How to Get Tar Off Carpets and Rugs

Tar tracked on carpet CAN be removed!

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• scraping device (putty knife, hard spatula, etc)
• WD-40, or rubbing alcohol

1. First, remove as much tar as you can from carpet (or rug) with your putty knife. Try not to spread it around as best you can! Before starting the next step, make sure you ventilate your area as well as you can.

2. Put down a small amount of WD-40 or rubbing alcohol on tar. Don't use too much because it may damage carpet pad and flooring under carpet. Start wiping up tar with a clean white cloth. Repeat until tar is gone. Do one final wipe up with just some water and a clean white cloth. Let carpet dry.

3. You may have some staining or discoloration on carpet. Try using a cleaner, like Resolve, on stain. You may end up with discolored carpet in the area -- however it will probably look better than the tar!

4. We used this method to get tracked in tar off of white berber carpet and it worked like a charm!

Tips & Warnings

• You could also try contacting a professional carpet cleaner if you prefer.
• Testing an inconspicuous area of carpet is always a good idea!
• Use safety glasses and wear gloves.