How to get Chocolate Stains out of Carpet – DIY Carpet Cleaning Tips
The moment when the lip-smacking chocolate before reaching your mouth, drips off on the carpet – How does that feel!!! You might be a hardcore chocolate lover but instead of cribbing over not binging the chocolate, I am sure you will be horrified with the chocolate stains on the carpet.
Whether it’s a chocolate candy bar, dark chocolate, hot chocolate, or chocolate milk, the spill, or a lump of chocolate getting pressed into the carpet, such accidents are a nightmare (especially if your carpet is clean white in color). Chocolates actually contain several ingredients and mostly due to the oil component, it is a bit trickier to get chocolate out of the carpet. But that doesn’t mean it is impossible to get rid of the stains.
Though chocolate stains look tough, you can easily tackle them. Just with a few household products and very little effort, you’ll see stains vanished.
Here are few DIY tips to effortlessly remove all sorts of chocolate stains from the carpet and make it look as clean as before:
To begin with:
Take instant action
The quicker you react to the stains, the easier it is to get rid of the stains. The moment you notice the stains, try to lift off the excess chocolate by scraping it with a blunt knife. You can also use a paper towel to blot the excess chocolate. Make sure to blot, do not rub as it can spread the stains.
How to get chocolate off the carpet?
#Method 1 (Using cloth iron machine)
- After removing the excess chocolate, if you notice the flakes, vacuum directly over the stain.
- Cover the complete stain area with some paper towels.
- Take iron and move it over the paper towels gently (make sure it is in the non-steam setting, if possible). The remaining chocolate will start sticking to the paper towels.
- While ironing, try to keep the temperature steady.
- Repeat the ironing process, at least 4 to 5 times, until you notice chocolate stains disappearing.
#Method 2 (Using cold water)
- After scraping the excess chocolate, pour cold water on the stain.
- You can use some dishwashing detergent. Put on a clean cloth, rub it over the chocolate stain in a circular motion.
- Let the detergent settle for a few minutes (5 minutes will be enough).
- Once again take cold water and rinse the area. This process will vanish the chocolate stain.
- Use a vacuum to dry the area.
#Method 3 (Using dry cleaning spot remover)
- Apply some dry-cleaning spot remover on a clean cloth and dab it on the chocolate stain. Start from the outer edge to the middle of the stain (this will avoid spreading). Also make sure to blot, do not rub.
- Now rinse the carpet area with clean water to remove the left stains.
- You can dry the area with a towel or for quick-drying, use a dry vacuum.
#Method 4 (Using ice cubes)
- In the case of soft chocolate, you can use ice cubes.
- Freeze the stained area with an ice cube or ice pack.
- This will solidify the chocolate and make it easier to scrape the chocolate with a scraping tool or blunt knife.
How to get chocolate milk out of carpet?
If a glass of chocolate milk gets spilled on the carpet then the best way to start cleaning is by absorbing the excess liquid with a paper towel. Place paper towels over the stain and soak it until the excess milk gets totally absorbed.
Let’s start the procedure:
Step 1
- After the blotting process, cover the remaining stain of chocolate milk with table salt.
- Let the salt settle on the carpet for at least 20 minutes. This will absorb the complete moisture present in the fiber.
- Now remove the remaining salt with a vacuum.
Step 2
- Create a mixture of dishwashing liquid (1 tbsp) and warm water (2 cups) in a bucket.
- Take a clean cloth and soak it in the soap solution. Squeeze the excess liquid.
- Dab the solution on the chocolate milk stain. Start from the outer edge to the middle of the stain (this will avoid spreading).
- Take another cloth and wet it in clean water and rinse the solution with it to remove the remaining soapy solution out of the carpet.
- Pat it dry with another cloth or simply vacuum the area.
Step 3
- Mix 1 tablespoon of ammonia into 2 cups of warm water.
- Take a clean cloth, dip it in the ammonia solution, and dab it gently onto the remaining chocolate milk stain.
- Pat it dry with a clean cloth or vacuums it.
To neutralize the ammonia solution, take a mixture of vinegar and water (1 cup each) and dab it on the carpet area where the diluted ammonia was applied.
Remove all the moisture by pressing dry cloths on it. Continue until complete moisture is gone.
How to get hot chocolate out of carpet?
Even if your carpet is white or cream color, the dark hot chocolate spilled can be easily cleaned and make the carpet look as clean and white as before. Here is an easy guide:
- Mix dishwashing liquid (1 tbsp) in warm water (2 cups) in a bucket/bowl
- Soak the clean cloth in the soap solution. Squeeze the excess liquid. Dab it on the stained carpet.
- Gently rub for a few seconds. Repeat till the stain gets faded or disappears.
- Dab with a clean cloth, remove the extra liquid.
- To treat the detergent residue, prepare a vinegar solution (mix l white vinegar – 250 ml with water – 500 ml).
- Soak the paper towel in the vinegar solution and dab it on the residue.
- After 20-30 minutes, take some lukewarm water and rinse it.
Closing remarks
Try any of these above methods to remove stains. If you are using any chemical or carpet cleaner, it is always wise to perform a patch to ensure carpet suitability and check if it does cause any damage to the carpet fiber. If the stain still persists, after any of the DIY methods, stop and take help from a professional.