How to Clean Play-Doh Out of Carpet

For decades, Play-Doh has been a beloved staple of most children's toy closets. It's simple, colorful and fun for the imagination. Play-Doh's only drawback is that it's difficult to clean out of carpet--and there most likely will be a time when a parent discovers it ground in unfortunately well. Not sure what to do about it? Removing Play-Doh from the carpet is tricky and time-consuming, but it can be done.

Difficulty: Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Razor blade or credit card
• Comb or fork
• Vacuum
• Dish soap
• Cloth

1. Remove as much of the Play-Doh as possible as soon as you discover the mess--if it's still soft. Use a razor blade or the edge of a credit card to work it out, but be careful not to grind it deeper into the carpet.

2. Let the remaining Play-Doh dry on the carpet. It's easier to remove once it has hardened. Play-Doh doesn't take long to dry, so leaving it overnight should be sufficient.

3. Use a comb, fork or similar "tool" to work through the Play-Doh and break it into pieces. Use an upward motion to loosen it from the carpet. This step can be tedious; be patient and keep working at it.

4. Vacuum to remove all the excess Play-Doh you loosened in Step 3. There will most likely still be some Play-Doh left in the carpet, but now you'll have a smaller area to concentrate on. You probably will have to repeat steps 3 and 4 a few times before your carpet is free of Play-Doh.

5. Wash out any remaining stains or small pieces of Play-Doh using gentle dish soap--which is safe for most carpets--and a cloth. Dampen the cloth, work in a little bit of the soap and blot the area on the carpet. Press down on the cloth to remove the stain and particles rather than scrub it, which could damage your carpet and push any remaining Play-Doh farther down. Then add a little water to the area to rinse the soap and pat dry.

6. Consider hiring a professional carpet cleaner if you can't get the Play-Doh out or if it has left any stains.

Tips & Warnings

• Encourage your child to keep Play-Doh away from carpets by purchasing a fun plastic place mat for him to play with it on.
• Don't try to loosen the Play-Doh by adding water to it--this will just make it messier and sticky.