Bright red Kool-Aid on your beautiful cream carpets would make anyone cringe. Luckily, removing these stains is not as difficult as you might think. With a few simple steps, you can revive your beautiful carpet and have it looking good as new in no time. As with any cleaner, you may want to try a test application on a small, hidden spot to be sure it does not damage the color or fibers of your carpet.
There are several different methods you can use to remove Kool-Aid from your carpeting. The following are safe for all carpet types.
Kool-Aid Removal with Ice Water
You Will Need:
- Cold water (add ice cubes, the colder the better)
- Clean white cloths
- Spray bottle for water
- Borax
- Spoon
- Vacuum
How to Remove the Kool-Aid Stain:
- Begin by blotting with a clean cloth to remove as much of the Kool-Aid as possible. It’s very important to BLOT throughout this entire process DO NOT SCRUB. Your goal is to “lift” the stain, not rub it into the fibers. Working from the outside of the stain towards the center will keep the stain from spreading.
- Spray the stain with the ice cold water.
- Cover the stain with borax
- Moisten cloth well with cold water and lay it on top of the borax.
- Use the bottom of the spoon to gently press on the cloth, working from the outside towards the middle. This method allows you to work the borax into the stain without damaging the carpet fibers or rubbing the stain.
- Blot with clean cloth. Repeat as necessary with a clean cloth each time until no more stain appears on the cloth.
- Spray with water to rinse.
- Blot with clean cloth. Repeat as necessary to be sure all borax has been removed.
- Cover stain with clean cloth or stack of paper towels and put heavy weight on top (heavy books, etc.)
- Leave set for several hours to absorb any remaining liquid.
- Remove weights and cloths and let area air dry.
- When spot has dried completely, vacuum thoroughly to restore carpet texture and pick up any remaining cleaning solution residue.
Kool-Aid Removal with Salt
This method works if the spill is fresh and still wet.
You Will Need:
- Table Salt
- Vacuum
How to Remove the Kool-Aid Stain:
- Pour table salt to cover the wet area.
- Let it sit for a few minutes and soak up the stain.
- Vacuum the salt away.
- Repeat until stain is gone.
Kool-Aid Removal With a Warm Iron
This method is used by many professionals and has been successful in removing even the oldest kool-aid stains. It takes some patience as you may have to repeat the process several times.
You Will Need:
- Iron
- Clean white cloths
- Water
- Dawn soap
How to Remove the Kool-Aid Stain:
- Wet the white cloth with water and lay it on top of the stain. (You can also wet the cloth with a mixture of 5-6 drops of Dawn with 2 cups water.)
- Place a warm iron (on lowest setting) on top of cloth. Be sure the iron is not hot or it will set the stain.
- Leave the iron set there for 15 minutes. Do not press down on iron.
- Repeat with a clean cloth until the stain is gone.
- Rinse with water (if you used the soap solution on your cloth)
- Blot with a clean cloth.
- Let the area dry thoroughly.
Additional Tips and Ideas
- Do not use laundry detergent or automatic dishwasher detergents as they may damage the fibers of your carpet.
- Do not use bleach or ammonia on wool carpets as it will damage the fibers.
- Do not use carpet spot cleaners on oriental rugs as it will damage the fibers.
- Oriental rugs should be cleaned with caution. If your rug is an antique, silk, or part silk, contact a professional to remove the stain.
Make sure you clean the stain while it’s still wet; if not, it is a lot harder to get up.
That’s the thing… I’d love to see what to do with a stain that has dried.
If the stains are old and have dried on the carpet, try the iron method. Moisten a clean white cloth with soapy water and lay it on the stain. Set the iron (on the lowest setting) on top for 15 minutes. You will start to see the color transfer to the cloth. Repeat until the stain is gone.
We have had the carpets cleaned, was unable to get it out. Then tried window cleaner with an iron – no; tried Oxyclean – still no luck. Now, the stain is about one foot around. Please help us; it’s been in five days now. Red Koolaid, and the carpet is beige berber.
We have a steam cleaner as our carpet is almost white and a very short shag.
Therefore, shoes are not allowed to be worn in the house, nor anything colored to drink, past the family room or dining area.
Earlier in the day, I made Kool-Aid for our 18-month-old grandson. Time for bed, poured a glass for me and set it on my nightstand. Well as for me, I broke the rules. The next morning, as I didn’t drink it all, guess who found it?
Yep, you guessed it…and let the stain begin. Yes, I heard about it for the next two hours. I tried just about everything; hydrogen peroxide, foaming bubbles, dishwasher detergent, Resolve, steam cleaner and some ammonia detergent named Awesome that’s supposed to take stains right out. I’m sure it does with an iron. 🙂
Then I discovered this site and I’m doing this right now. Oh, my… this is working, WOW! I took 2 cups of water and a small squirt or about 8 drops of Dawn Dishsoap, which is the only detergent we use for our hands, face, body, and hair. Going Camping or taking a plane trip? Great way to cut down on luggage. Frees up space in your backpack for other items.
Back to the stain: I first laid my folded white bath towel down, poured the two cups and then started on the worst part of the stain. Placed the iron on it; make sure it’s on the first setting or the lowest or you can have a ruined iron. Mine is non-stick, and working like a charm. The stain comes right through the towel.
Takes about 10-15 minutes. Have patience with your stain. And no discoloration of the carpet, YES!!! Love It.
Thanks for this AWESOME ADVICE.
THIS WORKS GREAT !!!!
How about color bleach?
Hope you have it out by now. Just found this.
There are two different strengths of Oxy-Clean, the one you buy in the grocery store, and a INDUSTRIAL STRENGTH that you can find in your local family hardware store. It is twice as strong and I have removed Red Kool-Aid and black printers ink from my carpet. Also the Industrial strength Oxy-Clean works great in a carpet cleaner.
I found safeguard soap is a wonderful cleaner to take up dry or wet Kool-aid stains. Take a bucket of clean water – white cloth-bar of safeguard soap. Wet the bar of soap in the bucket-rub the spot with the wet bar. use the cloth to work the soap into the spot. Rinse the cloth and then rinse the stain with the cloth. Repeat if necessary – works great!
I had tried several different things with no luck. The stain was cherry Koolaid that my son had spilled on off-white carpet about a month before and hidden with a scatter mat. I tried the trick with Dawn detergent and an iron and the stain is now completely gone and I’m completely amazed.
Our little girl spilled our glass of strawberry Kool-Aid early this morning. My mother has a very light tan berber carpet (almost white) throughout her home. When I saw our daughter with the cup, I started freaking out. Well, before I got to her, guess what: she spilled it right in the middle of the sitting room. I had no idea how I was going to get this out, so my husband suggested bleach and OxiClean. Well, that didn’t work, so I googled it. I found suggestions and I chose to do ice, wet white rags, and the iron method. Well, during the time of me preparing all of this and my husband watching (he told me, “good luck, you are just going to have to hear your mother’s mouth later today,”), I was hoping that this would really work. For anyone who does not believe in things like this, PLEASE do not knock it until you have tried everything and make sure you do it just like it says. THANKS SOOO MUCH FOR THIS…I will definitely pass it on to my friends.
I have several red Kool-Aid stains, but I’m going to try the iron method. Hopefully it will work.
Wow. The iron method worked. And I will be honest, I was the one who spilled Kool-Aid in my family room. I’m clumsy… :/
Works great, doesn’t it? 🙂
I moved into my current home and it had what looked like a big, red Kool-Aid stain. I used the iron method without soap and it took it all out. Amazing! I already shared with other family members and they are excited to try it too!
Amazing…have patience. I only used water and it took me two hours to get a very large spot out.
THANK YOU!!!! I spilled a large glass of red Kool-Aid on light beige carpet…right in the middle of the floor. I thought I cleaned it well that evening. But when the sun shone the next day, I saw several large pink spots. I tried OxyClean before reading this post. No change. After reading several posts about success using a cold white cloth and an iron – I tried it. I’m amazed how much it worked!! Thank you for saving my carpet. I would suggest trying 10 minutes first…15 minutes seemed to get the carpet too hot, even on the lowest setting.
Hydrogen peroxide works like MAGIC. I’d suggest that. I tried the iron and it didn’t work at all. But as soon as I put some hydrogen peroxide on it and dabbed it up, it was perfect. There’s no stain left.
Kaylah, did the peroxide damage or cause any discoloration of the carpet?
A dog spilled a glass of cherry Kool-aid on my rug while I was gone for hours. It was dried when I got home late. I was so discouraged, I went to bed, thinking my rug was ruined. I tried some cleaners two days later. Nothing helped. I tried some Dawn, a kettle of boiling water, a white towel and my steam iron. It was gone! I have never gotten a stain out so easily, with no expensive cleaners and no scrubbing. Thank you!!!!!!
My old carpet is dark/multicolored carpet. I spilled a full pitcher of peach mango on my carpet. I’m not worried about a color stain. I’m concerned more about the sugar! (Attracting ants and any other bugs.) Thank you for all the do-it-yourself ideas. I’m disabled and will have to tackle from my wheelchair. The ideas mentioned I can handle with a little ingenuity and patience.