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A fireplace provides the warmth we need during the cold. But sadly, the flames can leave unsightly soot marks on your carpet. Soot stains can be stubborn, and the longer they sit, the harder they become to remove.
If you’ve recently discovered soot marks on your carpet, make sure to read this blog right up to the end. Here, we will walk you through a step-by-step method to get soot out of the carpet using household ingredients and tools and thus, leave it fresh and clean again.
Table of Contents
Five Essential Steps to Remove Soot from Your Carpet
Scrape Off Excess Soot
First of all, examine your carpet thoroughly. Soot consists of tiny particles that easily embed themselves into the fibers. If you try to vacuum or brush the soot straight away, you could push these particles much deeper into the carpet.
As a result, this can make the stain much harder to remove. So grab a spoon or kitchen knife, pick up the loose particles, and throw them into the bin.
Scatter Baking Soda or Cornstarch
The next step is to sprinkle either baking soda or cornstarch over the soot stains on your carpet. Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) and cornstarch are both absorbent materials. They have a large surface area with tiny pores that trap and hold other substances.
So when you sprinkle them on the soot stain, they come in contact with the soot particles and bind them firmly. This helps you effectively lift soot from the fibers. Therefore, sprinkle them all over the soot marks and let them sit for an hour, or best, overnight (if the staining is just too bad).
Vacuum The Carpet
The third step is to get your vacuum cleaner and start removing the baking soda/cornstarch particles and the soot as well. Turn on your vacuum to a high setting and vacuum the carpet thoroughly. As you move the machine back and forth, you’ll notice the soot gradually coming out of the carpet.
Apply Rubbing Alcohol or Hydrogen Peroxide
Even after vacuuming, you might notice slight, blackish lines (leftover soot) on your carpet. But there’s nothing to despair about, as the job is far from done.
Rubbing alcohol and hydrogen peroxide both work as solvents. To put it more simply, they melt the sooty particles and make them easier to remove from the fibers. What’s more, is that rubbing alcohol also has degreasing effects.
Soot can sometimes leave a greasy residue. So rubbing alcohol, being a good degreaser, cuts these oily pieces and allows you to effectively get soot out of the carpet.
Thus, soak a clean cloth in rubbing alcohol and start blotting the stain gently. Keep blotting until no more black spots appear. If you are using hydrogen peroxide, just ensure you dilute it. Mix one tablespoon of hydrogen peroxide and three tablespoons of water in a spray bottle. Dampen a clean cloth with this solution and start blotting the stain.
Caution: Before using hydrogen peroxide, always test its reliability by testing it on a hidden part of the carpet first. Avoiding this step is one of the major mistakes in carpet cleaning homeowners often end up making.
This is particularly true in the case of hydrogen peroxide, as it often causes discoloration. And if your carpet is vibrant, you would certainly want to avoid using it.
Leave the Carpet to Air Dry
After applying the solution, dampen another clean cloth with plain warm water and blot dry the cleaned areas. Then, allow the carpet to air dry completely. Open all doors and windows in your home and let natural air move around and serve your purpose.
To speed up the process, you can turn on your dehumidifiers or place table fans near the carpet.
The Takeaway
Appearing as black or gray smudges, soot stains are tiny particles that, with time, can settle deep into your carpets and stain them beyond repair. But the good thing is that you can effectively get soot out of the carpet with the right approach.
All you have to do is use the proper cleaning solutions and tools at each step to remove the soot from your carpet like a pro and restore its lost glory.
