How to Get Tar out of Carpet

Co-authored by Haim Shemesh

Last Updated: April 11, 2021 References Approved

Tar is an especially durable and sticky material, so if you accidentally track some onto your carpet, it’s understandable to worry. Luckily, there are several ways to remove tar even from a delicate and absorbent material like carpet. The key is to clean the stain immediately after it happens, blotting and scraping up any excess tar that you can. After that, clean the dark stain using one or multiple powerful cleaning agents that help to dissolve and lift the tar from the fibers of the carpet.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Blotting and Scraping the Tar

1
Blot the stain immediately with a paper towel. After the tar stain forms, blot it immediately with a paper towel. Instead of rubbing, pat at the stain using gentle dabbing motions to lift the tar.^{[1]
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- Be sure to blot only the stained area to avoid spreading the tar to clean areas of carpet.
- Make sure to start blotting at the stain as soon as it forms. Keep blotting until no more tar is lifted.
2
Freeze the tar using an ice cube. A powerful way to remove fresh tar is to freeze and harden it so that it’s easy to scrape off. To freeze the tar, hold an ice cube against the stained area of carpet for at least a minute.^{[2]
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- After about a minute, touch the tar and feel whether it has hardened. If it has not, hold the ice cube against the stain until the tar has fully hardened.
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3
Scrape up any hardened tar with a butter knife or spoon. After you have finished freezing the tar, use a butter knife or spoon to scrape up any tar that may have hardened into the fibers of the carpet. Because the tar has frozen, the tar should come off in crumbles.^{[3]
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- Try not to be too rough as you scrape, as this can damage the carpet further.
- Scraping and blotting should have reduced a significant amount of the stain, but it’s likely that you will need to use a cleaning solvent to get rid of the entire stain.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Cleaning Using Household Cleaners

1
Wet a cloth with water and dry cleaning solvent. Even if blotting and scraping removed most of the chunks of tar in your carpet, your carpet still may be stained a dark black from the pigment of the tar. To begin to target this pigmentation using dry cleaning solvent, pour water over a cloth rag, then add a few teaspoons of dry cleaning solvent to one area of the wetted rag.^{[4]
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- Dry cleaning solvent is a powerful agent that is designed to remove especially stubborn stains from a variety of surfaces, including carpet.
2
Blot the stain with the dry cleaning solvent. After you have applied the water and dry cleaning solvent to the cloth, dab gently at the stain. Be sure to dab the tar with the area of cloth on which you poured the dry cleaning solution.
- Just like when you dabbed with the dry cloth, try to pat in soft sponging motions, as opposed to rubbing at the stain.
- If the dry cleaning solvent worked to completely remove the stain, pour a few drops of water onto the area you were working on, then dab using a clean cloth. This will absorb any of the dry cleaning solvent and leave you with a clean carpet.
3
Create a dishwashing detergent solution. If the dry cleaning solvent didn’t work to remove the tar, you can try to clean the stain using a solution of dishwashing detergent and water. To make this solution, pour one teaspoon (4.9 ml) of water into a small bowl along with a teaspoon (4.9 ml) of liquid dishwashing detergent that doesn’t contain lanolin or bleach.^{[5]
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4
Blot the stain using the dishwashing detergent solution. Dip a clean cloth into the dishwashing detergent solution, then blot the stain as you did before, working in small, dabbing motions to lift the stain.^{[6]
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- If you succeed in eliminating the stain, wet a clean cloth with water, then blot at the area of carpet you were working on to completely remove any traces of cleaner.
5
Dab the stain with rubbing alcohol. Rubbing alcohol is a very potent cleaner, so it is best left for especially stubborn stains. To use rubbing alcohol to clean the tar stain, dip a clean cloth in rubbing alcohol, then blot at the stain.^{[7]
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- Be sure not to oversaturate the cloth in rubbing alcohol, or else it may soak through the carpet. When rubbing alcohol bleeds through carpet backing, it can damage the latex bond of the carpet.
- Whether or not the rubbing alcohol worked to remove the stain, clean the area of carpet you are working on by pouring a few drops of water onto a clean cloth, then dabbing at the carpet to remove any traces of rubbing alcohol.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Cleaning Using Commercial Products

1
Use a commercial tar remover. There are several products on the market designed to lift and remove tar. Before using one of these products, first spot-test it on an inconspicuous area of carpet. If it doesn’t discolor or stain the carpet, follow the instructions on the bottle and use it on the tar stain.
- Most tar removers are in the form of a thick liquid that you will apply to the stained area, then dab with a clean cloth.
2
Spray WD-40 on the carpet. Most people don’t realize that WD-40 can act as a powerful stain remover! To use WD-40 on the stain, spray it directly over the stained area. Let the WD-40 sit for around ten minutes so it can penetrate the stained fibers of the carpet, then use a clean cloth to blot at the area using gentle sponging motions. Blot until you stop lifting any stain or until the entire stain is lifted.^{[8]
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- After using the WD-40, make a mixture of one part dish soap and one part water, then dip a clean cloth in the soap solution and dab at the area to remove the WD-40.^{[9]
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- WD-40 generally does not stain, but if you are worried about it further staining your carpet, spray test an inconspicuous area of carpet with a small amount of WD-40, then let it sit for about five minutes. If you do not notice any discoloration, it is safe to use.
3
Spray brake cleaner on the stain. Brake cleaner is another product that is not designed as a stain remover, but can do a great job breaking down and lifting tar stains. Spot the test brake cleaner before using, then spray it directly over the tar stain. Use a clean cloth to blot and lift any remnants of the stain.

Warnings

Try to open the windows and doors while cleaning so that the room is well-ventilated.

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Don’t use any cleaning products that contain bleach or lanolin, as they can stain the carpet further.

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Remember to blot, not rub, or else you could work the stain deeper into the carpet.

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