How to Get Honey Out of Carpet in 3 Ways
Author: Anne Cowart | Editor: Omar Alonso
Review & Research: Jen Worst & Chris Miller
The problem of spilled honey is twice as difficult when it comes to carpets and synthetic materials. If you follow the right tricks regarding how to get honey out of carpet, though, it's possible to eliminate the stain without much hassle.
As we all know, honey is made of different kinds of sugar. While every bit of those sugars makes honey super tasty, thick, sticky, and more delightful to your tongue, it also adds to the challenge of cleaning it up when it's spilled.
One thing is for sure; honey can never be removed from a rug with regular detergent solutions. We have to think more carefully. To help you out, we've gathered all the information you need. So, let's dig deeper and learn everything so you can feel more comfortable about eating and storing honey for the long haul.
Easy Methods for Getting Honey Out of Carpet
If you try these practical methods, even the stickiest substance, like honey, can come off your rug or carpet. It doesn't create a lasting stain, where you'd struggle trying to get something like a tar stain off your carpet, though it's possible. So relax and let's check out these quick methods for how to remove honey from carpet.
Method 1: Lemon & Water
Before we use our time on something complex, let's try a straightforward, quick method first and see if that can remove the honey.
Deal With the Excess Honey
Start with scraping off the excess honey. You can use a dull butter knife for that, but we think using a spoon is safer.
Create the Magic Solution
A solution made with lukewarm water, hand dishwashing liquid detergent, and a few lemon drop work like magic! And you can use a spray bottle or bowl to make the solution.
Treating the Affected Area
It would be best if you used a bowl to prepare the mixture. In that case, dip a clean white cloth into the solution and use that cloth to sponge the affected area. Keep gently rubbing the stained carpet until you get it all off.
If you're using a spray bottle, spray the liquid on the stain before rubbing. Use a decent amount of solution, and make the area damp enough to ease the rubbing session.
Absorb the Excess Solution
After eliminating the stain, you have to make sure that you've absorbed all the solution from the carpet. When you're done, rinse the carpet and let it dry properly.
Note: Use a blow dryer to hasten the process. Otherwise, the dampness might damage your carpet. Moreover, lemon drops will cause an acidic reaction to the mat, so leaving the solution on the carpet for too long isn't a good idea.
Method 2: Ammonia
Honey might not seem likely to create any tough stains, but if you do not treat the honey spill immediately, it will leave a visible stain for sure. So how would you treat that tough stain? Follow this easy solution using ammonia as an answer to how to get honey out of carpet:
Tips on Preparing the Mixture
Mix two tablespoons of ammonia with two cups of warm water. Be careful not to mix ammonia that contains bleach. It's a matter of seconds before bleach burns your carpet since ammonia and bleach create a chemical reaction that releases toxic gas.
Dab & Sponge
Now, dip a sponge or cloth into the ammonia mixture and sponge the stained area of the rug. Before you start to sponge or rub, dab the stain for a few moments with the damp cloth. But don't be too harsh; gently rubbing and scrubbing would be enough to remove the stain.
Dry the Area
Once the stain is off, soak the area with a dry cloth. Ensure that there's no ammonia mixture left on the fabric. Remember, the leftover can damage the carpet fibers and allow mold to grow underneath.
Method 3: Household Remedies
When commercial products come to no use, household ingredients set off to the rescue. A bunch of usual ingredients can clean the honey stains from your carpet. Let's go through the steps.
Mix it All Up
Just get a spray bottle and fill that with a cup of white vinegar, two tablespoons of baking soda, and warm water. Shake the bottle properly to mix all the ingredients well. Keep these ingredients around because they work to get syrup off carpet as well.
Applying to the Stain
Spray the mixture on the stain and let it sit for 10-15 minutes. Baking soda or white vinegar is safe and contains no harmful substances. So the mixture won't damage the rug fibers during those minutes.
Now, use a soft brush and scrub the area gently; you'll see the stain coming off quickly. Lastly, wipe the spot with a dry cloth to soak the dampness, and your job is done. That's how to clean honey stains from carpet!
What Should You Use to Dissolve Honey?
When you discover honey drops on your carpet, you should be working on dissolving the honey first. Otherwise, the dried honey will leave a tough stain on the mat. Cold water is the best way to break down honey on fabric.
So, flush the affected area with cold water as soon as possible. And the honey will start to dissolve, and as a result, you'll be able to remove that stain effortlessly. However, the cold water might not let the honey put a color on the rug in the first place.
How Do You Remove Dried Honey?
Dried honey has to be the most challenging thing to remove, especially from synthetic fabric. But hopefully, this method can get you out of the hassle. Just check out these steps:
- Soak a fabric or kitchen cloth in boiling water.
- Lay the cloth on the dried honey; that will help the honey to melt quickly.
- Use a spoon to remove the melted honey.
- Get some dryer sheets and clean the area as the final cleaning touch.
If the boiling water doesn’t work as well as you’d like, you can very carefully use an iron over the cloth as well to add more heat.
What is the Easiest Way to Remove Honey From Carpet?
Spills and drops occur mostly when you're in a hurry. To tackle the situation, you need a solution that is quick, efficient, and effortless. The perfect match for such a situation would be dryer sheets!
Dryer sheets surprisingly work very well to clean honey from a carpet or fabric. After removing the excess honey, wipe the area with a dryer sheet, and it will get most of the honey out of your carpet by soaking into its absorbent design.
Keep in mind that these wipes aren't that good at eliminating stains, but they can get most of the residue out so a stain becomes a minimal issue that you can easily rectify next.
Can You Clean Honey with Vinegar?
As you might know, vinegar is one of the most helpful household ingredients that can remove stains. It works well with honey stains as well. But for vinegar to work on the honey stain, you need to dilute the vinegar with warm water and liquid detergent. But you can use baking soda instead of detergent as well.
All you have to do is remove the excess honey, drench a sponge with the solution made with vinegar and detergent, and rub the spot with that cloth until the stain comes off. Remember to absorb the excess vinegar with a dry cloth at the end of the process.
Do Honey Spills Damage Carpets?
While honey is the most blissful treat to your sweet tooth, it can become a great threat to your carpet. If the honey spill isn't cleaned up right away, it will make the rug fibers clump together. Your carpet will attract ants and other insects.
Honey can also put an ugly stain on your carpet. If you don't take measures against these, sooner or later, your favorite mat will start growing mold and mildew. So it's better to clean off the honey spills quickly without any delay. We've supplied several methods for how to clean spilled honey from carpet above.
Can You Use Commercial Products to Remove Honey From Carpet?
Using commercial cleansing products on your carpet is a bit risky. Moreover, when accidental spills occur, we don't get much time to find the right commercial item. In such situations, household items turn out to be very reasonable.
Some cleansing solution even contains bleach, and obviously, that is the last thing someone would apply on their carpet. However, you can use eco-friendly and non-toxic liquids from leading brands though. Otherwise, using cheap local products is off the table.
What Household Items Can Clean Spilled Honey From Carpet?
You can't even imagine how efficiently simple ingredients can work on stains. Even experts suggest household items over professional tools to deal with stains. And our mentioned methods above highly depended on household items. Well, some of these products include:
White Vinegar
This is one of the most useful things you can find in your kitchen closet. Diluting white vinegar with warm water or baking soda makes it better than any other cleanser available on the market.
Baking Soda
Readily available in every kitchen, baking soda, along with soap or detergent, works as a great stain remover. And guess what? It doesn't damage the rug fibers at all.
Lemon
Do we even have to elaborate? Lemon drops work like magic on stains. Honey stains will vanish in seconds with the touch of a few lemon drops.
Hydrogen Peroxide
Another fast solution to stain issues is hydrogen peroxide. It helps dried honey melt faster as well. If your honey spill has dried on your carpet, consider this option.
That's How to Get Honey Out of Carpet!
Honey is incredibly sticky due to being largely made out of sugar. The water inside of it combines with the sugar and does something called hydrogen bonding which is what creates the stickiness. We've had it on our hands and we know the last place we want it is on the carpet.
No one wants even a drop of sticky honey to spread over their expensive carpet, but who can anticipate mishaps? It's better that you learn how to get honey out of carpet so that you can deal with any potential honey spill threat. And we've mentioned a bunch of ways. So, you are free to pick whichever you want but must work on the spill as soon as you can. Otherwise, the honey might dry out, and you'll be in a big mess.