Here’s how to remove bleach stains from carpets if you accidentally spilled bleach. You don’t need to worry about the damage as you can prevent the carpet’s color from fading if you act soon enough. Without having to go for professional cleaning, you can use any of the methods indicated here to clean the bleach stains. It is very important to avoid contacting bleach with your skin and follow the necessary safety procedures to remove bleach stains from carpets.
Cleaning Spilled Bleach
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Since bleach is a corrosive substance, it can cause irritation and damage to the skin, eyes, and even lungs if the fume is inhaled. So, it is necessary to be careful when handling spilled bleach on carpets.
- Wear gloves to avoid harm to your hands when cleaning spilled bleach.
- Use a damp cloth to absorb the bleach on the floor. If there is a lot of bleach spilled, use a dishpan to collect it and put it into the sink.
- Use the following methods to clean it and make sure that the floor is dry afterward to prevent possible slipping accidents.
Remove Bleach Stains with Detergent and Water
Here’s an easy way to remove bleach stains on the carpet using detergent and water.
- Soak up all the liquid bleach from the carpet using a damp towel. Then squeeze it out and blot the damaged area of the carpet.
- Press the towel gently with a uniform motion to the carpet. Do not scrub as it could worsen the stain and damage the carpet even more.
- Once the cloth absorbs everything, you can prepare the detergent solution.
- Mix dishwashing detergent liquid with warm water in a cup or bowl. You can also use distilled water to make this solution.
- Apply this solution to the stained area of the carpet and let it sit for about ten minutes.
- Then use a clean sponge to blot the wet area and remove the soap solution.
- Remove the leftover bleach using cold water.
- Repeat the process to remove bleach stains from carpets until it is satisfactory.
Remove Bleach Stains Using Dish Soap
If you are wondering how to remove bleach stains from carpets with only soap and water, here’s the procedure that you can try.
- Blot the bleach stain with a paper towel and water as soon as possible. Do not rub the bleach as it would worsen the stain.
- Create a soap solution by mixing a quarter tablespoon of mild dish soap in a cup of warm water.
- Apply the solution on the bleach stain of the carpet and let it rest for 5 minutes.
- After the bleach stain has dried, rub it gently from outside to inside using a sponge or cloth.
- Then rinse the carpet with cold water and allow it to dry.
Removing Bleach Stains on Carpet with Vinegar
Vinegar, being one of the best neutralizers for bleach stains, can be used for this. It not only removes the bleach but also repairs the carpet. Here is how you can use vinegar to remove bleach stains.
- Add a quarter cup of white vinegar and a cup of water to a bowl. Mix it by moving the bowl back and forth to create a solution.
- Sprinkle the vinegar solution lightly on the bleach stain so as not to soak the carpet. But make sure all the fibers on the bleached stain are wet with enough solution.
- Then blot the area of the carpet using a clean, dry cloth.
- Rinse and clean the bowl used for the vinegar solution. Add 2 cups of water and a tablespoon of liquid dish soap into it. Stir it well to mix the soap and water, making a soap solution.
- Apply the soap solution over the stained area without soaking the carpet. Let this rest for about five minutes until the soap solution reaches the fibers of the stained area.
- Then dry it up using a clean, dry towel or similar absorbent fabric.
- Rinse the stained place with clean water and dry it again using a towel.
- Continue rising and blotting until all the suds are cleared out. Repeat this until you no longer smell vinegar on the carpet.
- Dry the area completely by blotting the carpet with towels.
- After the carpet dried properly, vacuum it to fluff the fibers.
Is it Good to Use Vinegar for Carpet?
You might wonder whether it is good to use vinegar for cleaning purposes on the carpet as it is acidic. When cleaning a carpet, vinegar works best on alkaline stains as it neutralizes the pH effect and recovers its neutral nature. This might also depend on the type of carpet material if you are using vinegar as a cleaning material. Delicate carpets made with silk, wool, and natural fibers may not tolerate exposure to acidic cleaning substances as they can permanently damage the carpet. Here are some pet-friendly carpet cleaners that you can use if you have pets at home.
Cleaning Technique When Using Vinegar
Here are a few tips that you might find useful when cleaning your bleached carpets and other surfaces with vinegar.
- Soak with a paper towel and clean the spill on the carpet well before adding vinegar.
- Do not rub with the towel when drying the carpet as it may further spread the stain.
- Once the spilled stain has dried, scrape off all the residues gently.
- Diluting the vinegar with water before applying it to the carpet would give you the best results.
- Do not pour pure vinegar directly on the bleach stain as it will soak the carpet and cause further damage to the fibers, spreading the stain even more.
- Add water and vinegar in a 1:1 ratio into a spray bottle and spray it over the stains. Leaving this for 10 minutes and drying it gently with paper towels afterward will help you get rid of most stains. You can repeat this until the stains fade away.
Recoloring the Bleach Stain
If your carpet is discolored due to the bleach stain, you can use crayons to restore it. First, check the crayons available in your collection and find a matching one. Then follow the procedure indicated here to color the stain and blend it with the actual color of the carpet.
- Use a wet paper towel, press it on the bleach-stained area and make it slightly damp.
- Color the area using the matching crayon you found.
- Focus more on the base of the fibers as you color. Make sure to color only on the stained area, as you should not color the unbleached area.
- After you finish coloring the patch, you may see that it is quite darker than the rest of the carpet. Mix the color and spread it gently through the patched area using a damp towel to remove this effect.
- Continue this until the color has blended well over the area, matching the color.
- You can also use a hair dye if it matches the color of the carpet. You need to rub it on the carpet, blend it and dry it using a hairdryer.
- If the bleach stains on the carpet are located in an area that is not much noticeable, you can use interior paint to cover it. Use a paintbrush with a fine tip and apply a thin coat over the stain.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens if bleach gets on the carpet?
It is important not to use bleach near carpets or use only near white-colored carpets. This is because spilled bleach on carpet destroys the color in patches unless the color is really hard to be bleached.
How to get bleach out of carpet?
You can use dishwashing detergent, soap, or vinegar with water to apply over the bleach stain. Then cleaning it after a few minutes would help remove the stain.
Will Hydrogen Peroxide bleach my carpet?
Hydrogen Peroxide can be used to remove bleach stains of carpets but is a risky choice as it may damage the carpet fibers. So before you use this to clean, it is better to use it on a hidden area of the carpet and check whether it bleaches the fabric.
Can you dye a carpet that has been bleached?
Special fabric dyes that correctly match the color of the carpet can be used to treat bleached stains on carpets. The powder or liquid-based fabric dye should be mixed with hot water before application according to the instructed proportions. These fabric dyes work best on carpets made from natural fibers.
Conclusion
Since bleach is colorless, it does not retain any darker color on the carpets if spilled. Instead, bleach stain on carpet removes the color, causing it to appear as a lighter spot.
It may be difficult to find how to remove bleach stains from carpets left for a long time. So it is necessary to follow the correct procedures mentioned here and clean the bleach cautiously to recover the carpet soon. Also, be careful about the cleaning products you use as they can damage the carpet even more.
When purchasing a new carpet for your living space, there are certain important things you need to consider. Here are some Carpet Brands to Avoid when purchasing, and you can buy from the recommended brands instead.
