How to Clean Ice Cream from Carpet

Caitlin said, “so I dropped some French vanilla on the carpet how do I clean it up?”

You Will Need:

• A spoon
• A cloth
• Water
• Club soda
• Dish liquid
• Non-gel shaving cream
• An old toothbrush
• Ammonia

Steps to Clean the Spill:

1. Use a spoon to scoop as much of the ice cream off the carpet as possible, being careful not to grind it into the carpet fibers and working from the outer edges of the spill inwards to prevent it from spreading.¹
2. Soak a cloth with cool water or club soda and sponge the area to rinse as much of the ice cream residue from the carpet as possible. Blot the area with a dry cloth as you rinse, then continue sponging.²
3. Mix about ½ tbsp. dish liquid in 1 cup water and sponge the solution onto the area, then blot with a dry cloth to remove it.³
4. Instead of dish liquid, you can use white foam shaving cream. Apply a dollop of the shaving cream to the spot and use an old toothbrush to gently rub it into the carpet fibers. Sponge the area with water to rinse, then pat it dry. Repeat the process until the stain is gone.²
5. If the stain is stubborn, use ammonia. Mix ½ tbsp. ammonia in 1 cup water and test the solution on a hidden area of your carpet first to look for any adverse reaction. Do not use ammonia on a wool carpet. If safe, sponge the solution onto the stain. To rinse, sponge the area with water, then pat it dry.³

• Do not use warm or hot water when cleaning an ice cream spill, as heat can cause the stain to set.¹
• Always ventilate the area and use caution when working with ammonia. For more ammonia safety information, see Wikipedia.

1. Stain Removal by Stephanie Zia
2. Field Guide to Stains by Virginia M. Friedman, Melissa Wagner, and Nancy Armstrong
3. Stain Rescue! by Anne Marie Soto