solution of peroxide and ammonia. (Not sudsy ammonia). I use a cup of peroxide and two tablespoons of ammonia. I literally keep it mixed up in a big apray bottle ALL the time. I have cats and many of their foods are red colored.....salmon, tuna, beef, etc. And when they get a hairball and barf it is quite a mess on my light beige carpet. I carefully wipe up all remnants and then lightlly spray the area. I let it set for a few minutes and then blot with white paper towels. On a really bad stain it may take a few separate sprayings. I have yet to find anything that this will not remove. Of course I have not been faced with EVERYTHING as yet. I have told several about this spray and each has been amazed at how well it works. It only costs pennies to make a bottle full.

  • Touchedpainter Touchedpainter on Dec 21, 2016

    Call your local rug seller/installer. Different products require different procedures. They already know the correct solution for the type of fiber in your particular rug.

  • Albert Gibeault Albert Gibeault on Dec 23, 2016

    I use milk to remove the oil on the carpet. My sister was surprised when I got all the oil off her carpet.

  • Mam16001055 Mam16001055 on Dec 24, 2016

    Have you tried "Awesome"? The name of the product is "Awesome," literally. Try the yellow "Awesome". You may purchase it in a spray bottle for $1.00 at Dollar Tree and Dollar General. It also comes in a gallon bottle for $3.00 at Dollar General. It is color safe; it has never damaged anything I've used it on, including carpet, clothes, or automobile upholstery. I've used the yellow "Awesome" on counter tops, tires and rims, showers/tubs, and removing fuel and the fuel smell from the clothes of "grease monkeys" - the nickname for Texas oil field workers. I swear by this stuff. If I could, I would buy stock in the company. ("Awesome" also makes laundry detergent, fabric softener, bleach, and an orange cleaner. They have a heavy duty powered oxygen base cleaner that can be used to clean nearly anything, including old grass stains from softball pants and washed-in old stains in denim pants.) This stuff is off-the-charts out of this world good. You will not be disappointed.

  • Millie Millie on Jan 01, 2017

    I personally use white vinegar and baking soda. then blot with a clean cloth.

  • Joni J Newberg Joni J Newberg on Jan 02, 2017

    Some years ago my son, and his cousins, were walking on the beach after a storm and when they returned to the condo, (rented and owner had just installed baby blue carpet), they tracked in tar stains. A neighbor was visiting and just before I totally panicked ran to her unit and brought back a spray can of WD-40. Not a shadow of a stain remained after we sprayed the spots and blotted with dry cloths.

  • Chloe Crabtree Chloe Crabtree on May 01, 2022

    Use 1/4 cup of white vinegar, 1 tbsp. of Dawn dish soap, and fill with water. Spray area liberally and let soak for 5-10 minutes and then proceed with blotting with a clean, dry towel until stain is removed. Some carpet stain removal products can be of great benefit for combating many types of carpet stains.