The silly putty's elastic and deformable nature makes it fun to play with, but very difficult to remove from carpet. Luckily, there are a few tricks you can use to get rid of silly putty clumps that are stuck to your favorite rug, even if they have hardened. By freezing the silly putty, using a small amount of detergent, or giving it a nail polish remover, you can save any kind of carpet from permanent silly putty stains.
Step
Part 1 of 3: Freezing Silly Putty
Step 1. Fill a plastic bag with ice cubes
The amount of ice cubes you need will depend on the size of the silly putty stain. However, try to use at least three to four ice cubes. You'll need to add as many ice cubes as needed to completely cover the silly putty.
Step 2. Place a plastic bag filled with ice on top of the silly putty
Make sure the entire surface of the silly putty is covered in a plastic bag.
Step 3. Let the silly putty harden under ice for 2-3 hours
Refill the plastic bag with ice cubes if the ice cubes melt.
Step 4. Crack the hardened silly putty with a knife
You will need to break the hardened silly putty into smaller pieces so that it is easier to remove from the carpet. Throw away any silly putty shards you can pick up.
Part 2 of 3: Cleaning Carpets with Detergent
Step 1. Mix two spoonfuls of mild detergent with a cup of warm water
Make sure the detergent you use does not contain bleach or chemicals that can stain the carpet.
Step 2. Soak a cotton swab in the diluted detergent mixture
If you don't have a cotton swab, you can use a towel or washcloth.
Step 3. Use a cotton swab to wet the stains and the remaining silly putty on the carpet
Make sure the entire stain is covered with detergent.
Step 4. Allow the detergent to soak into the carpet and the remaining silly putty for 20 minutes
After 20 minutes, place a dry cloth over the silly putty and press to absorb the detergent.
Step 5. Use a damp cloth to clean the stained area
The silly putty should be gone, and some of the silly putty residue will be easier to clean.
Part 3 of 3: Using Nail Polish Remover
Step 1. Wet a cotton swab with acetone nail polish remover
You can also use rubbing alcohol if you don't have a nail polish remover.
Step 2. Wet the silly putty with a cotton swab
Make sure the entire surface of the silly putty is covered with nail polish remover.
Step 3. Use a knife to scrape the silly putty
Remove the silly putty debris while scraping it off the carpet.
Step 4. Repeat this process until the silly putty is clean
If the silly putty won't come off the carpet, try using more nail polish remover or freezing it with a bag of ice cubes before applying nail polish remover.
