How to Clean Sugar Out of Carpet | Speed Is Your Best Friend

Sweet tooth? Count me in!

But what if this seemingly innocent guilty pleasure of yours or any family members becomes detrimental to your household? Like, say, sugar spillage on the sofa or maple syrup on the carpet.

More than the throngs of ants swarming around ground zero in no time, you have a more serious problem at hand: how to get sugar out of a carpet.

In this article, let me share with you some tips because I’m telling you, I’ve seen the worst – sugar rush and sugar spills on fabrics alike!

The Materials

• You will need the following items to eliminate sugar stains from your carpet:
• Clean white cloth or paper towels
• Dishwashing liquid detergent
• Vinegar, club soda, or spot remover
• Spray bottle
• Spatula

You can also use vinegar, club soda, or spot remover in place of the dishwashing detergent.

How Do You Get Sugar Out of Carpet Without a Vacuum?

Step 1 – Clean at First Sight

Do yourself a favor and clean the spill as soon as possible. The problem with stains is that the longer you put the removal off, the more they become harder to eliminate.

When that happens, you will need extra time and effort, not to mention spending money for it when you could have taken care of it using readily available supplies at home.

Of course, you don’t want that!

If the consistency of the spillage is very thick and gooey, like in the case of maple syrup, you may use a spatula to scrape off as much of it as possible.

However, if it has already hardened, use a sponge dipped in warm water and blot the area. Once it softens, scrape off as much debris as you can.

Step 2 – Blot the Spot

This should be followed by blotting the remaining wet spot using a clean cloth or paper towel.

See if this alone eliminates the stickiness and does not leave any signs of staining. This is, of course, very rare but can happen in some cases.

If this is the case and the stain is very obvious and sticking out like a sore thumb in your light-colored carpet, proceed to step 3.

Step 3 – Apply the Solution

Prepare the cleaning solution by mixing half a tablespoon of dishwashing detergent and one cup of water. Spray this to the area and blot it using a clean cloth.

Observe if the stain is gone. Otherwise, just repeat the process until you achieve the desired result.

Step 4 – Rinse and Dry

Spray with clean water and use a sponge or clean cloth to remove excess water. Let it dry naturally.

You can also opt to use a machine dryer if the wet area is significant. Be sure, though, that no sugar is left when using any heat-producing machine.

Other Options

If the stubborn sugar stain still doesn’t get eliminated with simple dishwashing detergent, try using any of the following:

Liquid Enzyme Detergent

If there’s still some stain residue, I recommend using liquid enzyme detergent.

Mix a small amount in cold water and stir well. Or just follow the instruction on the label.

Do the same process in Step 3 until all the traces of the stain are gone.

Ammonia

Mix a tablespoon of ammonia and half a cup of water. Follow the same procedure in removing the stain.

Warning: Do not use ammonia for wool carpets as it can damage the carpet fibers.

Additional Tips 

As a warning, just like ammonia, never use enzyme detergent for wool carpets as you will risk damaging the fibers.

Always ensure that you eliminate all the remnants of sugar if you want to steam clean or blow-dry afterward. Be mindful of the possibility of heat setting the syrup stain onto the carpet fibers.

Having the sugar stain reappearing later on is also possible. Worst, this can be permanent, and there’s nothing you can do to remove it unless you risk ruining the color by using bleach. If this is the case, you can consider professionally cleaning your carpet with a specialized service.

Finally, be mindful of using chemicals when cleaning like ammonia. Always wear gloves and make sure that the area is well ventilated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Do You Clean Granulated Sugar?

Since sugar is very soluble in water, just wiping it with a wet towel typically solves the problem. However, when you do it on a carpet, you tend to scatter melted sugar than actually remove it.

So, how to get powdered sugar out of carpet? Vacuum.

Make sure to suction all the granulated sugar and that none of it has contacted any moisture. Otherwise, you will have to do the steps presented above.

How to Remove Clear Sugar From Carpet?

Be thankful if the sugar spill is clear as it isn’t as complicated to remove compared to the colored ones. All you need to do is mix a few drops of dishwashing liquid detergent to warm water in a squirt bottle.

Spray the solution onto the spot but do not over-saturate. Blot the area with a dry cloth to remove excess liquid.

Finally, rinse by spraying clear water and blotting the excess moisture. You may repeat this until no remnants of the detergent are left.