How to Clean Battery Acid From Carpet

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Things You'll Need

  • White terry towels

  • Spoon

  • Measuring cup

  • Household strength ammonia

  • Warm water

  • Dish washing or fine fabric detergent

  • White vinegar

How to Clean Battery Acid From Carpet. Battery acid is one of the most powerful and harmful substances in the average household. It's necessary to get this stuff cleaned up immediately to prevent stains, carpet damage and health risks.

Step 1

Blot out as much wet substance as possible using a dry white terry towel. Pick up the remaining dry material with a spoon or a vacuum cleaner if there is any.

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Step 2

Make a solution of 2 tbsp. household ammonia and 1 cup of water. Dip the terry towel in it and start blotting the stain until it is unable to pick up any more of the acid.

Step 3

See if the stain is still present. If it is, make a new solution, this one with 1/2 tsp. of dishwashing or fine fabric soap and one 8 oz. cup of warm water. Lightly press down on the stain until it's removed.

Step 4

Rinse the cleaned section with cold water and then blot it with a dry white terry towel until the section is dry. Repeat this a few times to make sure all the soap is removed, as its residue can attract soils.

Step 5

Wait a short time and check if the carpet has turned brown. If it has, then combine one part white vinegar and two parts water and start blotting again, but only repeat once.

Tip

Work from the outside of the stain to the middle. Due to the severity of the stain or the type of carpet, some stains will respond more slowly.

Warning

Be careful not to get this stuff on skin or ingest. It's very harmful to humans and pets so keep pets away from spilled battery acid and put on rubber gloves to clean it up. Avoid scrubbing the carpet as it may distort its texture. Avoid using a stronger concentration of the solutions than mentioned so as not to further damage the carpet. Avoid using automatic dishwashing detergent or laundry detergent as it will destroy the carpet fibers.

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