How to Get Silly Putty Out of Carpet

By Matt Oden | Comments | Oil and Wax Stains → Silly Putty | Carpet and Rug Stains

Silly Putty, a brand-name product from Crayola, is a fun substance that almost seems to defy explanation. It doesn't always seem so fun, however, when you are standing there trying to figure out how to get Silly Putty out of carpet.

Instructions to Remove Silly Putty from Carpet

Silly Putty is a polymer (e.g., plastic), therefore it reacts to cold by solidifying and hardening.

To chill the putty, fill a plastic zip bag with a few ice cubes.
Place on top of the putty spot. Let the ice rest on the putty until it is hard and brittle.
Work quickly to break the pieces of putty from the carpet. You may need to use a blunt knife to scrape the putty away from short carpets and your fingers to carefully remove it from carpet with longer tufts.
Remove as much as possible before moving on to other techniques to take out the remainder of the putty.

Silly Putty reacts differently to different types of carpet. This results in never truly knowing how difficult it will be to completely remove the putty from a specific carpet. Always start with the mildest method to get it out and apply harsher methods and cleaners as the putty persists. This saves you wear and tear on your carpet fibers.

After getting all of the exceess putty out of the carpet, you can begin by cleaning the stained area with mild dishwashing liquid and water.

Lightly dampen the area using a spray bottle of tap water.
Mix 2 teaspoons mild dishwashing liquid in 2 cups of warm water. Gently stir to combine.
Fold a clean, white towel and dip a folded edge into the diluted dishwashing liquid.
Carefully blot onto the Silly Putty and carpet.
Allow to rest for several minutes.
Blot again with a dry towel to lift up the Silly Putty. You may also pick the silly putty out of the fibers usng your fingers. Work carefully to avoid pressing the putty further into the carpet.
Continue to saturate the area and then blot until the putty is removed or no longer loosening from the carpet.

If the putty is fully removed, rinse the carpet by spraying with tap water and blotting. Apply a thick layer of heavy towels over the cleaned area and weigh down with a plastic bag filled with books. Leave the weight on the area until the carpet is dry.

Removing Any Remaining Silly Putty Using a Solvent

If the Silly Putty is not easily removing using dishwashing liquid, you may need to apply a solvent-based stain remover, such as Shout or Spray-N-Wash, to the stained carpet. The solvent in the stain remover helps to break down the polymers in the Silly Putty, making it easier to remove from the carpet.

Spray the stain remover directly onto the Silly Putty.
Allow to penetrate the Silly Putty and carpet for 15 minutes.
Blot using a clean, white towel to lift the putty from the carpet. You may need to use your fingertips to pick the putty off the fibers.
Repeat the process until the putty is removed.

Once the carpet is putty-free, rinse using the spray bottle of water and a clean, white towel to lot. Apply a thick layer of heavy towels over the damp carpet and weigh down using a plastic bag filled with books. Allow the towel and books to remain on the carpet until it is dry.

Getting Silly Putty out of carpet often takes a little bit of time and effort. The cleaning solutions may need to be applied repeatedly as the small pieces of putty work loose from the carpet fibers. The good news is that Silly Putty contains no dyes and will not affect the color of the carpet. Once the putty is removed, no stain will remain.