How to Get Chocolate Stains Out of Carpet

Chocolate can cause terrible stains on carpeting.

Chocolate is a delicious treat, but it's not so enjoyable when you're removing it from your carpet. Chocolate stains are unique in that you have the natural brown pigment from the chocolate and the natural oil from the cocoa beans and other ingredients both working together as staining agents. It's possible to remove chocolate stains from your carpeting using supplies you likely have at home. Tend to chocolate stains carefully to ensure they are fully removed and not spread further.

Things You'll Need

• Spoon
• Trash bag
• Paper towels
• Measuring spoons
• Measuring cup
• Bowl
• Clear dish washing liquid
• Cleaning cloths
• Ammonia
• White vinegar

Instructions

1. Remove as much of the chocolate stain substance as possible with a spoon. Dispose of the chocolate substance in a trash bag and throw it away.

2. Place a layer of paper towels over the chocolate stain and blot with your hands to remove as much stain moisture or liquid as you can. Toss out soiled paper towels and continue to blot with clean paper towels until there's no further transfer of chocolate to the paper towels.

3. Mix 1/4 tsp. clear dish washing liquid with 1 cup of cool water in a bowl. Dip a clean cloth in the soapy solution and wring out the excess liquid. Dab at the chocolate stain, starting at the outside of the stain and working your way in.

4. Rinse the cloth and dip it in the soap suds again. Continue to blot as the chocolate stain in your carpet lightens.

5. Saturate a clean cloth with plain water and use that to rinse the detergent from your carpet fibers. Blot at the carpeting, rinse the cloth again, and blot some more to remove the soap.

6. 

   Use white cleaning cloths so you can see how much stain you've removed.

   Combine 2 tbsp. ammonia with 1 cup lukewarm water in a bowl. Apply the ammonia solution to your carpet where the chocolate stain is by blotting the ammonia solution onto the carpet with a clean cloth. Alternate blotting the ammonia onto the carpet with wicking the ammonia solution up with a clean, dry cloth.

7. Neutralize the ammonia in the carpet and remove any remnants of chocolate stain by mixing 1 cup white vinegar with 2 cups water and dabbing the diluted vinegar onto the carpeting. Blot the entire area, then remove as much of the liquid as possible by pressing a clean, dry cloth onto the carpeting.

8. Allow your carpeting to air-dry completely.

Tips & Warnings

• Remove chocolate substance from carpeting by hardening it first with ice, then scraping it out with a knife.

• Avoid scrubbing the chocolate stain so you don't spread it.

References

• Solutions 3M: Carpet Stain Removal: Greasy Oil-Based Stains
• Mrs. Clean USA: Chocolate Stain Removal
• Pioneer Thinking: Stain Remover Guide A-C