6 Tested Tips on How to Remove Blu Tack from Carpets

Flickr / by Tim Walker / Blu Tack Cube (cropped) / CC BY 2.0

Blu tack is great, no doubt about it. This squishy substance is great for mounting a picture on the wall without any nails and for balancing that vintage table you got on sale. It can also keep your toddler occupied while sparkling his interest in arts.

But blu tack, trodden in your nice clean carpet, is not so great.

Now you are probably wondering how and whether it is possible to clean it at all. The answer is yes, you can, but not without investing some time and effort.

Here you’ll learn how to remove blu tack stains from your textile floor covering and bring back the fresh look of your item.

How to remove blu tack from your lovely carpet

Ironically, blu tack was invented by accident, now causing furniture and carpet accidents every day. But this doesn’t mean that blu tack mishaps can’t be fixed. Let’s see how it’s done:

Method #1 – Using heat

This is probably the best way to remove blu tack from carpets in terms of efficiency. Here is how you can take the blob off your rug using heat:

• Heat the affected area with a hair dryer set on high for 1-2 minutes  Hold the dryer at least 6” (15 cm) away from the carpet to avoid melting of fibres.
• Pick up as much of the blu tack residue as possible using a reusable plastic bag or sandwich bag.
• Reheat the stained area multiple times and collect anything that comes off.
• If you have any medication for muscle relief, carefully apply some over the blu tack. It will break the chemical bond with the carpet so you can remove it easier.
• Make a solution using 1 teaspoon of washing-up liquid and 1 cup of warm water. Dampen a white towel with the mixture and gently blot the carpet until there is no blu tack residue left.

Method #2 – Using eucalyptus oil

Here is how you can remove sticky tack from your favourite carpet using eucalyptus oil:

• Use only pure essential oil, as the ones which have synthetic ingredients tend to stain and even discolour carpets and fabric.
• Pour a few drops of pure eucalyptus oil over the stained area.
• Agitate the fibres of the carpet using a stiff brush to loosen the blu tack blob. Brush towards the centre of the spot to prevent spreading the stain further.
• To remove the oil residue, apply a small amount of vinegar and soda bicarbonate over the affected zone. Let it sit for 10-12 minutes and dry with a clean cloth.
• Vacuum thoroughly to remove any excess soda from the surface.

Method #3 – Using vinegar

To clean blu tack off your carpet using vinegar, do the following:

• Grab some white vinegar and heat it up a bit in the microwave.
• Pour the warm vinegar over the blu tack stain and leave it for a couple of minutes.
• Scrape off the residue using a blunt knife or a plastic scraper tool.
• Dry the surface with a clean cloth and vacuum the spot to lift fibres up.

Method #4 – Using vegetable oil

Here is how you can remove blu tack stains from carpet using vegetable oil:

• Dampen a cotton bud in vegetable oil and gently rub it over the blu tack stain.
• Use a blunt knife or plastic spatula to scrape off the blob from the carpet.
• To remove the oil residue, rinse the area you worked on with washing up liquid.

Method #5 – Using more blu tack

Wait, what? Yes, you’ve read that right. It is not stupid if it works, right? Here is how to remove blu tack from carpets using more of it:

• Grab a damp cloth and wash the stained area.
• Dry the blu tack, trodden in the carpet.
• Take a new chunk of blu tack and gently rub it towards the blob stuck in fibres until they start bonding.
• The two blu tack piles will stick to each other, making it easier to lift and remove the one trodden in your carpet.

Method #6 – Getting professional help

If all else fails or you simply don’t have the time to tackle the problem yourself, then it’s time to call the cavalry. Professional carpet cleaners use specialised and certified detergents to treat and remove a wide range of stains, including ones caused by sticky blu tack.

To avoid any carpet discolouration, it is advised to have your carpet deep cleaned once the stain has been lifted. Depending on the material of your textile floor covering, Fantastic Services can offer you professional dry and steam carpet cleaning. Just make sure you mention about the stain when making an enquiry, so the technician is aware of the issue.

How to prevent it from happening again

Although there is no magic trick to guarantee you that, there is still something you can do. To avoid spending half of your weekend scrubbing carpets, simply restrict the access to blu tack in your household. Keep it out of reach of children who are often the ones who mash it into the carpet causing you a mini housekeeping crisis.

Did you manage to remove the blob from your carpet? Tell us what worked for you in the comments below so others can benefit too!