How to remove clay from the carpet quickly and without a trace

Children sculpt, and adults wash, clean, scrub. Familiar? So you are a happy parent who came for advice on how to clean the carpet from colored plasticine magnificence.

Why plasticine sticks to carpet

In fact, not every copy sticks. But if you press it well with your heel, then even the driest subject will so penetrate into the carpet that nothing can lure him out of there. The plastic mass dyed with pigments adheres to the pile from the outside and penetrates into the fibers.

Composition

To know how to fight, you need to know what to fight. Clay, petroleum jelly, wax, paraffin, animal fats, ceresin, rubber, polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene are substances that are found in different types of plasticine.

Chemists will immediately say that these are mainly water-insoluble polymer components. Add bright pigments and get a waterproof bright spot on the carpet.

What to do? It’s simple: you need to break the long polymer chains into short ones and discolor the pigment. Don’t be intimidated by strange terms. We will tell you step by step what to do and what to use.

Types of carpets

Let’s not forget that carpets are also different. They differ in the composition of the material, in the length and type of pile. Look at the table:

All factors are important for choosing the right method. So, scraping plasticine from the loops is much more difficult than combing the pile, and synthetics and wool react differently to chemical solvents. But first things first.

Necessary cleaning supplies

The technical side of the issue is just as important as the chemical one. The following tools will be useful for work:

1. Stack for plasticine.

2. Metal table knife or spatula.

3. Sponge for dishes.

4. Toothbrush (old).

5. Brush for clothes with artificial pile.

6. Paper napkins.

7. Fabric terry towels.

8. Gauze (or bandage).

The appropriate processing option must be selected based on the specific case. Next, we describe the sequence and nuances of working methods.

How to clean a carpet

Hands, feet in plasticine, sky, stars in plasticine. And, of course, the carpet too. I would like to say in an instructive tone: dirt and stains must be cleaned immediately. But have you ever met a mom who at least manages to eat normally during the day? Therefore, we will fight with what we have.

Stage of mechanical cleaning

First you need to try to extract as much as possible the settled plasticine from the pile of the carpet. It is easier if the substance has not yet managed to penetrate deep into and remains on the surface. How to proceed:

1. First, try to remove the top layer of dirt with your fingers. Do not rub or smear the stain, but collect the mass towards the center and pull it out of the pile.

2. Pry smaller particles with a plastic stack.

3. You can take a piece of softened plasticine and roll it over the surface of the stain. This will help to collect hard-to-reach parts of the mass.

When the plasticine is removed as much as possible, but the pollution still remains, let’s move on to more effective measures.

Freezing

If you don’t have the ice stocked up for the whiskey, a frozen ham will help.

You need to put ice or frozen food in a bag. Place the resulting ice compress on the stain and let the plasticine freeze. Under the influence of low temperatures, plasticine will lose elasticity and begin to crumble. At this point, you need to very intensively rub the place of contamination with a brush or a metal knife (spatula).

Heating

This method, on the contrary, causes melting and liquefaction of the plastic mass. For work you will need an iron, paper towels, gauze.

Warning Tips:

1. Be extremely careful with synthetic carpet. It can melt even with slight heat.

2. Cover this area with paper to avoid accidentally touching the metal soleplate of the iron to the pile of the synthetic carpet.

3. Test on an inconspicuous area by setting the iron to the lowest temperature.

To melt plasticine from a carpet, you need to do this:

1. Turn on the iron on minimum heat.

2. Lay a paper towel folded twice over the stain.

3. Press the tip of the iron for a few seconds to the place of contamination. Blot the melted composition with a napkin.

4. Move the paper and repeat the procedure again.

5. Continue until all of the melted mass is absorbed into the paper.

Washing out residues

Small marks should be rubbed with damp gauze or a terry cloth with dishwashing detergent. AOS and Fairy do very well.

Why gauze or terry towels are used. Thanks to the pores and hard threads, the gauze collects the remnants of plasticine. The loops of terry cloth do the same.

There are special branded sponges for cleaning (for example, Involver from Greenway). They work on the same principle, while they themselves are not polluted. A dry sponge, without additional funds, is able to erase adhering plasticine from the carpet surface.

Plasticine removal home remedies

If the mass is thoroughly stuck to the carpet, we will use heavy artillery. I would like to warn in advance about the need to check the effect of chemicals on the carpet material in an inconspicuous place.

antisilicone

A tool for getting rid of various kinds of greasy contaminants is sold in car dealerships. Manufacturers may vary.

With anti-silicone, you can wash off residual traces of pollution or try to clean the stain from scratch. To do this, do the following:

1. Apply on a washcloth.

2. Attach to the plasticine stain and begin to wash intensively, without smearing the mass in different directions.

3. Change napkins as they get dirty to prevent secondary dye from getting on the pile.

4. After complete removal of contamination, wash the cleaned area with a damp sponge and soap.

Sanita Cleansing Cream

Thanks to alkaline additives and abrasive, these and similar products easily cope with traces of mass for modeling. The alkali breaks down the polymers, and the abrasive helps to remove fine particles from the fibers. This paste is suitable for both smooth surfaces and fleecy surfaces.

For work you will need:

1. cleaning composition;

2. sponge for dishes;

3. water;

4. paper napkins.

The procedure is as follows:

1. Wear protective gloves.

2. Apply the paste to dry carpet with a sponge.

3. Wet the sponge and scrub the stain vigorously.

4. Remove any remaining foam with water.

5. Blot the cleaned area with paper towels.

Chemical solvents

We have selected a number of chemical solvents that are freely available in hardware stores.

Let’s list them:

1. White Spirit;

2. solvent 646;

3. turpentine;

4. alcohol;

5. gasoline for lighters.

The way to use them is the same:

1. Mechanically remove a possible part of the plasticine.

2. Apply liquid to gauze or terrycloth.

3. Press the fabric against the stain.

4. Let the dirt soak a little and start scrubbing it vigorously.

5. Wash the surface to be treated thoroughly with soapy water.

We recommend using the listed liquids as a last resort, if other methods have not helped. The point is their strong smell, which is very difficult to get rid of.

Special cleaning compounds

Household product lines often include carpet care and stubborn stain cleaners. We will give a description of the most working means.

Vanish Gold active foam for carpets

The means of the Vanish series fell in love with the hostesses because they correspond to the declared properties. So, Vanish Gold for carpets easily cleans not only colored stains from plasticine, but also removes other stubborn dirt.

To work, we need Vanish liquid and a sponge. To wash the stain, you first need to remove the plastic mass as much as possible. Then you need to apply the product to the pollution and wipe it with a sponge.

A pleasant smell allows you to use the product even in the children’s room. The average cost of such a tool is 380 rubles.

Antigraffiti by GRASS

The price of this tool starts from 2,5 dollars. The bottle is equipped with a sprayer, which allows you to apply the solution in a directed way.

To erase a stain from a carpet, do this:

1. Apply the product on a dry carpet and leave for a few seconds.

2. Take a sponge or cloth and start scrubbing off the dirt, applying some force.

3. It may be necessary to reapply the composition.

After chemical treatment, we strongly recommend intensively washing the cleaned areas with soap and water. Even though there are no visible traces, the chemicals continue to evaporate into the air. It is especially undesirable to allow the residual content of chemicals in children’s rooms.

Tuff Stuff

Look for this foam cleaner in auto chemical stores or in chain hypermarkets. Its average price is 2,5 dollars. While tuff stuff

Designed for car upholstery, it also works well on home carpet stains. Just apply the foam to the plasticine, wait and rub the dirt with a rough cloth.

Means for carpets «Bee»

This liquid belongs to the budget segment. The average price is 30 rubles. But after the mechanical removal of the modeling mass from the carpet, it washes away the residual traces well. To clean the surface, you need to pour a little of the product on the dirt and rub it with a stiff brush.

Now such annoying spots will not give us trouble. Let our children play and develop carefree. Following our instructions, you can easily cope with plasticine on the carpet and keep positive and comfort in the house.