How to Remove Slime from Your Carpet

“Knock-knock, hello?!” came the noise from my front door where two little girls stood with a bucket of several plastic ramekins filled with varying colors of – what the heck is that? “We’re selling slime for 50 cents each!” they squealed, one over the other. Slime, oh goodness, it had been a while since Nickelodeon first introduced me to such a substance in my younger years (if you need a refresher, watch this short video – Nickelodeon’s A Brief History of Slime). In those days everyone wanted to be slimed, it was the cool thing to do. 

It seems over a decade or so passed before slime came back into fashion, but come back it has. It seems to be everywhere, and now, after purchasing $2.00 worth from the neighbor girls, my elated children have ensured that everywhere includes my living room carpet. Substances like these are notoriously hard to remove from carpet, says ChemDry Deluxe, a professional Sutherland Shire carpet cleaning service. So, how on earth does one get a glue-based substance with food dye out of fibrous carpet? 

Well, after some research, this is what I’ve found…

How Hard Is Slime To Remove?

Pretty easy. Whether the slime has freshly fallen or is found a week later, all dried up, the process is similar. You must dissolve the glue, then remove the stain. Follow these basic steps:

1)   Scrape up all excess slime with a spoon, knife, or another similar tool. Don’t scrape too hard or the fibers of your carpet may be compromised, making further clean-up more challenging. If the slime has really hardened, you may find putting an ice cube on it first, freezing it, helps to pick it off. You can also vacuum up some dried slime particles, but don’t try to vacuum wet slime, as it could clog your machine.

2)   Cover the remaining slime residue with a product that will dissolve it. Most people seem to prefer vinegar. Not only is it something you probably have around the house, but it also tends to be safe for use on all surfaces, and it is non-toxic which means it is safe for children to use – they might as well be a part of the clean-up if they made the mess! 

• White vinegar is best, but apple cider vinegar should work too. 
• Dilute the vinegar with water, two parts vinegar and one part water. You can also add a little baking soda to the mixture for added effectiveness, but this shouldn’t be necessary.
• Test a small area of your carpet first before putting any substance on it, even vinegar, to ensure that it does not damage it (if it does cause damage, you may have to call a professional). 
•  In addition to vinegar, there are other substances that typically work including rubbing alcohol, goo remover, citrus solvent, and WD-40 (yes – WD-40! Check out what else it can do by clicking here, hint: it’s more than grease your bicycle chain! Varying sizes are available on Amazon. 
• Do note, however, that because WD-40 has oils in it, there is a potential for it to leave its own stain, so be sure to follow step 5 below). Be sure to wear gloves when using these products. Also, goo remover and citrus solvent tend to be stronger, so you want to blot these on the stain, whereas you can pour the others directly onto the stain. 

3)   Let the substance stand on the stain for 10-15 minutes to let it sink into the carpet fibers and do its dissolving magic.

4)   Pour hot water over the area and again, use a small utensil to scrape away the soupy mixture you’ve created. All of the slime should come up easily, but don’t fret when you notice the food coloring stain may remain, there’s another step for this.

5)   Use a simple household carpet cleaning solution if the color remains, like these found on Amazon, and follow the instructions on the container. This should remove the stain caused by food coloring. Carpet cleaner should always be rinsed out after use or it could bleach your carpet, even if the product says it won’t. Alternately, you can try to use dish soap to get the stain out. Just blot at it with a little water mixed in and repeat until the stain is gone.

6)   Dry the carpet as best as you can. Blot up the moisture with a towel first, then blow a fan (or hairdryer) on the spot, or put it in the sun if possible. If you let your carpet sit wet for too long, then you’ll have another problem on your hands that could be a potential health hazard – mold. If this unfortunate situation should occur, take a look at this wikiHow on How to Get Rid of Carpet Mold.

No luck? Call a professional, or…maybe it’s time to purchase that lovely area rug you’ve been wanting, cover your stain, and keep slime away from it!

Now That I Know Clean Up Is Easy, How Can I Make Slime at Home? 

So your children loved playing with the slime, they rubbed it all into the carpet, you’ve easily cleaned it all up with their help and they are begging for more. Well, you think, why not? You can either purchase slime kits, like this one, or you can make it yourself using a simple recipe like one of these from Home Science Tools. 

Do note that the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety lists some dangers associated with excessive skin contact with ingredients found in some slime recipes.

For the most part, though, slime is a safe and fun play toy that teaches science and has a relatively easy clean-up process, so go ahead and relive your younger Nickelodeon days and Get Slimed!