Tips for Cleaning Motor Oil Out of Carpet

If you’re a mechanic or work in a factory with equipment that needs maintenance, you’re likely familiar with the trouble of tracking home motor oil. Motor oil is viscous enough to cling to shoes and clothes, yet it readily sets in carpet fibers the moment it touches them. Even a small amount of motor oil in your carpet can lead to a major blemish. And things only get worse if you try to scrub out the stain!

To truly deal with motor oil stains, you’ll need to enlist the help of carpet cleaning specialists in South Amboy, NJ. Only they will have the technology and expertise to extract oil fully and completely from your carpets.

If you’re in a pinch and need to make your motor oil stain go away, or you’ve got the smallest little spot to clean up, there are a few tips that you can take to heart. Try these simple pieces of advice for best results:

  • First and foremost, remove any excess oil from the spot without pressing it deeper into the carpet fibers. A great way to do this is with a dull knife or other metallic object. The motor oil will cling to the metal nicely and it can be easily washed away when it’s removed from the carpet.
  • Next, you’re going to want to soak up any extra oil that you can’t scrape away. For this step, use baking soda or corn starch. Both are highly absorptive and will quickly conceal any excess oil. Let it sit for about 15 minutes for best effect.
  • Once the corn starch or baking soda is dry and the excess motor oil is congealed, run a light vacuum over the area. This will suck up all that extra congealed oil and give you a relatively clean slate to work with when it comes to treating the core stain.
  • Using a few drops of dry cleaning solvent or dishwashing detergent, drop them into the stain and start to gently blot it with a clean cloth. Oil should start to extract itself from the carpet fibers into the cloth. If it doesn’t, try a little white vinegar with the solution you’re using.
  • When your blotting ceases and there’s a dramatically lighter stain left in the carpet, it’s time to do the same thing with a sponge. Make sure you’re using a fresh sponge and pressing carefully onto the stain. Don’t scrub!
  • Rinse the area with cold water and see how it looks. It should appear significantly better, and may even appear to be nonexistent. If you can still see the stain clearly, repeat the cleaning steps again for good measure.

The unfortunate fact is that motor oil is one of the absolute hardest stains to get out of carpet—especially if it’s allowed to set. Carpet cleaning specialists in South Amboy, NJ often have to use complex extraction methods to remove the oil entirely from your carpet and remediate it.

Don’t let oil spots be the bane of your carpeting. Contact the carpet cleaning pros at Lov ‘N Kare Carpet Center to absolve them from your surface entirely.