What happens when you spill Silly Putty on the carpet? Can it be removed and if so, how? We’ll answer these questions and more in this article.
What is silly putty? It’s a brand name of a material that was created by accident but has been used for many years to entertain kids and adults. It’s a polymer that is made from silicone, boric acid and several other ingredients.
It stretches like rubber does but is much more difficult to break. It bounces and can be molded into shapes with your hands. It even has magnetic properties! In addition, there are silly putty kits that allow you to build things like bridges and towers out of silly putty.
Removing silly putty from carpet is a tedious undertaking. If you try to remove it before it dries, it will just smear around the area and make a bigger mess. Silly putty also leaves a stain on the carpet that is difficult to get rid of. However, there are several methods you can use to remove silly putty once it has dried.
Here are some methods you can try, if you were wondering how to get Silly Putty out of carpet:
Get silly putty out of carpet with knife and paintbrush.
If the silly putty is still soft, scrape it off immediately with a knife. Don’t use your fingers to remove sticky substances from your carpet because you could transfer the substance back onto the carpeting.
If the silly putty is dry, carefully use a paintbrush to remove it from the carpet. It might take some elbow grease and time but gently brushing up against the silly putty will cause it to lift off of your carpet fibers.
A vacuum cleaner will take care of most of what’s leftover. It won’t get rid of all of it, but it will help get rid of most of it and leave your carpet looking its best again. Some vacuum cleaners have blower attachments that you can use to blow away the remaining pieces of silly putty rather than sucking them up.
Get silly putty out of carpet with vinegar.
The best way to remove Silly Putty from carpet is with a product that contains acid, such as vinegar. The acid in the vinegar helps break down the components of the silly putty, making it easier to remove.
The first step in removing silly putty from carpet is to scrape off as much as possible with a dull knife. Use a dull knife because if you use a sharp knife, you’ll risk cutting and damaging your carpet fibers.
Then pour a small amount of vinegar on the area with silly putty and allow it to sit for 10 minutes or so. Blot up excess moisture with a paper towel and then try scraping up the remaining silly putty with a dull knife before washing it away with soap and water.
Get silly putty out of carpet with WD-40.
The best way to remove Silly Putty from the carpet is to use WD-40. Spray a generous amount of WD-40 onto the spot where the Silly Putty is located, then rub it into the carpet with an old toothbrush.
Wait for 20 minutes to let the WD-40 soak into the carpet and dissolve the Silly Putty.
Towel off excess WD-40, then use a clean toothbrush to gently scrub out any remaining residue. Blot with a clean towel, and vacuum up any loose pieces of Silly Putty. If there are still marks left on your carpet after this process, repeat as necessary until all of the residues are removed.
Remember that you can also use WD-40 on fabric or clothing that has become stained by silly putty. Just spray a small amount directly onto the stain and rub it in before washing as normal.
Get silly putty out of carpet with ice.
Ice cubes are one of the best tools for removing silly putty from carpeting and clothing. This works best on hardwood floors, but can work on carpet if you’re careful not to let it melt into the fibers.
Applying the ice cubes directly to the silly putty works best, as long as it doesn’t get too cold and freeze your skin. If you want to avoid getting cold while you’re removing the silly putty, you can use a sock or cloth instead of your hand.
Apply the mass of frozen cubes directly to the silly putty covering your carpeting or clothing.
Once the ice cubes have melted, use a broom to remove them from the carpet. The melted ice cubes should serve as an effective solvent for the silly putty and will make the removal.
Wipe up excess Silly Putty as soon as possible with a clean cloth or paper towel. The sooner you remove it, the better chance you have at removing it from your carpeting successfully.
If the silly putty is dry, scrape it off with a dull knife (be careful not to damage the carpeting). If the silly putty is wet use paper towels to blot up as much of the goo as possible. Then vacuum up any remaining pieces
Get silly putty out of carpet with hot water and soap.
Try to remove as much of the silly putty as possible before cleaning it up. The more you can remove, the less is left for the cleaning process. You can try to use a blunt tool like an old spoon or other similar items to scoop out as much of it as possible from the carpet. If there are still traces of silly putty left on your carpet after trying this method, then proceed to step
Put a small amount of hair conditioner into a spray bottle and then add water until you have a wet mixture that resembles lotion. Lightly spray the mixture over the putty and let it sit for five minutes or so before removing it with a plastic comb or something similar.
Scrape away the remaining residue with a dull butter knife or spoon. If this method fails, you can use hot water instead of cold to soften more stubborn stains before attempting to remove them with a butter knife or spoon.
Get silly putty out of carpet with salt.
Sprinkle salt onto the spot and allow it to sit for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the salt with a hard plastic scrubbing brush or broom and repeat until the silly putty is gone. The salt will draw out the oils in the silly putty and help loosen its hold on the carpet fibers. When you’re finished, vacuum up any remaining residue to restore your carpet’s appearance.
Get silly putty out of carpet with nail polish remover.
The best thing to use for almost any stain is nail polish remover. You can buy this at the drugstore or you can use pure acetone (the solvent used in nail polish), which you can get at hardware stores where they sell paints and thinners. (Make sure it’s 100 percent pure acetone.)
Simply pour a little bit of nail polish remover onto a cotton ball, blot the stain and then blot until it’s gone. Repeat if necessary. If there are any deep-set stains, go over them again with more nail polish remover. Nail polish remover should also be safe to use on leather furniture.
If you don’t have nail polish remover around, rubbing alcohol works as well as acetone at dissolving sticky substances and will leave the fabric intact.
Conclusion.
Silly putty is a fun toy for kids, but it can be a nightmare for parents when the substance gets stuck to carpets and clothing. Silly putty is sticky enough to cling to carpets and other fabrics, particularly if it is left in one place for an extended time. The material can be challenging to remove, as well. Now, you’ve learned how to remove Silly Putty from carpet with these methods.
