This £1.99 product is the key to getting oil out of a carpet — no expensive carpet cleaner required

Accidents happen. But if you’re wondering how to get oil out of a carpet and questioning whether you’ll have to call in a professional cleaner, buy an expensive appliance, or, worse, replace your whole carpet, I have good news for you.

While the best carpet cleaners can help remove stains from carpets, they can set you back a small fortune. And while I’d highly recommend investing in this handy appliance if you have a long-term need for one, there’s no point shelling out hundreds of pounds when you just want to get oil out of the carpet.

For this task, you only need to rely on one common cleaning ingredient: bicarbonate of soda. Yes, using this £1.99 product to get oil out of a carpet will get the job done without breaking the bank in the process. And if you follow this step-by-step guide, your carpet will be as good as new in no time.

1. First, scoop up any remaining oil and blot the area

It’s possible to spill many different types of oil on the carpet - from literal bottles of cooking oil to the odd knob of butter or maybe even car engine oil. But before you start cleaning the oil itself, you should first scoop up any residue that remains on the surface.

Kirsty Barton, Marketing Manager at Alternative Flooring, advises, ‘When it comes to removing oil from carpets, it is key that you move as quickly as possible. Firstly, scoop up as much of the spill as possible using a blunt knife or spatula.’

When you’ve done that, you should blot the area to prevent permanent staining. This is echoed by Laura Harnett, founder of eco-cleaning brand, Seep, who says, ‘Blot up as much as you can with an eco-friendly cloth or paper towel to remove excess oil. Don’t rub the area, as this can make it spread further and deeper into your carpet fibres.’

These All Purpose Bamboo Cloths from Amazon should do the trick.

Laura Harnett

Laura Harnett is the founder of eco cleaning brand, Seep. She is determined to help as many people stop using unnecessary plastic as possible by encouraging them to switch to plastic free cleaning tools. She also recently appeared on Dragons’ Den and landed not one, but two Dragons to invest in her business.

2. Sprinkle bicarbonate of soda onto the carpet

Although there are many things you should never clean with bicarb, oil stains aren’t one of them. This powder’s absorbent qualities will help to soak up oil on a carpet before it stains permanently. Plus, it’s a gentle abrasive, so it’ll leave your carpets looking cleaner than ever when you’re done.

But to successfully get oil out of a carpet, you need to be extra gentle. James Higgins, eCommerce Manager at Online Carpets, urges you to ‘sprinkle your powder liberally onto your stain, you can then use a soft-bristled brush to work the powder into the oil. Then, leave the mixture for at least fifteen minutes to do its work.’

A soft-bristled brush is key here, which is why you should opt for something like this Silicone Dish Brush from Dunelm instead of a cleaning brush with tougher, harsher bristles.

3. After at least 15 minutes, vacuum up the bicarb

Ultimately, the longer you leave the bicarbonate of soda to work its magic, the better the results. But if you’re in a time crunch, you should leave it for at least 15 minutes before grabbing one of the best vacuum cleaners and sucking up the excess powder. For the best results (and the best suction power), opt for the Dyson Gen5detect from Argos, which currently ranks as the highest-rated vacuum we’ve tested so far.

James agrees, he says, ‘After 15 minutes, you can vacuum up your powder. Remember not to scrub at the stain, as this could do more harm than good and damage the fibres of your carpet.’

So, as long as you know how to vacuum properly, your appliance should be able to do the majority of the work for you.

4. If necessary, use washing-up liquid

Oil can be a tough stain to remove from the carpet, especially if you have a deep-pile carpet or loop-pile fibres. That’s why you can call in reinforcements if the above steps don’t quite hit the mark.

Laura says, ‘If the stain is still there, then some eco-friendly washing up liquid will also help. It is designed to cut through grease when you’re washing up so it will also help to break down oil on the carpet. Just be careful not to put too much on and test an area of the carpet that isn’t too obvious first to make sure it doesn’t affect the colour. Most eco-friendly washing-up liquids are gentle, so they shouldn’t cause a problem, but it’s always worth testing just in case.’

Thankfully, eco-friendly washing-up liquid - like this Ecover Zero Washing Up Liquid from Amazon - won’t go to waste, either. Although you may need to buy extra to clean oil out of the carpet, you can then use it for your dishes over the next few weeks.

5. Give your carpet some TLC afterwards

As I mentioned earlier, you don’t need a carpet cleaner to get oil out of a carpet - but it can certainly help to clean your whole carpet after you’ve ticked this task off your to-do list.

After all, bicarbonate of soda is an effective cleaner, and you may find that cleaning the oil leaves you with a noticeable patch that sticks out like a sore thumb. So, if you do have a carpet cleaner to hand or you've always wanted to invest in one, I’d suggest giving your floors a once-over to even everything out.

Aim to use a gentle cleaning solution when you’re doing this - and, if you can stretch to it, use brand-specific cleaning products recommended for the particular model you have.

Colton Faddis, Product Manager at floorcare experts VAX, explains, ‘VAX cleaning solutions are low foaming and specifically formulated in a way to clean without damaging your carpets. Household items like dishwashing liquid and laundry detergents may remove the stain. However, it may come back as detergents can leave sticky residues behind that attract dirt.’

FAQs

Does WD-40 remove oil from carpet?

Just as you can technically use WD-40 to remove stains from a sofa, experts don’t recommend that you do this. While the lubricant can remove the oil, it can also leave behind a residue that will ultimately attract more dirt in the long run. Plus, it’s just not worth taking the risk.

Does vinegar remove oil stains?

When mixed with water, white vinegar can be used to remove oil stains - but you may not find them as effective as other options, such as bicarbonate of soda. In most cases, experts would use white vinegar and water as a pre-treatment rather than the main treatment itself.

If you do choose to use vinegar to remove oil stains, just make sure that you test it on an inconspicuous area of your upholstery or carpet before cleaning the whole thing.

Well, there you have it. Do you have any other hacks to get oil out of carpet?