What's the easiest and fastest way to remove laundry detergent from my carpet?

Question

My son spilled about a gallon of laundry detergent on my living room carpet. I have already started to soak it up but it's taking forever and I seem to be getting nowhere fast. Any help would be appreciated. Another question...will this cause any kind of long-term damage to my carpet?

Answer 1

Do you have an electric carpet cleaner or a wet/dry vac?

Try soaking up the detergent without adding carpet cleaning solution to the machine

Answer 2

I broke a gallon bottle of liquid laundry soap on my carpet a few years back, I had pretty good sucess getting it out by pouring a gallon of vinegar on top of it and working it in with a scrub brush, and vacuuming it up with a wet and dry shop vac. it took several gallons of vinegar, but it helps break down the soap. once you get all the soap out, add some fab softner to water, it will soften the rug, where the soap will make it stiff. once this is done, rent a rug dr and clean the spot to remove all the excess water and place a fan to blow on the area for several days, so the pad under the carpet gets dry completely.

Answer 3

I had a bottle leak in a room I was using as a storeroom. It took days to clean up the soap and the rug is now lighter where the spill was. I rented a carpet shampooer but the amount of soap kept overwhelming it.

Answer 4

I don't think it will cause long-term damage. But you might be better off using a carpet shampooer/extractor. Only you don't want to use the shampoo, just lots of water.

Good luck!

Answer 5

Maybe you could run a carpet shampooer over it now. When my mom used to spill soap on her floor, she decided that would be a good time to mop it.

Answer 6

Just keep doing what you are doing. Use plain warm water and wet the area (don't drench it) and keep dabbing it up as it comes. It will probably take you a while though so be patient, it's just soap so it will eventually come out.