How to Remove Maple Syrup from Carpet

Jada asked, “Anyone knows how to get a syrup stain out the carpet?”

You Will Need:

• A spoon or dull knife
• A cloth or sponge
• Warm water
• Dish liquid
• Liquid enzyme detergent
• Enzyme stain remover
• Ammonia
• A dry towel

Steps to Remove the Syrup:

1. If the syrup is fresh, remove any excess with a spoon or dull knife.¹
2. If the syrup has hardened, use a cloth or sponge to soak it with warm water until the syrup softens, then scrape off what you can.² Make sure the water is only warm, not hot, as heat can set syrup stains.³
3. Sponge the area with warm water until the stain is gone.²
4. If plain water does not easily remove the syrup, mix ½ tablespoon of dish liquid in 1 cup water and blot the solution onto the spill with a clean cloth until the syrup is gone.⁴
5. If any stain remains, use liquid enzyme detergent. Mix a bit of the detergent in cold water, stir well to make suds, then blot the stain with the solution. Do not use enzyme detergent on a wool carpet as it can damage the fibers.⁵
6. Another option is to use an enzyme stain remover, such as a pet accident cleaner that is made for carpet.³
7. Instead of an enzyme cleaning solution, you can use ammonia. Add 1 tablespoon of ammonia to ½ cup of water and blot the solution onto the stain. Do not use ammonia on a wool carpet as it can damage the fibers.⁴
8. When the stain is removed, sponge the area thoroughly with cold water to remove any residue from the cleaning solution or any remaining sugar residue from the syrup. Even when syrup stains appear to be gone, any sugar that remains can turn into a yellow stain over time.⁵
9. Blot the area thoroughly with a towel to remove excess water.

• Do not use a steam cleaner or blow dryer on the area until you are sure that the stain is removed, as heat can set syrup stains.³
• If the syrup was cleaned from the carpet and a stain appeared later, that is a sugar stain. The steps above may be able to remove stain, however old sugar stains can sometimes be permanent. Consider dying the stain to a color that is closer to the color of the carpet.⁵
• Always take safety precautions when working with ammonia. Ventilate the area and wear gloves. For more ammonia safety information, see Wikipedia.

1. Field Guide to Stains by Virginia M. Friedman, Melissa Wagner and Nancy Armstrong
2. Don Aslett’s Stainbuster’s Bible
3. Natural Stain Removal Secrets by Deborah L. Martin
4. Stain Rescue! by Anne Marie Soto
5. Stain Removal by Stephanie Zia