How to Get Milk Out of Carpet

Milk and household fabrics are never a good match. The live cultures in milk can emit terribly unpleasant smells if left to soak into fabrics and the presence of these bacteria can quickly lead to the growth of mold and mildew. This is especially true when it comes to carpets given the long, absorbent fibers and the difficulty these can present when it comes to cleaning.

Here, we are going to talk you through a step-by-step guide on how to get milk out of carpet effectively; killing any bacteria that have been left behind and eliminating odors; even those as stubborn and unpleasant as soured milk.

There is no need to reach for any harsh chemicals or toxic ingredients, every item recommended in this article is completely natural and can be found already lying around the home or in your local grocery or hardware store.

If you find yourself with a milk spillage on your carpet floor to deal with, follow these guidelines to tackle it efficiently and restore your carpet so that it is as good as new…

Related: 15 Carpet Cleaning Hacks

Tools and Products

Here is a list of all of the ingredients, products, and tools used within the cleaning methods listed below explaining How to Get Milk Out of Carpet. You might not need to invest in all of these products, this will depend on how stubborn the milk stain is and which techniques you choose to use from the methods listed in this article.

Toothbrush or Soft Bristle Brush
Empty Spray Bottle
Absorbent Cloths or Towels
Natural Cleaning Solution/Detergent or Liquid Soap
White Vinegar or Citric Acid
Baking Soda
Lemon Juice (optional)
Hydrogen Peroxide (optional)
Carpet Rake or Stiff Bristle Brush (optional)

Image	Product	Our Rating	Price
	Chemical Guys ACCG25 Induro 7 Heavy Duty Nifty Interior Carpet/Upholstery Detailing Brush Stiff, durable bristles to clean carpets and upholstery Designed to break up dirt, filth, and debris	9.6	Check Price on Amazon
	Mothers Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Brush Durable, strong bristles to scrub stains, grime, and dirt Designed with a comfortable design	9.5	Check Price on Amazon
Best Value	Amazer Scrub Brush Comfort Grip & Flexible Stiff Bristle Brush 2 pack, durable scrub brush Can be used on various surfaces Designed for ergonomic comfort grip	9.5	Check Price on Amazon

Step 1: Remove as Much Milk as Possible

The first thing to do when removing milk from your carpet is to soak up as much of the liquid as possible straight away. Catching the milk spillage early will seriously improve your chances of removing it thoroughly without any lasting damage to the carpet fibers.

Use a clean, dry towel or cloth to blot up as much milk as possible. If you’re dealing with a large spillage or if the milk has been left for long enough to soak into the deeper layers of the carpet, you might need to apply some pressure to remove it. Continue to blot the area until the cloth or towel comes away dry. It is important to use a blotting technique rather than scrubbing the carpet as this is likely to spread the spillage and may cause some fiber damage.

Utopia Towels Kitchen Bar Mops Towels

If the stain is old and the milk has therefore been allowed to dry before you have gotten to clean it, the technique here will be a little different.

Instead of blotting the liquid, use a blunt tool such as a butter knife or a spoon to scrape away as much of the hard milk as possible. If this is proving a little difficult and you are struggling to remove the milk, applying a little water should loosen it up, just be careful not to over-saturate the carpet to avoid residual water being left in there after cleaning.

Check the price on Amazon

Step 2: Deep Clean the Stained Carpet

Once you have removed as much milk as possible from your carpet, the next step in How to Get Milk Out of Carpet is to clean the stain.

To do this, we recommend using an all-natural liquid soap or detergent diluted in warm water. If you prefer to make your own cleaning solution, you can mix equal parts of water and white vinegar. The white vinegar has high acidity and will cut through the milk residue. It is also naturally antibacterial and deodorizing, so great for removing liquids like milk which have live cultures and can leave unpleasant odors. You can also add a few drops of citric acid to the mixture if you wish; lemon juice is also great for cutting through stains and removing odors.

Image	Product	Our Rating	Price
Most Versatile	Dr. Bronner’s - Pure-Castile Liquid Soap (Peppermint) Concentrated, plant-based, fully biodegradable & use all-natural, vegan ingredients Our products & ingredients are cruelty-free, over 70% of ingredients are certified fair trade, over 90% are organic No synthetic preservatives, thickeners, or foaming agents	9.9	Check Price on Amazon
	Eco Me Dish Soap Fragrance-free dish soap quickly cuts through dirt, grease, and grime leaving dishes sparkling clean without a filmy residue Packed with natural plant extracts and all-natural plant-derived ingredients Chemical-free containing all-natural antibacterial properties so that you don't have to sacrifice sanitation for the environment and greywater and septic safe to protect aquatic life	9.4	Check Price on Amazon
	Better Life Sulfate Free Dish Soap (Pomegranate) Plant-based cleaning ingredients like corn and coconut and scented with pomegranate and grapefruit extracts Natural, hypoallergenic that cuts through grease without sulfates Cruelty-Free: BETTER LIFE is a Leaping Bunny Certified company that never tests on animals.	9.3	Check Price on Amazon

Apply your choice of cleaning solution directly onto the stain and leave this to sit for ten to thirty minutes, depending on the scale of the stain. If the milk is dry, you will need to leave the cleaning solution on there for longer, possibly up to one hour to fully break down all of the milk residues.

Now, taking your toothbrush or soft bristle brush, scrub the stain and work the cleaning solution into the carpet fibers to remove bacteria and lift the milk stain.

Blot the area dry once again using a clean, dry cloth or towel. If there is still some milk residue left in the carpet, you can repeat this step, but again, ensure you dry the carpet out as much as possible between each clean to prevent over-saturation and bacteria growth.

Step 3: Soak to Remove Odors

After removing the milk residue and cleaning the area, we recommend taking this additional step to ensure that you’re not left with any unpleasant, lingering odors and to remove any bacteria that might be leftover from the milk spillage.

While the carpet is still a little damp from the deep clean, apply a generous amount of baking soda over the affected area.

Arm & Hammer Pure Baking Soda Shaker

Baking soda soaks up moisture and is naturally deodorizing and antibacterial, so it’s great for eliminating any odors that might be leftover and giving the area an overall refresh.

Let the baking soda soak for around eight hours, or you can leave it overnight. This should allow enough time for the baking soda to soak up any moisture and odors.

Check the price on Amazon

Step 4: Vacuum

Finally, use your vacuum cleaner to remove the baking soda and complete the milk-removal process.

Image	Product	Our Rating	Price
Top Choice	Shark NV356E S2 Navigator Lift-Away Professional Upright Vacuum Large dust cup capacity with lift away functionality to easily clean hard to reach areas Anti-allergen complete seal technology plus a HEPA filter that traps 99.9 percent of dust and allergens Powerful and lightweight, brush roll shutoff, deep carpet, and gentle bare floor cleaning	9.8	Check Price on Amazon
	BISSELL 2252 CleanView Swivel Upright Bagless Vacuum Powerful pet hair pick up with triple action brush roll with scatter free technology Swivel steering to easily maneuver around furniture and other obstacles Clean edges and corners with edge-to-edge cleaning	9.7	Check Price on Amazon
Best Value	eureka NEU182A PowerSpeed Bagless Upright Vacuum Powerful vacuum cleaner with 5 height adjustments and XL dust cup Smooth wheels ensure hardwood floors won’t sustain scratches or gouges Multiple accessories are included to extract dirt, pet hair, freshen up your car, curtains, ceilings, or door frames	9.6	Check Price on Amazon

It’s important that, unless you’re using a wet vac, you only vacuum the carpet once it has fully dried out, so check the area first to ensure that the baking soda has soaked up all of the residual moisture (this is why it’s so important that you don’t over-saturate the carpet in the previous steps).

Tackling Lingering Stains or Discoloration

If, after completing the steps in How to Get Milk Out of Carpet and allowing it to dry out thoroughly, you are left with an unsightly stain or any discoloration, the following methods should enable you to remove this effectively.

Your first option involves lemon juice and its acidic cleaning power. As we said earlier, lemon juice is great for breaking down stains and fixing discoloration.

By using it in a higher concentration, you may be able to remove the milk stain once and for all. Mix equal parts distilled lukewarm water and lemon juice in a spray bottle. Apply this to the stain and allow it to soak for around 10 to 30 minutes. After this time, scrub the stain with a cloth or brush and then blot away any residual liquid.

Uineko Plastic Spray Bottle

If lemon juice also does not do the trick, you can try hydrogen peroxide.

Hydrogen Peroxide is a completely natural cleaning agent, but it is harsh and can strip color from some fabrics. For this reason, we always recommend carrying out a small patch test on an inconspicuous area of your carpet before going straight in with the hydrogen peroxide.

If the patch test shows no signs of color lifting or fiber damage, go ahead and apply the hydrogen peroxide to the stain and allow it to soak for around 10 to 15 minutes. After this, blot away as much liquid as possible and follow with your choice of natural cleaning solution to remove any residual hydrogen peroxide from the carpet.

Allow this to dry and you should be left with a carpet that looks as good as new.

Check the price on Amazon

Restoring the Carpet Fibers

When carpet fibers become saturated with liquid, particularly those like milk that harden when they dry, they can often be left looking flat, misshapen, or just not as fluffy as they once were.

If you find this to be the case after cleaning your carpet, there are some additional steps you can take to restore the damaged fibers and blend them once again with the rest of the carpet.

To do this, you’re going to need a stiff bristle brush or carpet rake. These are super useful tools to have in general when it comes to restoring and maintaining your carpets. They can be used in areas of high foot traffic such as staircases and hallways to get your carpets looking fluffy and new.

Roberts 70-127-3 Carpet Rake & Groomer

To restore the fibers, simply take your brush or rake and push the carpet fibers in different directions. Move in horizontal and vertical lines rather than in circular motions to ensure that no further damage is caused and to leave your carpet looking as good as new once again. If the fibers are particularly stubborn, try dampening them slightly before going back in with the brush or rake.

Check the price on Amazon

Final Thoughts on How to Get Milk Out of Carpet

Milk is not one of the toughest liquids to remove from fabrics and carpets. Typically, it can be mopped up pretty easily leaving no lingering marks or stains. However, the live cultures in milk mean that it can leave behind masses of invisible bacteria that can cause unpleasant, lingering odors and the growth of mold and mildew if left untreated.

Because, of this, it is always best to try and tackle milk stains quickly, but even if the spillage has gone unnoticed and you wind up with an old, more stubborn milk stain, your carpet can be saved using the techniques listed in this article on how to get milk out of carpet, and all without the use of a single toxic or synthetic chemical ingredient!