They say you shouldn’t cry over spilled milk, but if it’s settled into your expensive carpet you’ll definitely feel stressed out. Milk won’t just leave an ugly stain on your carpet, it will leave an unpleasant smell in the room that you don’t want to hang around.
Is cleaning a milk stain difficult? Milk can be a tad tricky to remove from your carpet because milk is made up of protein, which becomes hard when it dries and therefore it can stick to the carpet fibers.
With that in mind, let’s explore what you need to know about how to get milk out of a carpet. Do you need chemicals to remove it? Let’s find out.
Contents
DIY Solutions To Remove Milk From A Carpet
Method One: Water And Dishwashing Liquid
- If the milk has just spilled onto the carpet, use a sponge to mop up as much of the liquid.
- Then, mix two cups of cool water and one tablespoon of washing-up dish liquid.
- Take a cloth and gently dab the stain with the cleaning solution. You will have to repeat this several times until you can see that the stain is being eliminated.
- Finish off by sprinkling the stain with baking soda. Let it sit for 30 minutes. This is an important step because it will absorb the milk residue and it will also help to eliminate the smell.
Pro tip: if you don’t have time to blot at the milk spill and stain, you should soak up its excess liquid with a sponge and then apply some cornstarch to it.
This will continue working to soak up the milk from the carpet. Once it’s done, you just have to quickly vacuum the area to remove the cornstarch.
Method Two: Vinegar
Vinegar works really well when used to mop up a milk stain because it has a strong smell that will eliminate the smell of the milk. If you use white vinegar instead of apple cider vinegar, its strong scent will also dissipate faster, so it’s the better choice.
- Spray the vinegar directly onto the milk stain. Let it work for 30 minutes.
- Then, with a clean cloth gently blot at the stain.
- Leave it to air dry. As the carpet dries, the vinegar smell will go away, taking the smell of the milk with it.
Method Three: Baking Soda
Baking soda works well to absorb the milk spill and it also helps to neutralize odors. Start by mopping up the milk with a cloth or paper towel. Sprinkle baking soda on the milk stain. Let it sit overnight.
Once the baking soda has dried, you can remove it with a spoon. Vacuum clean the area so that you remove its granules from the carpet.
Method Four: Dish Soap
A dish-washing detergent can work well to remove a milk stain, especially because of how it cuts through grease. This is especially true if you use it on the milk stain as soon as it’s happened.
- Mix two cups of water with a teaspoon of dish detergent.
- Apply it to the stain and blot it several times until the stain is effectively removed.
- Then, use cold water to clean up any dish soap residue.
How To Remove Dry Milk From The Carpet
If you’ve only seen the milk spill long after it’s occurred so it’s become dry, you should scrape the dry milk with a knife. Be careful so as not to damage the carpet fibers.
Then, wet the stain with some cold water. Avoid using warm water as this will make the smell worse. This is because using warm or hot water will worsen the protein stain.
With a toothbrush and some laundry soap, scrub the stain and then rinse it well. If there’s no stain on the carpet anymore but you can still smell the milk, spray a blend of equal parts water and vinegar on it, then blot it dry.
Should You Use An Enzyme Detergent To Remove Milk Stains?
If your DIY methods haven’t worked well enough to remove the milk stain or odor from your carpet, you should try an enzyme detergent.
These products are made specifically for protein stains and they work well to remove bad odors, too. Make sure you follow the instructions on the bottle to use it correctly.
Related Questions
Should you do a spot test on your carpet before using a stain removal product?
You should always test the cleaning product on an inconspicuous area of the carpet where it’s not visible. This will ensure that removing the stain won’t cause your carpet to look faded or otherwise damaged.
Can you get milk out of a carpet with coffee grounds?
It’s said that you can use coffee grounds on a wet milk stain to remove it. And, you can also use ground coffee on a dry milk stain to absorb its odor.
However, bear in mind that coffee grounds could cause new stains, so it might not be ideal, especially if your carpet is in a light color.
Conclusion
If you’ve spilled milk on a carpet, you might worry that it will stick to the fibers and never come out, as well as produce a terrible odor. But you don’t have to let this happen.
In this article, we’ve featured some of the most effective ways to remove milk from your carpets and ensure they smell fresh again.