Solutions for Getting Food Coloring Dye Out of Carpet
- Ammonia is a common cleaning liquid that will help get rid of difficult-to-remove stains in carpet fibers. Create a mixture with 1 tbsp. of clear ammonia, 1 tbsp. of clear dish soap and 2 cups of lukewarm water. Thoroughly stir the contents together with a spoon. When using ammonia, never mix it with bleach or any products -- such as dish soap -- that contain bleach. Mixing the two cleaning liquids together will produce dangerous fumes. After you have dampened a clean, white cloth in the soapy ammonia mixture, sponge the stain for several seconds with it. Once you remove the food coloring stain, rinse the ammonia off the carpet with cool water.
- Used as a common cleaner and deodorizer, white vinegar naturally removes stains from carpets without dangerous chemicals. Pour 2 cups of water in a container and add 1 tbsp. of white vinegar and 1 tbsp. of clear dish soap. Use a spoon to mix the contents. Pat the food coloring stain with a cloth dampened in the soapy vinegar mixture until the stain is no longer visible. Vinegar is safe to use around children and pets and will not cause dangerous fumes. After the food coloring stain is no longer present, remove the soapy mixture from the carpet fibers with cold water.
- A common and inexpensive antiseptic, rubbing alcohol helps remove dye and ink from fabric and fibers. Add several drops of rubbing alcohol to a white cloth and -- while starting at the edge of the stain -- blot the food coloring with the cloth. As you blot the stain move inward toward the middle and continue until you have removed the food coloring from the carpet. Once the stain is gone, blot the carpet with cool water to remove the rubbing alcohol residue.
- If food coloring has yet to dry on the carpet, absorb the excess liquid by blotting -- do not rub -- with paper towels. However, if the food coloring has dried, vacuum the carpet first before attempting to remove the stains. If after several attempts the food coloring stains remain, consider hiring a professional carpet cleaning company to get rid of the discoloration.
