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.

Jan Clark · Answer

If it is actually dried baking soda and not something else, try scrubbing it with a brush, or vacuum, to break up the chunks into smaller pieces. Then vacuum that up. You can also use a meat pounder or hammer to smack it down into dust and vacuum. If it isn't just baking soda, then I suggest going back to the beginning and figure out what the cat actually threw up. There are a number of products on the market that will get rid of carpet stains. Almost all are liquid - which will dissolve the problem. Use a spot type carpet cleaner or wet-dry vac to get rid of what's left.

Chris Browne · Answer

Re-wet the carpet and suck up the moisture and baking soda with a wet/dry vacuum. This may require several repeats, but it will remove the baking soda.

Lana Hassell · Answer

Linnea, try a spray carpet cleaner, spray it on heavily and let it just stay there for a while. I keep those cleaners handy because as you know , kitties just seem to have to get rid of those hair balls on the carpet. I have had good results using those carpet cleaners. 😺

Janet Pizaro · Answer

https://spotremoval.coit.com/how-to-get-baking-soda-out-of-carpet

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.

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.

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!

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

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.

Kim |Exquisitely Unremarkable · Answer

I used to use baking soda to deodorize my carpets when I had pets and sometimes it got wet and gloppy and stuck. To get rid of it I let it dry completely, sometimes I left the area untouched for 24 hours. Then I took a scrub brush and scrubbed it to loosen up the gaps. Then I vacuumed it up. I often found that rewetting it just compounded the problem.

Simple Nature Decor · Answer

I had that happen to me and I used a durable brush for scrubbing, but don’t wet it just use to dry, it worked for me.

Simple Nature Decor · Answer

Use a dry Brush

JACINTA · Answer

I loved everyone comments my son room has two spots with dried up baking soda on it when our dog pee on the carpet and we put baking soda down. And now it’s hard hard I need something or ideas on how to get it ip

JACINTA · Answer

I have a bully who doesn’t stop peeing in our house what’s a good training to get him to go outside and not in my house

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