How to get Dry wall mud off carpet??I kn
dabhunter
| Posted in General Discussion on
you think this doesn’t belong here – but you folks have an amazing wealth of exerience and I know many of you have made this mistake and hopefully know of a solution.
I’m dry walling my work shop and tracked dry wall mud on to my wife’s favorite oriental carpet. I tod her ” just wait till it drys and vacume it up – wrong answer. Now the stuff is like rock . I’ve tried soaking with soap and water – no change. Next is carpet cleaner.
Any recommendations Please – I am in real trouble
Please hold the sermons – I’m already catching hell for this.
Note to self.. change shoes when entering house.
Thanks
BD
Replies
Bill,
Don't panic...mud comes off...if you have to, tenderize the bigger clumps with a hammer.
try a stiff brush(not a wire brush) and breaking it up a bit ...vacuum off residue/repeat
when most is off..switch to a damp rag, then stiff brush and vacuum
It is water soluble and it will come off!
and take her out for supper
cheers,
silver
"take her out for supper" Prime rib and lobster feast is not called "supper" LOL, it's called Dinner with a capital Dee. Man, between that and Valentine's Day, his budget is shot!forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)Another proud member of the "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)
What kind of mud was it- dry mix or in the bucket? The type you used sounds like it has Plaster of Paris in it. If you have the container, look on it for cleanup instructions. Otherwise, keep it moist and it should come out. If I ever leave mud on my trowels and it sets up hard, I just need to soak them longer to remove it. Try a little laundry detergent diluted with water, keeping it covered so it doesn't dry. You can test this on your shoes/boots, assuming they still have the mud on them. If there are any big chunks, you can crunch them gently with a pliers so you're left with smaller amounts. Makes it easier to remove the rest.
Ditto on the dinner. I thought about that just as I posted.
"I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."
Edited 2/6/2005 12:21 pm ET by highfigh
I totally agree with Silver -- breaking the stuff up will really help. Be gentle when it comes to brushing, try not to panic and rub too hard. It might take a little time, but it'll be worth it. Hope you're out of the doghouse soon.
forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Another proud member of the "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)
Try spraying the dried mud with water and leaving a damp cloth or sponge over it for several hours. If it's drywall mud, that should soften it considerably.
Otherwise, buy her a new carpet and send the old one to me.
ttt
Having been there myself, I agree with everthing that the others have said - except for the part about using detergent. There's a risk of mesing up the carpet and that will almost certainly exile you to the shop (or doghouse) for life. - lol
Almost any 'mechanical' method should get this out if you're patient. I've also gotten bucket mud off a carpet with a plastic spatula. You just have to scrape a little then vacuum a lot..........scrape a little.........vacuum a lot........until it's gone. Don't get too aggressive - just take your time.
You'll make beaucoup points with her if you'll also tell her you really, really, want a doormat at the door. With any luck, she'll get you one for V-Day and not treat you like one. - lol
I said diluted detergent. Full strength would take forever to rinse out but a little mixed with water lets it soften the mud better and surrounds the particles so they can be removed more easily. I've done it this way and it works well. Washing clothes that have drywall mud on them in plain water takes a couple of tries sometimes, while adding a little soap takes it out the first time.
"I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."
Just me...
If it a GOOD oriental carpet, I would suggest just using DISTILLED water...
Some waters can stain it if left to soak there...
from "life of Brian"...loook on the bright side of life.
At least it wasn't paint. Now you know why God invetented Tarps eh???
I'd wait til it dried, pulverize it, and such it up. Remove residue with the shop vac.
Eric in Calgary
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