How To Get Essential Oil Out Of Carpet (Don’t Ruin The Mood)

Lift your mood, improve sleep, kill bacteria in the air — is there anything that essential oils can’t do? Careful though, because one slip (literally) and the oils meant to keep your mind at ease can quickly do the opposite with a pesky spill all over your favorite carpet.

Are you tired of struggling with how to get essential oil out of carpet? We’ll walk you through the step-by-step process of effectively removing essential oil from your carpet, leaving it fresh and clean once again. Essential oils are known for their aromatic and therapeutic qualities, but when accidentally spilled or dropped on your carpet, they can leave behind stubborn and unsightly stains.

Luckily, your carpet will NOT be stained forever. 

What ingredients do you need to remove essential oil out of carpet?

From lavender to lemon, no matter what the flavor, there are a couple of key ingredients you’ll need to get essential oil out of your carpet. You will probably have many of these items already handy. If not, time for a quick trip to the store.

Baking Soda

A jack of all trades, baking soda does it all. Even if you’re not an avid baker, you’ve probably picked up a box of baking soda before for cleaning purposes or to satisfy a late-night brownie craving. When it comes to spills, baking soda will suck up all the oil out of your carpet in no time!

Vinegar

Baking soda will do the heavy lifting, but sometimes it needs a bit of reinforcement. You might find that after you wipe up the soda, you still see some staining. This is where vinegar comes in. Another kitchen pantry staple, vinegar is a magic cleaning ingredient which will help lighten any remaining stain. BUT before you get to cleaning, make sure you are using white vinegar, or you might end up with an even worse stain than before. 

How to get essential oil out of carpet:

1. Start by blotting up as much of the oil as you can with a paper towel or cloth. Anything absorbent will work. You want to do this ASAP to prevent as much damage as possible. 
2. Spread a generous amount of baking soda over the entire area of the spill. Don’t be tempted to add water to the baking soda to make a mixture — the soda’s job is to absorb the oil, which it cannot do if it is wet. 
3. Next, be patient! Let the baking soda do its job right. The longer you leave it, the better a result you’ll have. 
4. Once you see the baking soda get nice and crusty, you know it’s ready to be wiped up. 
5. Get your trusty vacuum to clean up any excess soda, and get a good look at the stained area. If your stain is gone, you’re done! However, if you still see remnants of the essential oil, go to the next step. 
6. Time to whip out the vinegar! Dilute some white vinegar with equal parts water, apply it to the stained area. 
7. Let the vinegar sit for approximately 30 minutes, then clean with soap and a towel or old toothbrush. Voila! Your carpet is back to tip-top shape. 

Now, if you want to go the extra mile and get your carpet looking brand new, this is a great opportunity.

Steam cleaning is a quick and efficient way to give your entire carpet some refreshing (and maybe even get out any remaining oil residue). While it’s not the first choice for removing stains because it is more effective on larger debris like mold and dust, it’s still the ideal option for overall carpet maintenance. 

Did you know? You can also use essential oils on steam cleaners!

Frequently Asked Questions

Do essential oils ruin carpet?

Absolutely not! In fact, most pure essential oils do not stain at all. But the ones to look out for are ones with a darker color – those are the ones that are more likely to leave a stain behind. That being said, any essential oil spill can be cleaned up quickly and ‘painlessly’.  

How to get dried oil out of carpet?

If you weren’t able to get to your spill in time and the oil has dried up, worry not – there’s still a way to fix the situation. Usually, we would reach for baking soda to soak up the oil, but in this case, there won’t be much to soak up since the carpet has already done the job. Instead, another household item can come to the rescue – trusty old dishwashing liquid (though make sure it’s one without bleach). Apply a bit of dishwashing liquid with some warm water, and blot the area until the mixture is soaked up and the carpet is relatively dry. Continue until you’re satisfied with the stain removal. 

How to get essential oil smell out of carpet?

Getting out an essential oil stain is just one step because you might find yourself left with the scent that was supposed to calm you down, but instead is just causing trouble! The quickest way to neutralize the smell of essential oils is rubbing alcohol – and yes, this is totally safe for carpets. Just apply some to a cotton pad, dab the affected area, and you’re good to go.