Put the paper towels down and get a spoon. That's the first move with slime on the carpet, and most of the damage people do comes from skipping it.
Homemade slime is mostly white or clear school glue mixed with an activator that turns it rubbery. Glitter and food coloring ride along. Since the base is glue, you're really cleaning up an adhesive, which tells you what works (things that loosen glue) and what doesn't (scrubbing it in harder).
First, get the bulk of it off
If it's still soft, pick up as much as you can with your fingers. It tends to come up in one stretchy piece if you go slowly. Then scrape the rest with a spoon, a butter knife, or a plastic spatula, working from the edges toward the center so you don't spread it.
If it has dried into the fibers, freeze it. Hold an ice pack or a bag of ice on the spot for several minutes until the slime goes hard and brittle. Then break it up with the spoon and vacuum the pieces with a handheld or the hose attachment. You'll often get most of it this way without any liquid at all.
Glitter slime is its own annoyance. The glitter tangles in the fibers and survives everything else. After the slime is gone, wrap packing tape around your hand sticky side out and press it over the spot, then vacuum slowly in a few directions.
Look closely once the chunks are gone. If there's no color left and the fibers aren't stiff, you're done.
If something is still there
Try these one at a time, gentlest first. Test each on a hidden patch of carpet, like inside a closet, before using it on the stain.
- Start with vinegar. Mix two parts white vinegar to one part water in a spray bottle. Mist the spot, wait five minutes, then blot with a white towel. Vinegar softens glue well. For a stubborn patch, sprinkle a little baking soda on first and then spray the vinegar over it; the fizz helps break the residue loose. Vacuum up the baking soda once it's dry.
- Club soda is gentler and good on delicate or light carpet. Pour a little on, let it bubble, and blot.
- Rubbing alcohol is for residue that won't budge. Dab it on with a cloth, never pour, and blot until the spot clears.
- Hydrogen peroxide goes on light-colored carpet only, because it can bleach. Use a small amount, leave it briefly, blot, and dry the area right away. This one is mainly for leftover food coloring.
With any of them, work the cleaner in lightly with a soft brush or your fingertips and blot with a clean white towel until nothing more transfers. Use as little liquid as possible. Then let the spot air-dry for a few hours with a fan on it.
What not to use
Skip WD-40 and other oily products. They do dissolve glue, but they leave oil behind, and oil collects dirt fast. You'll trade a slime spot for a gray spot.
Skip dish soap and laundry detergent, too. Both foam up and are very hard to rinse out of carpet, and the leftover soap turns sticky and dark within a few weeks.
And go easy with the brush. Hard scrubbing roughs up the fibers and drives the glue deeper. If something isn't coming out, soften it more and give it time.
Upholstery works the same way with even less liquid. Check the care tag first. A tag marked "S" means solvent only, so water and vinegar are out.
If the spot won't budge
If the slime sat for days, was ground in by small feet, or left a color stain after all of the above, it's time for a professional. Dyed slime on light carpet is the usual culprit. We pre-treat the spot for what it actually is, and our cleaning leaves no soap behind to attract dirt later. If it's on the couch, our upholstery cleaning handles that too.
Before you call, make a note of what you've already put on the spot. It helps your technician pick the right treatment. Then call 803-310-5135, and maybe hide the slime kit for a week.