How to Get Kool Aid out of White Carpet Using Ammonia

5 authors | 15 revisions | Last updated: December 16, 2012

Celest Davidson, Stephen, Flickety, Zareen, Nicole WillsonPin ItArticle EditDiscuss

The feeling of horror seeing red, orange or grape Kool Aid strewn across your white carpet is matched only by the despair that you may never actually remove the stain. And while some carpet cleaners may loosen the color, many will not fully remove the sugary drink mix from your carpet. But wait, don't give up just yet! The following very very simple solution has been proven to be one of the most effective ways to restoring your carpet to its original state.

Edit Steps1Sop up the excess Kool Aid as soon as possible. The minute the drink hits your carpet, grab a white towel to soak up as much as possible.Apply pressure with a dry, white towel to the area. Don’t rub (never rub a carpet), but instead firmly blot the area until you’ve absorbed as much Kool Aid as possible.

Dab the area with a clean, wet cloth. Dilute the Kool Aid with clean warm water by rinsing a clean white cloth under the water, wringing it out and then applying pressure on the area. You may absorb more Kool Aid in the process.

2Combine equal parts of ammonia and water in a bucket. Perform this task as quickly as possible, as you will want to get the solution on the carpet immediately.

If you don’t have ammonia, using window cleaning solution can be a decent substitute. However, make sure you use window cleaning solution that is clear and not blue (the blue coloring could discolor the carpet).

Stir carefully to ensure the mixture is fully combined (use a wooden spoon or rod).

3Soak the stain with the cleaning solution. Avoid over soaking, as this can lead to either the solution or the stain bleeding onto other areas of the carpet.Pour a little amount of solution onto the stain at a time. This lets you control how much is dispensed on the stain. If the stain is large, consider pouring the solution in stages by fully soaking one area and then moving onto the next.

Don’t over-pour the solution so that you have too much cleaning fluid on the carpet and need to soak up more fluid than Kool Aid. This will only create a bigger mess.

4Fire up your iron. You will be placing a white towel (preferably not a good one) over the stain and then using the heat from the iron to transfer the stain to the towel.Dial the iron to its hottest setting. Use the setting designated for cotton clothing.

Consider adding some steam to the process. For extra stubborn Kool Aid stains, adding steam while ironing the stain may help lift them onto the towel.

5Place a clean, white towel over the ammonia/water soaked stain and apply the iron. Make sure the iron is very hot before attempting this step.Press the iron down onto the towel and hold it in place for approximately 10 seconds. You should hear a sizzling sound, which means the liquid is being absorbed by the towel.

Move the iron to the next area and repeat the motion until you’ve traveled around the entire stain.

Repeat the entire process until the stain has lifted. You may need to make several passes over the stain until it fully lifts.

Allow to dry before walking on the area just cleaned.

Edit TipsIf the stain isn’t removed after three passes with the iron, re-soak the carpet with the ammonia solution and repeat the ironing process.If the iron sticks to the towel, wait a few seconds and then move the iron over the towel. The process will be become smoother after more liquid is absorbed.Train all Kool Aid drinking householders to react immediately to Kool Aid spills on the carpet or to at least alert someone able to deal with the problem as soon as it happens. The sooner it is dealt with, the sooner your carpet will survive.You can also try an oxiclean type product or hydrogen peroxide.

Edit WarningsDon’t leave the iron unattended or push it into the carpet. This could cause the iron to burn through the towel and scorch your carpet.Ventilate the area well while cleaning; open a window, let air flow through.Train your kids to eat and drink at the kitchen table. It not only prevents carpet stains, it may decrease their odds of becoming overweight. [citation needed]

Edit Things You'll NeedContainerAmmonia and water in equal parts (distilled water can be a good choice but isn't essential)IronWhite towelGloves for your handsWhite cleaning cloths

Edit Related wikiHowsHow to Remove Kool Aid from SkinHow to Stop Carpet Stains from ResurfacingHow to Clean Ink Stains out of CarpetArticle Info Featured Article

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