How to Clean Tar from Carpet

Hilliards asked, “What to use to get road tar or oil out of carpet?”

You Will Need:

• Ice
• Plastic scraper or spatula
• Vegetable glycerin
• Shaving foam
• Water
• Towel

Steps to Remove the Tar:

1. For deposits of tar larger than a coin, rub the tar with ice cubes so that it solidifies and turns brittle, then use a plastic scraper or spatula to chip and scrape the tar off the carpet.¹
2. If you don’t have any ice or the tar deposit is small, scoop off as much as possible with a spoon or spatula. Try not to grind the tar further into the carpet as you scrape it off.¹
3. Apply vegetable glycerin in liquid form to the remaining tar and stain. Leave the glycerin on the stain for about an hour, then blot up as much of the tar and stain as you can with paper towels.²
4. Repeat the glycerin procedure until the tar and majority of the tar stain is removed.²
5. When the tar and stain are gone, apply white foam shaving cream to the area and rub it into the carpet fibers. If you don’t have shaving foam, you can use a foaming carpet cleaner instead.²
6. Sponge the area with water to rinse off the glycerin and shaving foam, then blot the area dry with a towel.²

You Will Need:

• Ice
• Plastic scraper or spatula
• Petroleum Jelly
• Olive oil
• Turpentine
• WD-40
• Mineral spirits
• Lighter fluid
• Kerosene
• Dish liquid
• Water

Steps to Remove the Tar:

1. For deposits of tar larger than a coin, rub the tar with ice cubes so that it solidifies and turns brittle. Then, use a plastic scraper or spatula to chip and scrape the tar off the carpet.¹
2. If you don’t have any ice or the tar deposit is small, scoop off as much as possible with a spoon or spatula. Try not to grind the tar further into the carpet as you scrape it off.¹
3. If the remaining tar is brittle or dry, apply petroleum jelly¹ or warm olive oil to soften it so that it can be removed with the methods below.³
4. Use turpentine, WD-40⁴, mineral spirits⁵, non-butane lighter fluid or kerosene¹ to remove the remaining tar and stain. Ventilate the area well and put on gloves, then test your selected cleaner on a small, hidden area of the carpet first to look for any adverse effects. If safe, apply the solvent to a cloth and blot the tar until it is gone. Turn the cloth to a fresh area as the stain is transferred to the cloth.⁴
5. When the tar and stain are gone, mix a few drops of dish liquid in water to make suds and blot the area with the soapy water to rinse off the cleaning solution.⁶
6. Sponge the area with water to rinse off any residue from the dish liquid, then blot the area dry with a towel.²

• Do not use any water on the tar or stain until it is completely removed, as water can cause the tar stain to set.¹
• Dry cleaning solvent can also be effective on tar stains. Follow the instructions on the label of your selected cleaner.⁵
• Use caution when working with mineral spirits. See Wikipedia for more safety information.

1. Clean it Fast, Clean it RIGHT by Jeff Bredenberg
2. Joey Green’s Cleaning Magic
3. The Spot and Stain Remover Handbook by Jean Cooper
4. How to Clean Practically Anything by Consumer Reports
5. The Cleaning Encyclopedia by Don Aslett
6. Haley’s Cleaning Hints by Graham and Rosemary Haley