How To Get Transmission Fluid Out Of Carpet

Accidents happen, and when it comes to automotive mishaps, spills, and leaks are too common. From quick DIY solutions to professional-grade products, I’ll provide step-by-step instructions and insider tips to ensure your carpet is spotless once again. So, roll up your sleeves and get ready to how to get transmission fluid out of carpet.

There are various types of fluid you need in your car. They all have a purpose, from brake fluid to transmission fluid, but they become a pain when they get on your carpet.

This accident happens more often than you think, but there’s a method to getting it out.

Using baking soda and a load of paper towels, you can make this stain stay away for good!

A Step-By-Step Process On How To Get Transmission Fluid Out Of Carpet

Transmission fluid has 80% to 90% oil and 10% to 20% water. The fluid lubricates the different components inside your transmission (basically a house of gears). The fluid must be replaced when it becomes dirty with water and burnt.

It’s easy to change the fluid, but what if a stray blob has got into the house? Yes, I gave you a little lesson about its purpose on cars, but it definitely should NOT be on your carpet.

Since transmission fluid is reddish-brown, it will leave a challenging stain on carpet fibers (most especially if your carpet’s as white as snow!). So when you see the invader, I mean stain, you have to start cleaning it STAT and bring back your once-pristine carpet to its (almost) original state.

Since transmission fluid is an oil-based stain, there are two different AND effective methods to tackle it:

Method One: Baking Soda Or Corn Starch

1. Cover the carpet where the transmission fluid is with corn starch or baking soda. These are agents that will absorb the oil from the carpet. They will not damage your carpet and do not have any negative effect on you or the environment!
2.  Rub the agent into the carpet. Rub it just enough for it to get into the carpet fibers. Don’t rub too hard but don’t go too soft either. You can use a brush for this.
3.  Let the baking soda or cornstarch soak for 15 minutes, then vacuum the area. The baking soda or cornstarch should absorb most of the transmission fluid. Make sure that you vacuum the area properly.
4. Get dishwashing liquid and put a few drops on the stained area. Rub it in with a toothbrush (not too much!). Rinse with a small amount of warm water and blot with a paper towel or rag.
5. Make sure the carpet is completely dry, and double-check to see if you missed out some oil.

Method Two: Rubbing Alcohol

1. Apply some rubbing alcohol to the stain using a paper towel or a clean cloth. Be careful when using it! Keep in mind that inhaling alcohol fumes can be toxic when exposed for a long time, and you should be wearing gloves when using it (unless you happen to only have rubbing alcohol with moisturizer).
2. Let the rubbing alcohol dry on the stain. Rubbing alcohol is a solvent cleaner and will dissolve the oil, which takes it out of the carpet. If you still see the stain, repeat and use extra rubbing alcohol.
3. Remove excess rubbing alcohol with a clean paper towel. Once the carpet is dried, rinse the stained area with water and blot the water out with a paper towel. This should eliminate residue and odor.
4. Open your windows where the carpet is and put on a fan to improve your ventilation, so the smell of rubbing alcohol won’t linger for too long, and your carpets will dry properly.

Tips From An Ex-Cleaner

• Blot as much of the transmission fluid as you can with a cloth or paper towels. It’s important to soak up most of the fluid before it gets into the padding beneath the carpet because then you’d have to call a professional.
• If the spill is big, use an old bathing towel instead of paper towels.
• If the stain doesn’t go away with one method, try the next.
• I advise you to try the methods above in order because baking soda/corn starch is the quickest and safest thing you can do. If that’s not adequate, you can go on to method two, but be careful not to damage the color of your carpet.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you vacuum out transmission fluid?

Yes, but only with a wet-dry vacuum cleaner. You can put a lot of baking soda on the fluid, let it soak, and slowly aim the nozzle to the fluid to absorb it. The resulting stain can be treated accordingly.

An upright vacuum cleaner is NOT designed for oil spills and will be damaged.

How to get transmission fluid smell out of the carpet?

After cleaning the stain, you can rent a Rug Doctor to make your carpets look and smell better. You can add a nice smelling detergent to the cleaner for a better aroma.

The baking soda and vacuuming trick should also cut through most of the smell.

What to do if transmission fluid got on my clothes?

You should use very hot water and Dawn dish soap. Put your clothes into the washing machine and when the water cuts off, add some Dawn and run it again. Allow the washing machine to run the soapy water with the clothes for a while, then let them soak for 15 minutes.

This should get the fluid off and its smell.