How to Get Slime Out of Your Carpet

If you have kids, chances are you’ve spotted brightly colored slime in your carpet at some point or another. Sticky, gooey and oh-so-squishy, slime is a fun, non-Newtonian fluid (meaning it’s somewhere between a liquid and a solid) enjoyed by kids around the world. It’s also a popular way to teach little ones about science and chemical reactions in a fun, hands-on way. The only catch? Slime can be messy. The gooey concoction can easily get stuck within a carpet’s fibers. Unfortunately, once it dries, it’s extremely hard to remove. The good news is your carpet doesn’t have to be stained with slime forever. For those looking to sell their home in the near future, you can bet slime-stained carpet will be a big negative in the eyes of a buyer. If you do not plan on replacing the carpet altogether, then we highly recommend taking care of all stains prior to listing the home. Not sure how to get slime out of carpet? We can help. Here are tried-and-true tips for removing slime and other stains from your carpet before listing your house for sale.

How to get slime out of carpet

Here’s how to get slime out of carpet in four easy steps.

Use a spoon, knife or paper towel to remove what you can

Try freezing the slime before removing it

Spray a vinegar and water solution on the stain

Finish cleaning with a wet dry vacuum cleaner

How to remove other stains from carpet

Here are several other ways to get stains out of your home’s carpet.

  • Coffee stains – Who hasn’t, at some point, accidentally spilled coffee on a carpet or rug? Fortunately, this big “oops” can be removed, if it’s taken care of quickly. The longer coffee sits on a surface, the more likely it is that it will stain indefinitely. To remove coffee stains from carpet, Good Housekeeping recommends blotting up as much as you can immediately. If the coffee doesn’t come out, try mixing one tablespoon of dish soap, one tablespoon of white vinegar and two cups of warm water. Blot the stain with the mixture until the stain disappears. Then, apply cold water and blot dry.
  • Wine stains – Red wine stains are one of the hardest (and least fun!) stains to remove. The Sprucerecommends pouring a small amount of water on top of the red wine stain to remove it. Blot with a dry cloth. Next, the website recommends creating a baking soda and water paste. Apply the paste to the stain and let it dry before vacuuming it up. If any of the red wine stain remains on the carpet, then you’ll need to apply an official carpet stain remover.
  • Pet stains – If you have a dog or cat, then you’ve most certainly cleaned a pet stain (or several) at some point. To remove a pet stain from carpet with natural ingredients, The Bark recommends spraying the stain with a 50/50 water and vinegar solution. This should help neutralize the smell and remove the stain. Scrub the stain and apply a small amount of baking soda as well. Once the baking soda has dried, vacuum the carpet. If you need something more heavy-duty, we recommend spraying a pre-made solution, such as Oxi-Clean Pet Stain Remover, on the stain.

What else should you improve before selling your home?

The carpet isn’t the only thing that needs to be cleaned before putting a home on the market. Once you’ve successfully removed slime and other stains from the carpet, here are a few more household areas that need your attention.

  1. Declutter and depersonalize
  2. Paint the walls and fill in holes
  3. Spruce up the entryway
  4. Do a deep clean of the home
  5. Replace dead light bulbs
  6. Clean dirty bathroom grout
  7. Update knobs, pulls and hardware
  8. Improve the landscaping
  9. Repair any broken hardscape
  10. Clean the gutters
  11. Stage the home

Ready to move?

So, you’ve cleaned your carpet, spruced up the rest of the house and are now ready to put it on the market. Congrats! Once it’s time to move, we recommend finding a reliable and trustworthy moving company through Moving.com’s extensive network of movers. We make it easy to compare quotes from hundreds of long distance movers and local movers near you – free of cost. All relocation companies in our network are licensed and insured, so you can rest assured that your move will be in good hands. Best of luck and happy moving!