How to Get Laundry Detergent Out of Your Carpet

Just when you finally decide to tackle that growing pile of laundry, you watch in horror as your container of laundry detergent topples onto your fresh, beige carpet. Luckily, with a little elbow grease, a few household items, and just a few hours of your time, you can get those laundry detergent stains out of the carpet.

There are actually a few different methods that act as carpet stain removers for laundry detergent. If you have a wet/dry vacuum, carpet cleaner, or steamer, you’ll have the quickest results, but there are other methods available to you, too, if you don’t have those tools on hand.

Why Should I Act Quickly to Clean Laundry Detergent Stains?

Laundry detergent on its own is a highly concentrated—not to mention thick and viscous—reactive soap. When it hits your carpet, it can adhere to the fibers, break down their structure, and leave a sticky mess. It's important to act quickly and clean laundry detergent off your carpet to protect its appearance and longevity.

Not only is it easier to clean newly-spilled laundry detergent before it dries, but you'll lower the risk of a stain as well. Some laundry detergents are dyed blue or green to grab your attention, but this can leave a nasty mark on your light-colored carpet. Additionally, detergents with heavy surfactants or bleach components can affect the dyes in your carpet fibers.

4 Ways to Get Laundry Detergent Out of Your Carpet

You won't have a lot of luck if you simply start scrubbing up the detergent on its own. As we'll note below, adding hot water, steam, vinegar, or even kitty litter may be the key to diluting and absorbing as much of the detergent as possible first. Like most carpet cleaning methods, it's always best to avoid pushing the stain further into the rug.

Wet/Dry Vacuum

1. Fill a spray bottle with very hot water.

2. Spray the detergent stain until the carpet is thoroughly damp.

3. Run the wet/dry vacuum over the damp carpet to clean up the water.

4. After running the wet-dry vacuum, the spot will still be damp. Let it sit for a few minutes to give the hot water time to lift the detergent, then repeat steps one through three until the detergent is entirely or mostly removed.

5. If some detergent remains after running a wet/dry vacuum a few times, blot the area with a dry towel to remove the most stubborn detergent remnants.

Blotting and Sponging

1. Fill a large container with a mixture of vinegar and hot water, with 1 gallon of water and 1 cup of white vinegar.

2. Soak a cleaning towel or sponge in the mixture, then squeeze the water and vinegar out of the cleaning towel or sponge onto the stain. Let the mixture soak into the carpet.

3. Place an old towel over the stain and press firmly into it to blot the detergent spot.

4. Repeat steps one through three until the stain has lifted fully. Be sure to use a fresh, dry towel each time you repeat step three.

Kitty Litter

1. The kitty litter method takes the longest, but if you don’t have the tools needed to vacuum or blot out the stain, this will help, too. Start by pouring a generous amount of kitty litter to cover the detergent stain entirely. Make sure to do this as soon as the spill happens to absorb the wet detergent before it dries.

2. After the litter absorbs the detergent, scoop it up, and toss it.

3. Press the carpet with old towels or paper towels to absorb any remaining detergent.

4. If you do have a shop vacuum or carpet cleaner available, you can go over the spot to ensure it is fully clean. Spray the carpet with water until it is thoroughly damp, then go over the spot with the shop vacuum or carpet cleaner to help lift any detergent remains.

Steamer or Carpet Cleaner

1. Start with one of the three methods above to extract as much of the detergent as possible. Liquid detergent can absorb deep into your carpet, so combining methods can help completely lift the stain and return the color and texture of your carpet to normal.

2. Fill the steam cleaner with its accompanying cleaning solution.

3. Fill the water compartment to the fill line. Do not exceed the fill line, or you could damage the machine.

4. Run the carpet cleaner or steamer over the detergent spot as often as needed until you can feel that the texture is normal.

DIY vs. Hiring a Pro to Clean Your Carpet

For small stains or spots of lightly-colored detergent, you can easily DIY this task. For peskier stains, particularly if you are dealing with blue detergent, it's best to hire a local carpet cleaner or rent a steam cleaner. Renting a steam cleaner will cost between $20 and $40 per day. The cost of professional carpet cleaning varies, but expect between $25 and $50 per room or a flat fee of around $180 for multiple jobs throughout your house. Some professionals will add between $25 and $40 per stain to their base fee, so it's important to chat with a team before choosing the right carpet cleaner for you.