How to Clean Lotion from Carpet: A Quick Guide

by | Jun 13, 2022 | Carpet Cleaning, How To

People spill lotion on their carpets all of the time, often panicking and doing their best to scrape it off before any damage is done. But how do you clean lotion from a carpet, the right way?

To start with, the quicker you clean up the spill, the better. Leaving spilled lotion on a carpet will cause it to dry and clump together, making it more difficult to clean. You can remove the lotion with a dry paper towel, spoon, or even a blunt kitchen knife – just be sure to be careful and not to damage the carpet.

Oh, and whatever you do: don’t cut the carpet or rip out the areas stained with lotion. We’re not sure why you’d do that, but we’ve seen it all.

The remainder of this blog post will explain how to clean body oil from carpet (and lotion), helping you to clean up after an accident, protecting your carpet. Because, let’s face it, nobody wants a stained carpet.

How to clean lotion out of carpet

Once you’ve removed as much lotion as you can with a paper tool or other utensils, it’s time to tackle the brunt of the spill.

Start by applying a little water to a clean cloth and dabbing the carpet gently. Don’t use a circular motion as this may ruin the pattern of your carpet and cause further damage.

Once the carpet is damp, apply a small amount of washing-up liquid and dab the area once again. It’s important not to go over the top as you may cause more damage than good. But a little washing-up liquid goes a long way in breaking up the lotion – you’ll likely see progress during this stage.

To finish, use baby wipes (or a similar product) on the carpet to remove the final bits of lotion.

When cleaning lotion, body oil, wax, cream (or other products) out of your carpet, it’s best to be gentle, treating your carpet delicately to prevent further damage.

What if the lotion won’t come out?

If after following the above steps the lotion won’t come out of the carpet, then there’s a few other things can try.

Mix a small solution (one teaspoon) of white vinegar and a small cup of water. Apply this to the carpet, dabbing the area to really work into the stains. (This step should be done only if all other attempts failed to remove the last of the lotion.)

If there is still lotion left on your carpet, then it’s time for a wet and dry clean. But we’d recommend doing these regularly anyways, however, especially after a stain or spill of lotion, body wax, or other high viscosity products.

Please note: do not try to vacuum lotion – the carpet must be cleaned and dried first.

If you have access to a wet and dry vacuum, then we recommend going over the carpet to get rid of those final stains. But if not, then you can reach out to the team at Eco Clean Texas for a proper carpet clean.

How to clean body oil from carpet

The same method applies to body oil, waxes, and other high viscosity products. Furthermore, we’d advise against the use of chemicals and other cleaning solutions. These are harsh on carpets, create strong and often harmful odors, and will damage or stain your carpet.

It’s best to keep it simple, treating your carpet with care to avoid damage that may just end up costing you a dime, or at the very least, a stain that you just can’t get rid of.

To conclude

Knowing how to clean up lotion out of a carpet is a great trick to know – you never know when you’ll knock something over, causing panic and perhaps a rash decision, such as reaching for the bleach (or other harsh chemicals) and causing more harm than good.

We also recommend regular carpet cleaning (wet and dry) to help remove any loose debris, aside from obvious spillages.

The more often you clean your carpet properly, the longer it’ll last, the better it will look, and the easier it is to maintain.

For more tips on how to clean your carpet, check out the Eco Clean Texas blog.