How To Get Turmeric Stain Out Of Carpet

Spills happen. Sometimes, though, stain removal can be challenging. It mainly depends on the type of stain it is. Whether you’re making dinner or a smoothie, sometimes a little is spilled on the carpet. The problem is, ingredients like turmeric can become a stubborn stain if the stain doesn’t get treated right away.

Turmeric is a colorful, yellow, orange spice most commonly used in Indian, Southeast Asian, and Middle Eastern cuisine. It is also used in teas and smoothies because one of the ingredients in turmeric, curcumin, is a natural antioxidant. Many people believe that turmeric has health benefits, but studies are still determining the full benefits using turmeric has on your health.

As more people use this spice in their food or drinks, there is more chance of spilling onto the floor, especially the carpet. Turmeric in any form, liquid or dry powder, can stain your carpet easily because this spice is also used by many to dye fabric due to its ability to permeate fabrics deeply.

When you spill something like turmeric on your carpet, you should try to treat it as soon as you can before the stain dries. Once the stain dries, it will be much harder to remove. Here you can find some surefire ways to get a stubborn stain like turmeric out of your carpet.

Related: How to Get Hot Sauce Out of Carpet | How to Get Stains Out of Carpet | How to Get Ketchup Out of Carpet | How to Get Coconut Oil Out of Carpet | How to Get Tomato Sauce Out of Carpet

Baking Soda Mixture

Baking soda is a popular cleaning tool. It can help draw the stain out of any surface, like your carpet. It will pull the turmeric stain out and trap it in the paste made from the mixture, and remove the color as it dries. This method can be used for dry or liquid stains, like turmeric in food, like curry. To use this method:

1. If it’s a curry stain, or something similar, try to pick up as much of the stain as possible using a dry white cloth. Blot the stain dry and remove the excess moisture to prevent the stain from setting. If you dropped the turmeric in powder form, use a knife or spoon to lift away as much powder as possible. Don’t rub the stain, as it will cause the stain to spread. It would be best to try to do this first before using any solution or cleaning product on your carpet.
2. Mix 1 tablespoon of dish detergent, 1 tbsp of baking soda, and 1 cup of water until dissolved.
3. Moisten a clean rag into the baking soda mixture. Now squeeze the rag over the stain until the area is soaked all the way through.
4. Scrub the stain with a soft toothbrush in a circular motion starting from the edges and working inwards. Try not to press hard and gently scrub to avoid the stain from spreading. Blot and rewet every so often. You will notice the stain beginning to fade.
5. Continue this method until the stain is gone.
6. If any stain remains, spray a commercial carpet spray like OxiClean or Resolve, and let soak from 5-30 minutes.
7. Dab the stain with a soft cloth. Doing this should remove the remainder of the stain.

Methylated Spirits

Methylated spirits may be something you already have in your household. It is a mixture of ethyl and methyl alcohol and is also known as denatured alcohol. Methylated spirit has a variety of uses, including stain removal. You should be cautious if using this form of turmeric carpet stain removal as the methylated spirit is poisonous if ingested. You should wear gloves and eye protectant to protect your skin. You should also test your carpet first before using this on your stain.

1. Pick up as much turmeric powder as possible or blot with paper towels or a clean white cloth to absorb the stain if it’s in liquid form.
2. Apply methylated spirit to stain and let it sit for about 5 minutes. The stain will turn red. That is normal.
3. Sponge the stain with either a cloth or paper towels.
4. Repeat until the color no longer transfers onto the cloth or towel.
5. Spray stain with cold water.
6. Use a mild detergent solution, like dish detergent, on the stained area and let it soak for 5 minutes.
7. Dab with a damp cloth to rinse.

Liquid Dish Detergent

Liquid dish soap or detergent is a useful tool for cleaning. We use it to wash our dishes, and Dawn can help clean up water spills, so why not help remove stains. This is just one option for using dish detergent to help treat a turmeric stain.

You will see that you can’t use dish detergent alone. You will mix it with another cleaning agent to help form a superior mixture that will hopefully remove the stain from your carpet. Earlier, the instructions mixed dish soap with baking soda. Here, we will mix it with vinegar or ammonia.

1. Mix 1 tablespoon of dishwashing liquid, 2 cups of cool water, and 1 tablespoon of either white distilled vinegar or ammonia.
2. Soak a cloth into the solution and blot the stain.
3. Leave the solution on the stain for about 5 minutes.
4. With a clean, damp cloth, blot the carpet stain. Repeat until color no longer transfers onto the cloth.
5. Dip another clean cloth into the water, and blot at the stain to rinse away any residue.
6. Soak up excess moisture with a clean, dry cloth.
7. Allow carpet to air dry.

If the stain is still there, mix a solution of all-fabric oxygen bleach and warm water using the label’s directions. Using the cloth and the solution, blot the area and soak for 30 minutes to an hour. Blot with a dry cloth and let air dry. Vacuum the carpet to lift fibers.

Hydrogen Peroxide and Liquid Dish Soap

Another mixture that can help treat tough stains, like from curry, is mixing dish soap and hydrogen peroxide.

1. Soak a towel in warm water and blot the carpet stain until most of the stain is gone from the surface.
2. Mix water with liquid detergent. Soak a sponge in the soap mixture and dab the stain’s surface until the mixture completely covers the stain. Let it sit for about 10 minutes.
3. Using a new, clean towel, blot the carpet surface to lift the turmeric from the stained carpet. Continuously change the towel to a different spot whenever the spot you’re working with is dirty. Repeat this step until enough of the turmeric or curry is gone.
4. Using a soft brush, scrub the carpet for several minutes. Depending on the stain’s intensity, you can use a towel instead of a brush to scrub.
5. Mix water with hydrogen peroxide in a spray bottle. The ratio of the mixture should be 9:1, water: hydrogen peroxide. Spray this mixture onto the carpet stain and leave for 2 hours.
6. Scrub the area clean using a clean cloth or soft brush and liquid soap. The carpet should now be free of any stains.
7. Dry the carpet with a fan to avoid dirt, growth, or mold. You may also want to finish cleaning your carpet using a steam cleaner or wet vacuum.

Glycerin

Glycerin is a non-toxic, odorless, colorless, and viscous liquid. Some uses for it include soap making, moisturizer, and as a carpet cleaner. It can dissolve turmeric and remove the stain entirely from your carpet.

1. Apply lukewarm water to the yellow stain and leave it for a couple of minutes.
2. Use a paper towel or cloth to blot the area.
3. Premix water and glycerin in a spray bottle. The mixture should be an equal amount of water and glycerin. Shake the spray bottle well before using. Spray the area and leave it for about 15 minutes.
4. Pour some lukewarm water on the surface and leave for a minute. Use a clean rag or towel to blot the area. Repeat until the stain is mostly gone.
5. You should now notice that the yellow turmeric stain is coming off the carpet—mix dish soap with water to wash the surface using a soft brush. Blot dry with a clean towel.

Household Items

There are many different ways to remove turmeric or curry stains from your carpet. Some of these ways include using ingredients you can find inside your home. Having some of these ingredients readily available makes it easier to quickly treat the stain instead of running out to get a stain remover. Some of these options are also eco-friendly.

• Talcum powder works well with fresh wet stains, like curry.
• Flour can absorb the stain by limiting the strain from spreading and soaking up the excess liquid. Once the flour sets, you can quickly rinse it off from your carpet.
• Lemon juice or white vinegar is good for stains because it acts as a mild bleach. However, you will want to stir it with 1-2 tablespoons of warm water to dilute it first when using vinegar.

After using any of these remedies, you can take your carpet outside, depending on the carpet’s size, and expose it to sunlight. Do this only if your carpet is white. The sun will not only dry your carpet but will also bleach the stain off because sunlight is a natural bleaching agent.

Things You Should Know or Try To Avoid

When dealing with tough stains, like turmeric, you should avoid certain things to ensure the carpet does not get ruined or so the stain doesn’t become permanent. The above steps are only suggestions. Some stains may be more challenging than others to get out, but getting turmeric stains out of the carpet should be a piece of cake if you follow the instructions and solutions. Just remember a few of these things to avoid making the stain worse.

• Never use hot water. It will cause the stain to set on the carpet, which will make it impossible to remove.
• Always test your carpet with any product first before cleaning the entire carpet. If not tested, the product or solution you use could ruin the carpet instead of cleaning it.
• As a last resort, you can bleach your carpet. However, you should only do this if you have a white carpet. It would be better if you never used bleach on a colored carpet.
  • To bleach your carpet, mix 1 cup of bleach with a gallon of water in a spray bottle. Spray the area that you would like to bleach and let sit for about 15 minutes. You can then wash your carpet, depending on its size, in the washing machine. If the carpet is too large, you can wash it using a wet vacuum or steam cleaner.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is turmeric stain permanent?

Turmeric stains are not permanent but can be tough to get out. The faster you clean the stain, the easier it will be to remove. However, once the stain is dried and set, it will be a lot tougher to remove, and you may need to use a combination of different methods to get the stain completely out. Your best bet is to clean the stain as soon as it happens.

Why does a curry stain?

One of the ingredients in turmeric, a spice often used in curry, is curcumin. Curcumin is a bright yellow molecule. Because of curcumin, turmeric can be used as a fabric dye because it bonds firmly to fibers. Due to it being able to bond firmly to fibers and its yellow coloring, curry can easily stain anything, including your clothes and carpet.

Why does turmeric stain turn red when washed with soap?

Turmeric contains the acid curcumin. When mixed with soap to remove a stain, the alkaline in the soap reacts with the acid causing the stain to turn red. This is a normal reaction and shouldn’t be a cause for concern.

Does Vanish remove turmeric stains?

Yes, you can use Vanish to treat turmeric or curry stains on your carpet. Follow the label directions to form a paste and leave it on the stain for a few minutes. You can sponge the stain with a damp cloth, like any other stain remover, and use water to rinse the carpet. Repeat until the stain is completely gone.

Why is removing turmeric stains difficult?

The ingredients in turmeric are powerful, making it bond deeply into fibers. That’s why it’s important to treat the stain as soon as it happens. The faster you try to remove the stain, the better chance you have that the turmeric or curry won’t settle into the carpet.

Do curry stains come out of the carpet?

Yes, curry stains can come out of the carpet. Turmeric is an ingredient in curry, and so you can use the ways listed above to get rid of curry or turmeric stains. Depending on how deep the stain penetrates the carpet, you may have to be persistent with the stain removal. You can follow any of the steps above to remove the stain.

How do you remove an old turmeric stain from a carpet?

Once a stain dries and sets in the carpet, it will be challenging to remove the stain. Try any of the above methods to remove the old turmeric stain. If that doesn’t work, try using steam or a wet vacuum to remove the stain. You may even want to try a professional carpet cleaning service for the best results.

References:

1. The Spruce: Baking Soda for Stain Pretreating
2. Japan Today: Can’t Get Curry Stain Off Your Cothes? Kill It With The Sun?
3. Good Housekeeping: How to Remove Turmeric Stains
4. Turmeric For Health: 14 Easy Ways to Remove Turmeric Stains (Even Tough Ones!)
5. Hunker: Uses of Methylated Spirit
6. WebMD: Health Benefits of Turmeric
7. Molly Maid: How to Remove Turmeric Stains From Clothes, Counters and Fabrics
8. The Spruce: How to Remove Curry Stains
9. Hunker: How to Remove Turmeric Stains From Carpet
10. Good Housekeeping: Stain Buster – Curry