How To Clean Up Glow Stick Liquid On The Carpet in 5 Easy Steps
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If you’ve experienced or wondered how to clean up glow stick liquid, you are not alone. Who can truly say that a spark of thrill and excitement doesn’t light up in their minds when they think of glow sticks?! They are fun, and creative, and always add that extra oomph especially during the Halloween season.
Glow sticks do add a fun and festive touch to any event, but if one breaks and spills on your carpet, it can create a mess that might seem challenging to clean up.
Immediately Do This: Clean Glow Stick Spills
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As soon as the spill happens, use a clean, dry cloth to blot the area. This will absorb as much of the liquid as possible. Remember not to rub, as this can spread the stain and push it deeper into the carpet fibers.
Why You Should Clean Up Glow Stick Liquid ASAP
As cool as glow sticks may be to you or your child, you must know what they’re made of. Perhaps, then, you would understand why there’s such a huge fuss about cleaning the mess up immediately.
Let’s begin with the main attraction: the glowy liquid.
It’s found inside the plastic tubing and is usually a mixture of different types of chemicals that combine to give off luminous colors. These chemicals are hydrogen peroxide, fluorescent dye, and phenyl oxalate ester.
Unknown to many, hydrogen peroxide is also a type of bleach – meaning it can fade out the original color of your fabric. The fluorescent dye too (whether red, blue, green, etc.) can also stain and alter the color of your carpet when they come into contact with the fibers.
Again, you should know that these liquids are normally separated by a thin wall of glass on different lengths along the plastic tube. When you bend the tube, these glass walls break, allowing the chemicals mentioned to mix and then result in the glowing colors we all love.
As that is the case, it means that many fragments from the glass walls will eventually also fall onto your carpet pile along with the glow liquid.
You don’t need me to tell you how dangerous this can be if you, your pet, or your child accidentally step on the sharp shards.
Apart from a dye stain, the potential risk of physical harm when glow stick liquids spill onto your carpet requires that you handle the mess ASAP!
How To Clean Up Glow Stick Liquid On The Carpet in 5 Easy Steps
To clean up a glow stick liquid mess, you will need a soft brush, water, and a cleaning solution made up of vinegar & dishwashing liquid.
Find out in detail below, how you can use these agents to make your carpet look shipshape once again!
What You’ll Need
- Water
- Distilled white vinegar
- Dishwashing liquid
- Bowl/Spray bottle
- Soft-bristled cleaning brush
- Clean cloth or paper towel
- Vacuum
When removing glow stick liquid from your carpet, avoid over-wetting the carpet as it can lead to seeping of the stain into the deeper layers or spread to wider area surfaces. The other risk of applying too much water is that you run the risk of developing a mold infestation if the carpet does not dry properly!
How to Clear Glow Stick Stains from Your Carpet
To remove glow stick goo or any apparent stain from a spill, you will need to follow the steps below:
- Blot away the excess glow stick liquid first. To do this, you will need either a dry, clean cloth or a paper towel. The best way to go about it is to start gently from the outer borders of the stained patch, then move slowly in towards the middle. Doing this stops the colored mess from spreading further.
- Vacuum the surface. Vacuuming ensures that you have removed all the little pieces of glass that may still be in the carpet’s threads after you’re done blotting. It also leaves a good, dry surface for applying stain treatment.
- Mix the cleaning solution. Using 1 cup of water, mix in ¼ cup of distilled white vinegar and a teaspoon of dishwashing liquid or detergent in a bowl or spray bottle. You can then use the soft-bristled brush to work the solution onto the stained surface.
- Blot the treated area. Place the paper towel on the area to absorb the cleaning solution out of the carpet. Afterward, you can use a clean white cloth dipped in cool water to blot-rinse the spot. Wring the soap out of the cloth every time you wipe and repeat until the dye stain fades away.
- Dry the carpet. Let your carpet air-dry—away from artificial heat or direct sunlight. You may also vacuum the spot again to lift and bring back texture on the carpet fibers.
If you have a white carpet, then you may use regular home bleach instead of vinegar to clean. Bleaching will give you better results when you want to remove the dye colors from white fabrics or surfaces.
Why You Need to
Frequently Asked Questions
Does glow stick stain clear out?
Glow stick stains are easy to clear out.
You just have to ensure that you act fast and follow the steps highlighted above religiously. If you do, then you won’t have to worry about any permanent stain on your carpet.
Are glow sticks toxic?
Glow sticks are safe most of the time.
When the liquid spills onto your skin or cloth, there are no major risks apart from staining. However, should anyone ingest the liquid, then you might have health complications, hence, you MUST see a doctor as soon as it happens.
What should I do if glow stick stain won’t come out?
Steam cleaning offers the best solution to fighting tough stains.
It will clean your carpet using super-hot water vapor that’s passed under very high pressure to clean carpets. This method is highly effective as it reaches the bottom of the carpet and can break down any chemical or oil residue stuck on the fibers.