How to Get Laundry Soap Out of Carpet? 5 Different Methods

Knowing how to get laundry soap out of carpet is a skill that you need to learn for emergency purposes.

Being a homeowner for years, I didn’t know how to do it – and the unthinkable happened.

My son was playing with the bottle of liquid detergent, and it poured all over the carpet, and upon washing it, specks and stains of the detergent remained.

So, I researched and dug deep into how I can successfully and effectively rinse it off, as well as take out stains from it.

You can effectively remove laundry detergent and its stain off the carpet by pouring hot water or alcohol on the affected spot. Pour it progressively, a few drops at a time, then finally, dry it out using a hand towel, bath towel, or paper towel.

What Materials Do You Need to Prepare?

It goes without saying that being prepared is the best way to go. I have proven this when it happened, but unfortunately, I wasn’t prepared.

Moreover, it’s great that you’re reading about this in advance so you’re ready for it when it happens.

So, before learning how to get laundry detergent out of carpet, you need to be knowledgeable that the following materials are what you’ll need:

Any Type of Scooping or Absorbing Material

This is probably the simplest and easiest way to go.

Have whatever type of material that you can use to scoop powdered or liquid laundry soap or detergent from the carpet or mattress.

I find this method ineffective, especially with liquid detergent because it doesn’t take everything out.

NOTE: I typically use a dull knife, a paint scraper, or even a squeegee.

Rubbing Alcohol

Rubbing alcohol is an effective decolorizer. It can deeply penetrate the cell walls of the fabric and remove whatever modification of the color from there.

A 75% rubbing alcohol is the minimum you can use that’s effective.

For me, I use 90% ethyl alcohol as I find it to work faster and more effectively.

Warm-to-Hot Water

Hot water is also an effective ingredient in taking detergent or soap off your carpet. You can use warm water if you’re not comfortable using hot water for it.

Towels and/or Paper Towels

You’ll need towels or paper towels (thick tissue) to dry it out initially. This helps you get rid of too much liquid on the carpet.

Vacuum Cleaner

Vacuum cleaners are also needed if the liquid detergent or liquid soap is powdered.

You can get rid of the excess powders by scooping them, but the ones that seep into the carpet’s fibers aren’t reachable.

So, you can use vacuum cleaners to reach those spaces.

Steam Cleaner

Steam cleaners are also effective in removing laundry soap stains on your carpet. Whether it’s from powder detergents or liquid detergents, it can be effective.

Ammonia

This is an optional and situational ingredient. Ammonia is an effective decolorizer, but only if you’re using a mild detergent that does not contain bleach.

Mixing ammonia and bleach together is dangerous as they can emit toxic gas called chloramine, which can irritate your nose and eyes.

How to Get Laundry Soap Out of Carpet: 5 Different Methods

Contrary to what you might have believed, getting laundry soap and laundry soap stains off your carpet is not a task that will require great experience.

As a matter of fact, you only need knowledge about the materials you’ll be using, as well as how laundry detergent or soap reacts.

So, here are 5 methods you can choose from to be able to remove laundry soap from your carpet. 

NOTE: For all these methods, I would advise you to use laundry gloves or any other type of rubber gloves to protect your hands from the chemicals of the soap or detergent.

Method #1: Warm or Hot Water Method

For this method, you’ll need warm or hot water to clean and get rid of the stains of laundry soap or detergent off of your carpet.

1. Scrape all excess detergent on the surface using a paint scraper or squeegee.
2. Then, place a folded towel on the area where the stain is.
3. Do this until you soak up as much liquid or powder as you can.
4. Pour salt or litter to absorb all the remaining debris. Wait up to 30 minutes.
5. Vacuum up the salt or litter.
6. Pour warm-to-hot water onto the spot and rub it.
7. Continue this until the stains are removed.
8. Soak up using towels or paper towels.

Method #2: Vacuum Cleaner Method

For this method, you’ll need a wet or dry vac. As my personal choice, this is the method I always go for because of its simplicity and effectiveness.

To start, scoop and remove all excess liquids or powders from the carpet. Then, spray hot water on the areas with detergent generously, but not too much.

Rub it gently until the area suds up and foams appear. Then, use a dry or wet vacuum over the area to remove the moisture.

Wait for a few minutes for the detergent to separate from the fibers. After that, vacuum the area again and if it’s wet, dry it out with a hairdryer or by blotting it with towels or paper towels.

NOTE: If the stains or the debris remain, repeat the process until you get it off.

Method #3: Steam Cleaner Method

Out of all the methods available, this is what I consider the most thorough and comprehensive.

Using a steam cleaner to take out the debris of powder or liquid laundry detergent is great because steam will seep and be drenched deep into the carpet.

To do this, you would have to steam the carpet entirely – not just the parts or areas where there are spillages.

You can bring it into a laundry shop with a steamer or you can also rent a steamer out.

This is actually double purpose because, at this time, you can steam your entire room, too!

Method #4: Rubbing Alcohol Method

To remove and take laundry soap or detergent out of your carpet using rubbing alcohol (for stains or remains of detergent), follow these steps:

1. Blot the wetness using towels or paper towels.
2. Sprinkle salt or litter generously on the areas affected.
3. After 15 minutes, vacuum the salt or litter.
4. Pour in a generous amount of rubbing alcohol and leave it for half an hour.
5. The detergent should now be gone or less.
6. Dry the excess moisture out via hair drying or blotting.

NOTE: In case you’re not satisfied with how it decolorized, do the process again.

Method #5: Ammonia Method

Last, but most definitely not least is the method where you’ll use ammonia.

If I were to rank all methods from 1 to 5, 5 being my favorite and 1 being the least, I’ll rank this as the worst because it’s unorthodox, and it’s the most hazardous method.

In doing this, you need to be very careful because ammonia is not something that you see in every household.

Note: It can irritate your eyes, nose, and even your skin!

So, before doing anything, wear laundry gloves or rubber gloves to protect your skin and to keep you from touching your face. If you could, wear a mask so you don’t breathe it in.

Start by scraping all excess detergent off the carpet and dampening it using towels or paper towels.

Then, pour in a generous amount of salt or litter, and vacuum it after about half an hour.

Then, create the solution by mixing one cup of cold water with a tablespoon of ammonia, and pouring it into a spray bottle.

Spray it onto the affected areas and leave it for about 3 to 5 minutes. Dry the moisture appropriately by blotting it with towels or by drying it with a hairdryer.

NOTE: You can only do this method if the detergent you’re trying to remove from the carpet does not contain bleach. Mixing these 2 components is devastating and can cause more bad things than good things.

Having Trouble Removing Laundry Soap From Your Carpet?

In case you have no clue on how to get laundry soap out of carpet, then this guide is heaven-sent!

You’re lucky because, in my experience, everything was a mess – I was unfortunate enough not to learn about a guide like this before!

Never worry about your kids spilling powder or liquid laundry soap on your carpet ever again!