Here is how to get silly putty out of the carpet with the following tips. Because of the kids, we get to know lots of exciting toys. But to be familiar with the Silly Putty, you don’t need to be around kids. It’s very popular for so long among people of every age that almost everybody knows it. But its origin was a kind of accident. During World War II, a scientist tried to make a synthetic substitute for rubber by the American government’s order. But instead, he made this by mixing boric acid and silicone oil.
The weird texture of the liquid-solid thing was then taken by other businessmen and got the name of silly putty. The marketing of silly putty was interesting too. It was first meant for adults. But it got popularity when it became a plaything for the children. Then again, it’s now being used by adults more.
The liquid-solid silly putty is used in several ways. It was once used in space for keeping the tools in zero gravity. Several athletes use it for enhanced gripping. It’s even used in the zoo. But most commonly, it’s used as stress relief nowadays. You also can use it for cleaning dust or food particles from several places.
Despite the numerous usefulness, it’s mainly a playing toy for kids. And it’s common for kids to make messes with toys. But in the case of silly putty, the mess can be a little hard for the parents, especially if you have carpet. You can bounce silly putty, stretch it, even snap it. But when it comes in contact with carpet fibers, it loses shape. As a result, it gets stuck into the carpet and creates one of the most stubborn stains.
This stain can be bothersome as removing it can damage the fibers. Besides, it will attract more soil to make a bigger stain. But being a little smart with some guidance, you can get rid of this stain too. For that, read the methods below.
Here is How To Get Silly Putty Out Of The Carpet
Freeze the stain
Step 1: First, you need to make an ice bag. For that, take a plastic bag. A bag with an airtight lock will be the best. Pour ice cubes in it. The size of the bag and the number of cubes should be proper according to the size of the stain. But you should take two or three ice cubes more into the bar. The more ice cubes will keep the cubes solid for longer.
Step 2: Then lock the bag and put on the stain. If the bag completely covered the stain, leave it for 2-3 hours. You want that stain to freeze completely. If the ice-cubes melt at the same time, replace them with new ones.
Step 3: Once the silly putty stain is completely hardened, take a knife. The knife should be blunt. Then that breaks the stain into smaller pieces and makes sure to make pieces as small as possible. Then pull them off the carpet one by one. Do it carefully so that the fibers don’t break.
Use Detergent
Step 1: Detergent is one of the few products that can help you eliminate the stain. Take 2 teaspoons of any mild detergent. But it should not have any bleaching agents. Otherwise, the carpet might lose color in that area. Add a cup of warm water into it. Then mix it until thoroughly combined.
Step 2: Then, you need to blot the area with the mixture. For that, use a cotton ball if you don’t have cotton at home. You can use a clean cloth. Take a small piece of the cloth and make a ball of it. Then dip the ball into the detergent mix. Then dab lightly on the stain. Some loose silly putty will come off with the cloth. For the remaining, keep blotting and make sure to cover the whole area.
Step 3: After that, leave it for at least 20 minutes. mIn this time, the stain should absorb the detergent and get loose enough. After the time, use another clean towel or cloth and dab on the stain. Let the cloth absorb the detergent from the carpet. With the detergent, the stain will be absorbed.
Step 4: At last, use another clean towel to remove the remaining. Damp the towel and wipe the area carefully. After the process, the stain will be removed. If something is left, you can easily remove it by wiping it one more time.
Use Spirit
Step 1: The rubbing alcohol is also able to remove the silly putty stain. If you have that at your home, use it with a cotton ball. Saturate the cotton with the spirit and blot the stain with it. If you don’t have to rub alcohol, acetone nail polish remover will be useful.
Step 2: Make sure to cover the whole area with the spirit. Then use a knife to scrape the stain. The silly putty should start to come off. Don’t use a sharp knife. It can damage the fibers.
Step 3: If the whole stain doesn’t come off completely, then repeat the process once again. Sometimes the nail polish remover loses the intensity. That can result in the silly putty to a little hard to scrape. In that case, you can go for the freezing method with it too.
Conclusion
You can also use a stain remover to remove the silly putty stain. But the stain removers are not always able to do the job. If you use a mild one, it can’t remove the stain properly. Or if you use a remover too strong, it might damage the carpet. That’s why these methods are beneficial. Besides, the products you are using are almost always available at your home.
So follow the steps and get rid of one of the most annoying stains made by one of the most popular toys. Just make sure to dry the carpet after applying any of the methods. Hope you don’t need another silly putty to reduce stress.