How To Get Oobleck Out Of Carpet (Step-by-Step Guide)
Oobleck is one of the many incarnations of slime that parents have had to deal with over the past 20 years. It’s the homemade version of slime, and as a result, often ends up staining things left and right. Unlike gak, oobleck is one of those things that can pose a serious problem to clothes and carpets. So, how can you clean it up without causing serious damage to everything around you?
Scoop up as much of the goo as you can with your bare hands. Then, let the oobleck dry. Most oobleck recipes will become sandy when they dry out, which means that you can loosen the oobleck up with a brush and vacuum it away. You can also use water and vinegar to remove it.
Much of your ability to get rid of oobleck from your carpeting will deal with knowing what was put into it as a recipe. However, there are several methods you can use across the board. This article will give you the scoop on this aggravating type of stain.
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Getting Oobleck Out Of A Carpet: The Dry Method
For many oobleck recipes, the easiest way to get rid of the stain is to let it dry and use a brush to loosen the stain out. Once it’s dry, you just need to run a vacuum over it to remove the crumbles. It’s simple, right? Well, it should be. Oobleck is basically just corn starch and water, with a little food coloring or glitter.
Though it’s easy enough to get oobleck out of your rug with this method, many parents might feel a little sketched out by getting rid of it this way. After all, watching slime dry into your carpet would make most people a little worried.
Will The Dry Method Work If You Added Food Coloring To The Oobleck?
This can be a little tricky, since the answer can change depending on how much food coloring was added as well as how your carpet reacts to it. If the oobleck was still extremely wet, there is a chance that the dry method will not remove the coloration from your carpet. If this is the case, you should opt for the wet method as well as a call to the cleaners.
Can You Use A Wet Vacuum To Remove Oobleck From A Carpet?
At first glance, a wet vacuum would appear to be a good match against oobleck that’s embedded itself in your carpet. However, we don’t suggest it. Oobleck has a high potential for clogging up pipes, and that can include the equipment that you’re using to suck it all up. If you are okay with potentially destroying your vacuum to get rid of wet oobleck, by all means, go ahead. Otherwise, don’t chance it.
Getting Oobleck Out Of A Carpet: The Wet Method
If you want to get your oobleck out as soon as it spills, grab some white vinegar and some water. You can also blot it out using this method below:
- Mix a solution of water and vinegar in a cup. A good combination for this would be a 50/50 mix. If you have a sensitive sense of smell, you can try to do this with 1/4 cup vinegar to 1 cup of water.
- Spray some of the liquid onto the stain and massage it in. Use a soft-bristled brush to help loosen up the fibers.
- Grab a towel and dip it in the solution, then use the towel to blot away the oobleck. The oobleck’s stain will transfer to the towel. You might need to blot several times in order for this to work.
- Once the area is clean, let it air dry. There’s no need to use a hair dryer or other similar tool to get it dry. Since most blotting is superficially done, you will be able to see the full results after half an hour of air drying. While you’re waiting for the results to show, dry the brush and clean it, too.
- If you still notice some oobleck, use the brush to loosen the fibers. This will help get rid of any additional scraps you might have noticed.
- Then, run your vacuum over the affected area. This accomplishes two things. First, it’ll clean up any additional oobleck you had on your carpet. Second, it’ll restore your carpet or rug to its former fluffiness.
What Should You Do If Food Coloring Got Onto Your Carpet?
The first thing you should do is try the wet method above, since some dyes will be able to be blotted away. Many of the “blot-friendly” types of dyes are the ones that are found in food, which is what’s used in the oobleck. If the wet method was not able to siphon away the food dye used in your goo, then you can also try using a dry cleaning solvent on the area.
Should You Call Professional Carpet Cleaners For An Oobleck Stain?
Oobleck stains are tricky. The vast majority of oobleck spills are not going to be too bad of an issue, since the basic recipe is just colored corn starch and water. However, there are some recipes that overkill it on the food dye. This is where things get dicey, particularly when it comes to carpet fibers that tend to sop up dyes.
Our verdict here is that you should try to remove the oobleck yourself, using both the wet and dry methods, before you start to panic. If you notice a dye stain on your carpet, you can use a dry cleaning solution or to try to lift up the stain. If a dry cleaning solution doesn’t work, then it might be best to call a company to help you out.
How Much Would It Cost To Get A Stain Out Of Your Carpet?
One of the reasons why we think it’s a bad idea to call the pros for an oobleck carpet stain is the price tag. Most professional cleaning services will charge between $50 to $150 per room, with multiple rooms as a requirement. That’s a lot of money to spend on something that could usually be done yourself.
While oobleck can be aggravating to clean up, the truth is that it’s not a stain that most people will seriously struggle with. Even if you have a Persian rug, it’ll still be easy to clean. Unless you really don’t trust yourself to treat your carpet properly or have tried everything humanly possible to remove that stain, it’s best to avoid calling the pros.
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Related Questions
How can you clean oobleck off a countertop?
If there’s one thing we can all be thankful for, it’s that oobleck is remarkably easy to clean off solid surfaces. The easiest way to get rid of oobleck is to pick it up using a large wad of it to stick the remainder onto. If that doesn’t work, then you can usually wipe down the area with a rag soaked in warm water.If you still smell the remnants of corn starch and want that to go away, then you can use a regular all-purpose surface cleaner as a final wipe down solvent. That’ll take care of just about everything related to oobleck.
How long is oobleck good for?
Like many homemade slimes, oobleck shouldn’t stick around for months on end. Rather, most oobleck recipes should be thrown out within one to two days of their creation. To prevent it from drying out prematurely, store it in a small, airtight Tupperware container and keep it out of high heat.If left alone for a long period of time, there is a chance that your oobleck might grow moldy. So make sure to replace it or make more when its expiration date has passed.
Is oobleck toxic?
Oobleck is not toxic, even if it looks a little gross. In fact, you could eat most oobleck recipes, even though it won’t exactly taste too good. Though oobleck is not toxic, you still should wash off anything that you’ve dunked into the oobleck and wash your hands after playing with it. Oobleck, if left alone, can still stain things like clothing or carpeting without proper intervention.
Ossiana Tepfenhart is an expert writer, focusing on interior design and general home tips. Writing is her life, and it's what she does best. Her interests include art and real estate investments.
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