Soaking Up Big Spills with Salt

by Brian
(Denver, CO)

If you have a large spill or accident to clean up, you can save yourself a lot of time with just some ordinary table salt!


Instead of blotting up the stain with piles and piles of towels, pour a generous amount of salt on the spill. Make sure that the entire spill is covered, and that the salt is 1/4" to 1/2" deep. Don't skimp on the salt!


Now, just forget about the problem for a while! The salt will naturally and safely absorb the liquid, without any harsh chemicals or any work on your part. Not only do you save time, the salt will draw the liquid right out of the carpet. It can suck up liquids even when they have penetrated deeply into a carpet with a plush pile.


Allow the salt to remain on the spill for several hours, and then vacuum up the salt thoroughly. It will not only be dry, but the color of the stain will have been absorbed as well.


This technique can be used on spilled drinks, pet stains, in other situations where there is a lot of liquid to be removed. You can then follow up, if necessary, with one of the other tips on this page, but often you won't need to do this.