How can I get dried baking soda out of carpet?

Question

My cat threw up a colorful mess on my living room carpet. I used a combination of white vinegar and hydrogen peroxide, and while that helped, it didn't get rid of the color. So, I added baking soda. Now, I can't get the dried baking soda out of the carpet. I would very much appreciate any suggestions.

Chris Browne · Answer

A Shop-Vac would be the best method for extraction. Even a small one will work, and can be had for not a lot of money. But, if you can't part with the $, use towels or wash cloths. Press them into the water to absorb, do not rub!! Rubbing will un-twist the carpet fibers and cause matting.

The vinegar smell will completely dissipate within 24 hours and leave the carpet smelling fresh, provided you thoroughly rinsed and extracted your solution.

Chris Browne · Answer

Please read all of this before you start!!!

VINEGAR will react with baking soda, causing it to effervesce (bubble-up). I would recommend using about a tablespoon of white, distilled vinegar on a spot and let it sit for about 30 seconds, then flush with 1/2-1 cup of water and use a shop-vac or Rug Doctor to vacuum it up. Continue this process until it's all gone! When the vinegar stops effervescing, you will know that you have all of the baking soda up. The vinegar may smell like vinegar for a day, so rinse well, but once dry, it should smell quite fresh. The slimy feeling is like saline (a salt solution), that naturally occurs from wetting the baking soda. It will go away with repeated rinsing. Do not let water stand on carpet for more than about 5 seconds, to avoid saturating the pad. If you are in a cold (winter) climate, your furnace will do a pretty good job of drying things out, but if you are in a warmer/wetter climate, be sure to use a fan to help, and avoid any mold or mildew risk (which, by the way is another excellent reason to use vinegar). Vinegar is a natural anti-bacterial cleaning agent. Always vacuum the moisture up quickly after adding water to the spot. The baking soda will not hurt a thing, it actually stopped the cat's bile from destroying your carpet fiber, as it neutralizes acids!

Good luck!

Chris Browne · Answer

I used to clean carpets professionally and I can tell you with certainty, spot cleaners are a mistake. They are generally a highly concentrated soap that requires an absurd amount of time and water to completely remove from the carpet. It will ensure that every speck of dust and dirt that comes in contact with the spot, will stick to it as if it were an adhesive, if it gets wet again or when humidity is high. Most carpet that is made of synthetic fiber can handle a light bleach solution, but peroxide is caustic and should never be used unless it is highly diluted. Stomach acids from the cat can do some damage as well, if left for long. Again, most carpets made of synthetic fiber, is pretty resistant, but natural fibers are another story. The way to tell the difference between the two? Snip a few threads of fiber from a somewhat hidden area, burn it. Did it shrink up like plastic, or did it turn to ash? Ash is the natural fiber (cotton,wool,bamboo, etc.), and if it shrunk up like melted plastic, that's what it is, synthetic. No bleaching agents, or acids should be used on natural fiber. Use of lightweight oils like sewing oil or even olive oil will help to remove the stain and then you can just clean the area with a diluted soap solution to remove the oil. Good luck!

Fiddledd224 · Answer

Try to brush as much up as you can---- if you have a cat comb, that's a great tool to use. Then vacuum. If more remains, keep combing until it's all up. Then place a rag soaked in hot water on the spot until it becomes soft and then spot clean using an oxygenated cleaner like OxyClean or Awesome Orange. Keep doing this until the stain/spot is gone.

Brooke · Answer

Add a little vinegar to get it wet and turn into salt, then vacuum really well. I’ve had this problem before. Just get as much of the dried stuff off first. Use a spray bottle first and see if you can scrap some big piece off. Once it’s changed, by adding vinegar, it will never fully come up out from under the pad, but at least it won’t be on top. If you have access to a carpet cleaner it would be even better.

How can I get dried baking soda out of carpet?

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