Playdough can serve as a source of entertainment for kids, allowing them to get as creative and crafty but it is not all fun for you as the parent. This is because playdough can become stuck to your carpet creating a big mess that isn’t that easy to get rid of.
But do not panic! This article will show you how to get dried playdough out of carpet quickly and easily, without causing any damage to your carpet!
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How to Get Dried Playdough Out Of Carpet
Table of Contents
Use New Playdough to Pull Up Old and Stuck Ones
The first method to try when you want to remove playdough that has been stuck to your carpet is to use soft playdough to pick up pieces of clay that are stuck.
Playdough sticks to playdough, so just dab the area that it is covered with the playdough, do not rub or push the playdough down too hard as it will only push it further into your carpet, you don’t want that, so make sure to be as gentle as possible.
White playdough is best suited for this procedure but any other color will do. When removing the playdough, remember to use your hands to pull the carpet fibers apart so you can reach any pieces that have been deeply embedded.
The playdough will not be reusable after this as it will pick up dust, lint, dog hair, and different types of contaminants you definitely don’t in your play dough.
Read: How to make carpet fluffy again
Allow the Playdough to Dry Completely
After removing as much soft playdough that you can, allow the playdough that is left behind to dry completely, and that may take up to two days. This is to allow all the moisture to dry out from the playdough.
Do not be tempted to add water or liquid cleaners to your playdough, that will only create a bigger mess and make the playdough take a longer time to dry.
The playdough needs to be allowed to dry, so it becomes harder and then it is easy to remove. Keep off any heat source from your playdough to prevent it from melting further into your carpet, that’s the last thing you want.
If the playdough happens to be stuck on an area that receives high traffic such as a hallway, you can place an empty cardboard box over the stain to keep people from accidentally stepping on the playdough, which causes it to be pushed further into the carpet making it harder to remove.
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Freeze the Playdough
If you don’t want to wait for too long for your playdough to dry completely you can try freezing it instead. Freeze the playdough using a can of compressed air, held at 2-3 inches away from the carpet.
Coat the playdough stain with compressed air and allow it to sit for 10-15 seconds. The playdough should become frosted over and frozen.
Freezing the playdough is a great alternative and will allow you to achieve the same hardening effect without having to wait for too long. However, not everyone has a can of compressed air handy so it’s not the first choice for most people. You can purchase cans of cold air at most auto parts stores.
When using the can of compressed air, do so carefully and ensure to keep your fingers far away from the cold air as you spray. The compressed air can cause freezer burn if it accidentally comes in contact with your skin as it is extremely cold. Also, keep pets and kids off the working area.
Break Dried Playdough Into Pieces
Once the playdough is completely dried, use a stiff brush, putty knife, bristle brush, or the edge of a metal spoon to break it up into smaller pieces.
First, rub your hand back and forth over the area to break up some of the dried playdough and also loosen the playdough’s drip on the carpet fibers
Vacuum the Floor
After breaking up the dried playdough into small bits on the floor, you can clean up the area using a vacuum. Before using a vacuum to clean up playdough make sure it has completely dried and broken up. Do not use your vacuum to clean up soft playdough.
Make use of the attachment hose when using the vacuum cleaner to reduce the risk of pushing any bits of the playdough further into the carpet. You can also use a brush attachment for this.
Continue to break up more dried playdough until all the dried playdough has been broken up and removed.
Read: How to get slime out of carpet
Blot Out Discoloration
After successfully removing all the dried pieces of playdough and have vacuumed them up, you might be left with some discoloration on your carpet afterward.
So you need to deal with the discoloration, this you can do by blotting by the area with soap and cold water. Use cold water because hot water will cause the stain to set further into your carpet.
However, do not over-saturate the carpet with water and pat the area dry with a white cloth when you’ve successfully removed the stain.
Read: How to dye carpet perfectly
Treat Tough Playdough Stains
Sometimes, you may implement different techniques without success and the playdough stain remains stuck on the carpet. If the stain persists after cleaning it with soap and water, use a bit of rubbing alcohol on a clean, white dish cloth to blot the stain.
Avoid soaking the cloth with too much alcohol, but simply keep it damp. You do not want to drench your carpet with rubbing alcohol.
Using a white cloth will help to detect when it absorbs any color from the stain. To remove the stain further, you can rinse the area with diluted white vinegar. To create the rinsing solution, dilute one part vinegar with four parts of cool water.
If you have white carpets you can use hydrogen peroxide instead to remove the stain but it is not recommended if you have little kids or pets in your home.
To use hydrogen peroxide to remove playdough stain on your carpet, saturate a paper towel with the solution and blot the area gently until you completely remove the residue.
Do this with caution to avoid bleaching your carpets which can ruin their color or patterns.
Read: How to bleach carpet
Dry Your Carpet
After removing the playdough stain you need to dry your carpet. Cover the affected spot with paper towels or a regular towel and add pressure, pressing the towel down to dry the carpet.
The towels should soak up all the water and leave your carpet dry. You can place a heavy book or block on top of the towels and allow them to sit for a couple of hours to enable them to soak up most of the water.
You can use a hairdryer to hasten the drying process. Turn on your hairdryer to its lowest setting and place it over the wet spot, until the water dries up. You can use your hand to test for dryness on the carpet as you use the hairdryer.
Only use this drying method when you’ve completely removed the playdough otherwise you would only be creating a bigger playdough stain on the carpet.
You can use a desk fan to dry your carpet if you don’t have a hairdryer. Place a desk fan next to the recently cleaned area and position it in a way that the air blows directly over the wet area of the carpet.
You can use an extension cord to get the fan as close as possible to the wet spot. The closer the fan to the wet area, the quicker the drying will be.
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Conclusion
The joy of every parent is to see their kids being able to express their selves in their own way, sometimes that way may leave you looking for ways on how to get dried playdough out of carpet on the internet, but you’ve to admit it’s worth it.