Tips for crafty stain removal – Glue, food colouring and paint

As promised, after all those crafty activities, we’ve put together some DIY tips on stain removal for any mishaps you may have had along the way with glue, food colouring or acrylic paints.

Note: Employing the home remedy’s below could create a risk of damage to your carpet. Some carpet fibres may discolour or harden when the wrong substances are added to them. For safety we recommend testing in an obscure area where damage will have a minimal effect on the appeal of your carpet. Also we recommend you consult your carpet’s manufacturer for their advice, or better still, call a professional carpet cleaner.

Having said that, below are some home remedy’s that we have found:

Spill: Craft Glue
After dabbing up as much as possible, grab some white vinegar and gently dab it on the glue with a clean white cloth or strong white paper towel. Work it in gently and leave it to work on the glue for about 15 minutes. The adhesive should begin dissolving. Get a fresh cloth or paper towel and dab up the remaining craft glue until it’s completely removed. Finish up by ensuring the carpet is as dry as possible and allow to fully air dry.

Spill: Food Colouring
Gently blot any excess spill with paper towel, then make a solution of one tablespoon white vinegar, one tablespoon liquid hand dishwashing detergent and two cups of warm water. If your food colouring stain is red, use ammonia instead of vinegar. Pour some of the solution onto a clean, white cloth and sponge the stained carpet. Dab the carpet dry with a paper towel. Repeat until the stain is gone, or until nothing more comes off. If the stain is still there, sponge with a little rubbing alcohol and small amounts of warm water. Blot it dry after each sponging. As a last resort, moisten the stained area with three percent hydrogen peroxide and let it stand for about an hour. Blot and repeat as necessary and when the stain is finally gone, pile a bunch of paper towels over the area and weigh them down with something heavy. This will absorb all the moisture in about an hour.

Spill: Acrylic Paint
Contain the spill by surrounding it with paper towels or cloths and then blot up as much as possible, without rubbing. Add glycerin to the stain and then gently blot it up. Remove any remaining residue with rubbing alcohol and follow with water and a mild detergent. Absorb the paint with a clean sponge until gone and vacuum once dry.

You can find more of our tips on carpet stain removal here:

And if those DIY tips don’t get your stains out then you can always give us, Drytron, the carpet cleaning professionals a call to get your carpet looking good as new again