How to Get Play Dough Out of Carpet

Play dough is a staple in most children's lives. It's a good idea to let a child play with it on a surface you can clean easily. If your little one gets play dough in your carpet, it can be difficult to remove.

Things You'll Need

• White paper towels
• Clean white cloth
• Rubbing alcohol
• Dull knife or credit card
• Liquid hand dish washing detergent
• Tap water
• Spray bottle
• 3 percent hydrogen peroxide
• Brick

Instructions

1. Remove as much play dough from the carpet as possible by blotting it with a paper towel or scraping it up with a credit card or dull knife.

2. Use rubbing alcohol applied to a clean white cloth to blot the spot until it comes up. Avoid letting the alcohol soak into the carpet, since it may destroy the latex backing. If the play dough is on the surface of the carpet, gently in one direction to try to remove it but don't rub in a circular motion or you may ruin the pile.

3. Mix 1/4 tsp. of hand dish washing detergent with 1 quart of water if the rubbing alcohol doesn't work. Don't use a detergent that contains lanolin or bleach. Blot the spot until you've removed the play dough.

4. Use a spray bottle to rinse the area with tap water. Spray the area and then blot with a clean paper towel.

5. Spray the area again with tap water, cover with several layers of paper towels, place a brick on top and leave it to dry.

6. Check the area after it has dried. If some stain remains, use 3 percent hydrogen peroxide to moisten the tufts of carpet. Wait for 1 hour, blot and repeat if necessary until you've removed the stain. Place the layers of paper towels and brick again and allow it to dry.

Tips & Warnings

• Always read the manufacturers cleaning and care instructions before applying any cleaning products to your carpet.

• Test a small obscure area with a cleaning agent to make sure it won't cause damage.