In this article, we are going to talk about how to get Gatorade out of a carpet. Carpet stains can be really stubborn and among the most stubborn of these stains, you will find Gatorade, wine, and kool-aide.
To remove Gatorade from a carpet, you will need hydrogen peroxide or ammonia, a towel (preferably white), and steam iron. You need to treat the stained area with hydrogen peroxide or a water and ammonia mixture. Next, you dip the towel in water, wring it then place it over the stain. After that, you take the iron, which is on medium heat, and place it on top of the towel for 30 to 0 seconds.
This method as described above is able to get rid of most stubborn stains including Gatorade. Whether it is your own fault or the kids, a stubborn carpet stain is an eyesore.
This is especially true when it is a loud color like red. It just shouts out at you, almost taunting you. How then, do you get a red Gatorade stain out of your carpet? You don’t really need much to do it and in this article, we will look at two different methods that you can use to get the job done.
Why is Gatorade hard to get out of my carpet?
Gatorade has a manmade food coloring in it. When it is spilled on the carpet, it will sink deep into it and will not come out using conventional cleaning methods.
For this reason, you will need to use specific methods in order to get it out. To make sure that you get the stain out, you will need to use a method that extracts the dye from your carpet. This is not possible when you scrub the carpet.
How do you get red Gatorade out of the carpet?
As I’ve already alluded to, we are going to cover 2 main methods of removing a Gatorade stain from a carpet. The first method is the simpler one which only needs a steam iron and a few other items.
The other one requires that you have a wet and dry vacuum cleaner and a few other household products. Let’s get into them.
Method 1 for removing Gatorade stain
For the first method, you will need:
- Hydrogen peroxide or ammonium as the main ingredient
- A wet white towel
- Steam Iron
Avoid using a colored towel as the dye may leach out and into the carpet. The final thing you need for this method is steam iron. Your first step is to pour or spray on the hydrogen peroxide over the spot.
Let it stand for a few minutes. If you are using ammonia, make half ammonia, half water mixture and spray it on to the stain, and allow it to sit for a few minutes.
Next, put the wet towel over the stain then place the steam iron over it for 30 to 60 seconds. You may need to move the iron around in order to get all the stained spots. If it’s working, you will see the red stain being sucked up onto the towel. If the stain is not completely removed, repeat the process until you manage to get it all out.
Method 2 for removing Gatorade stain
The next method for removing Gatorade stain is to use a wet and dry vacuum cleaner and some everyday household chemicals. For this method, you will need the following:
- Spray bottle
- Dish Soap
- 90% rubbing alcohol
- Table Spoon
- Towel or rug (white)
- Wet/Dry Vacuum
The first thing you need to do is mix the relevant ingredients for this recipe together. Get 1 cup of warm tap water. You may use hot water as long as it is not scalding hot.
Add ½ teaspoon dish soap. Any brand will do. Next, add 2 tablespoons of rubbing alcohol to the mixture. Stir it and pour it into a spray bottle. Be sure not to shake it as it will become too foamy. This recipe has a long shelf life and you can store it for later use.
Once you have the mixture in the bottle, spray it over the stained spot and use the spoon to push it into the carpet. Make sure not to rub it in as this may damage your carpet. Just gently dab it in using the back of a spoon. Allow this mixture to sit for about 2 minutes then use your wet and dry vacuum cleaner on the spot.
The stain will lift off. If it doesn’t happen the first time around, keep repeating the process until the stain is completely removed.
You may need to do this about 2 or 3 times before it completely goes away. If the stain is stubborn, you may also pour some more rubbing alcohol over the mixture instead of more soap.
Things not to do when removing red Gatorade stain from the carpet
First of all, avoid rubbing or dabbing the spot with a cloth. This is an exercise in futility. It may also further damage your carpet meaning that the stained spot will not go back to its former state once the stain has been removed.
Dabbing with a cloth also forces moisture into the carpet which Is never a good thing. It leads to a number of problems. Also, avoid using vinegar. It does not do a good job when it comes to stain removal. It’s touted in a lot of places as being this magical cleaner but it doesn’t work for carpet stains.
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Conclusion
Though Gatorade stains are hard to remove, they can be dealt with using the method described in this article. As a closing tip, vacuuming a carpet especially after using the methods in this article is always a good idea.
This is because it gets rid of moisture in the carpet. Carpet moisture can lead to health problems as well as carpet damage. You don’t want either. That’s it for this article, let’s hear your comments and questions below.
