Blu Tack may be a life saver; whether it’s mounting pictures on the walls without damage or stopping your nan’s unstable figurines from falling over on the shelves. It’s even great at keeping your little ones occupied.
Despite all it’s uses, it can be an absolute nightmare when it’s trodden into the carpet. Fortunately, it is possible to get Blu Tack out of the carpet, it just needs a little time and elbow grease.
If you’ve ended up with Blu Tack in your carpet and aren’t sure how to go about dealing with it, read on for five different ways to tackle the problem.
Before You Start
Before you start any carpet cleaning task, you should always take the time to ensure that whatever method you are going to use is not going to damage the carpet.
Where available, check any care information for your carpet or rug for guidance on how to proceed.
Regardless of your chosen cleaning method, you should always conduct a spot-test in an inconspicuous area of the carpet before proceeding with the full clean.
Method 1: More Blu Tack
Blu Tack is very sticky, and it sticks to itself very well. As a result, it might sound counterintuitive at first, but one of the easiest ways to tackle a Blu Tack problem is to use more Blu Tack.
First, wash the stained area with a clean, damp cloth before drying the affected area of carpet.
Take a fresh chunk of Blu Tack and rub it across the tack that is stuck in the carpet until they start to bond together. The two blobs of Blu Tack will stick together, making it easier to lift the stuck Blu Tack out of your carpet.
Method 2: Heat
When it comes to getting Blu Tack out of the carpet quickly, heat is usually one of the best methods.
First, heat the affected area of the carpet or rug with a hair dryer on high for 1 or 2 minutes. Always keep the hair dryer at least 15 cm away from the carpet to avoid melting the fibres.
Pick up the melted Blu Tack using a plastic bag. Avoid using kitchen roll or paper towel as this will simply get stuck in any melted Blu Tack that remains.
Repeat the process until you have removed as much of the Blu Tack as possible.
Once you have removed the majority of the Blu Tack, mix 1 teaspoon of washing up liquid with a cup of warm water. Gently blot the affected area with a towel until no residue remains.
Method 3: Eucalyptus Oil
You may have eucalyptus essential oil at home, but probably haven’t considered its potential as a cleaning agent.
Before getting started, you need to double check and ensure that your eucalyptus oil is pure essential oil. Any oils with synthetic ingredients can stain or discolour your carpet.
To use this method, pour a few drops of your pure eucalyptus oil on the stain, before using a stiff brush to agitate the fibres of the carpet, loosening the Blu Tack.
Always brush inwards towards the centre of the stain to avoid spreading it any further.
To remove the oil residue, apply a small amount of distilled white vinegar and bicarbonate of soda over the stain. Leave it to sit for around ten minutes, and dry with a clean cloth.
Finally, vacuum the area just to remove any traces of bicarbonate of soda that remain.
Method 4: Vinegar
Distilled white vinegar is a miracle cleaning product and tends to be more than capable of tackling Blu Tack in carpet.
First, warm white vinegar in the microwave. It doesn’t need to be very hot – just warm is perfect!
Pour the vinegar over the stain, and leave it for a couple of minutes, before scraping the residue off using a blunt knife or plastic scraper.
Finish up by drying the surface thoroughly and vacuuming the area.
Method 5: Vegetable Oil
Our final method of getting Blu Tack out of a carpet is using vegetable oil.
First, dampen a cotton bud in vegetable oil and rub it over the Blu Tack stain, before scraping the Blu Tack off the carpet using a blunt knife or plastic scraper.
Finish up by rinsing the area with a mixture of washing up liquid and water, before drying thoroughly.
Lover of coffee, painting, and all things cute and fluffy. I’m always on the lookout for easier, more gentle ways to tackle awful household chores.
