Get Soft Drink Spills Out of Carpet

Soft Drink Spilled on CarpetSo, that cold soda that you were drinking ended up all over the living room carpet. No problem, we can help with that. You might consider calling us, we can handle this spot without any trouble, but if you would like to try to clean up your own coke spill, here are the steps to take:

1. Blot - Get as much cola out of the carpeting as possible. Use a dry towel that you don’t mind getting dirty (preferably white, or something old) and apply as much pressure as possible throughout the spotted area. I usually walk on the towel and use my whole body weight to absorb the spill. If the spot has already dried because one of the kids spilled it last night, just move onto step 2.




2. Apply - a neutral carpet cleaner. We would recommend the use of our Professional Strength Spot Remover. It works great for this problem and won’t leave a residue behind that can cause resoiling. If you use our cleaner, you can skip the rinse! If you don’t have Chem-Dry Spot Remover around, any mild detergent will work. A drop of dish soap in a cup of water, a capful of hand laundry soap in a quart of water, or another carpet cleaner that you may have around the house.




3. Agitate! – Soft drinks contain a lot of sugars. The key to effectively break down and suspend sugars and soils when hand spotting is agitation. Use a plastic spoon, or similar object to work the cleaner back and forth into the carpet fibers. Never use a nylon scrub brush or abrasive material, this could damage your carpeting.




4. Blot (again) – Don’t Rub! Remove as much of the cleaning solution as possible from the carpeting. Apply pressure to the wetted area throughout. Take your time, and get as much out as possible. If the spot remains visible, repeat steps 2-4 until no color transfer occurs on a white towel. If there is no color transfer and you can still see discoloration, you are no longer dealing with a spot and will need to consult our dye stain removal tip sheet.




5. Rinse – Mix a solution of one cup vinegar in a quart of water or ½ cup lemon juice in a quart of water. Make sure that the lemon juice doesn’t have additives or pulp in it if you choose to use it. Fresh squeezed lemons work best. Apply the solution to the carpeted area; enough to thoroughly wet the carpeting, then blot dry. There should be no foaming or soap suds once this is completed. Fluff carpet with your hand and pat yourself on the back…good job!




6. Dry – Place a fan blowing on the spot until the carpet fibers feel dry. Never walk on the carpeting while it is damp, this could cause damage or matting. If you effectively blotted, your carpet should be dry within 6 hours. If the spot returns, try rinsing the area with the acidic (vinegar or lemon juice) solution again, you probably used too much soap.