How To Get Flour Out Of Carpet

Learning how to get flour out of carpet can be a struggle, but once you know how it’s done it really is a piece of cake.

In most cases vacuuming the area should remove all of the flour – but if the flour has become wet and dried you will need to spray the area with a vinegar solution and then scrub it to release the flour.

Let’s take a look at these two methods, as well as what you can do if you don’t have a vacuum on hand.

Is Flour Difficult To Remove From Carpet?

If you have spilt flour on your carpet you really shouldn’t worry.

Flour is very easy to remove due to its texture, and it is actually used to remove some other spills such as oil from carpets anyway. The key to removing flour successfully is to remove it while it is dry, because it will absorb any liquids such as oil quickly which can make it more difficult to remove.

It’s also important to use the right setting on your vacuum so you don’t press the flour deeper into the carpet fibers when trying to remove it.

Removing Dry Flour From Carpet

Let’s first take a look at removing dry flour from the carpet. This should take no longer than 5 minutes, and you’ll probably be surprised by how easy it is.

Vacuum

The first step is to vacuum the area where the flour has been spilt using a hose attachment to get rid of the flour near the surface.

After this, change to a carpet-friendly vacuum attachment to remove flour from deep within the carpet pile.

Remove Stubborn Flour With A Brush

Once you’ve vacuumed examine the carpet carefully to check for any stubborn flour that has been pressed into the carpet.

If there is any, use a bristle brush to gently scrub the carpet to release the flour. You shouldn’t need to apply much pressure and be careful to not cause any damage to the carpet fibers.

Repeat Until All The Flour Is Removed

Repeat these two steps until all of the dry flour has been removed from the carpet.

Removing Wet Flour From Carpet

Wet flour can be a bit trickier to get rid of, but we’ve got a super simple method that can do the job in a matter of minutes.

Mix The Solution And Apply

Mix equal parts of distilled white vinegar and water in a spray bottle and spray a small amount onto the wet flour. 

It’s important to use distilled white vinegar as this will not mark the carpet, unlike other kinds of vinegar which are colored. The vinegar also prevents the water from soaking the carpet and going into the padding.

Scrub The Area

Once you have sprayed the area use a bristle brush to gently scrub the area. This will break up the wet flour and make it easier to remove, whilst also removing some of the flour as well.

Rinse the brush in water to keep it clean while scrubbing.

Blot With A Dry Cloth

Use a dry dishcloth to blot the area, applying a small amount of pressure – remember, you don’t want to push the flour into the fibers.

This will help to speed up the drying process, and will also remove some larger chunks of flour that are still present.

Allow To Dry

Let the area fully dry after blotting.

This shouldn’t take long considering the proportion of vinegar used and blotting afterwards, but it’s important to allow the area to dry completely before moving onto the final step.

Vacuum

Once the area has fully dried vacuum as before to get rid of the rest of the remaining flour.

Start with the hose attachment for the surface and then switch to a carpet friendly attachment to pick up any flour from deep within the carpet pile.

How To Get Flour Out Of Carpet Without A Vacuum

Vacuums make it super easy to remove the flour, but what happens if you don’t have access to one?

We recommend two methods in the case of not having access to a vacuum.

Carpet Sweeper

A carpet sweeper is a great alternative to using a vacuum if you have access to one.

Carpet sweepers work by using rollers that turn as the sweeper is pushed. This forces the brushes to rotate which sweeps the dirt into the container, and the level can be adjusted to suit most types of carpet.

In terms of flour, simply replace the vacuuming step in the methods above by using a carpet sweeper and you should have no issues.

Broom And Dustpan

A more old-fashioned method is to use a broom and dustpan to brush the flour out of the carpet.

You will probably struggle to remove all of the flour using a broom and dustpan but it is worth knowing for the worst-case scenario.

FAQs

There’s a lot debate around flour on carpets, so we’ve answered some of the most popular questions below.

Can Flour Stain Carpet?

Flour by itself will not cause a stain.

There are some cases where it can lead to a stain if the flour absorbs a liquid, such as orange juice, but this is highly unlikely.

Can You Use Flour To Clean Carpet?

Although a bit unconventional, you can use flour to clean a carpet – more specifically to absorb spills like oil.

We recommend using baking soda rather than flour though, as it will do a great job at absorbing any spills whilst removing odors.

Does The Type Of Flour Matter?

There are a lot of different types of flour out there, but are some more difficult to remove from carpet than others?

Generally speaking, pretty much every type of flour will be easily removed using the steps outlined above. It is only when flour gets wet that it becomes a bit harder to remove, rather than the type of flour that was spilt.

Final Thoughts

Getting flour out of carpet should be an easy task if you follow the advice in this article.

If you have any other tips or tricks then please let us know.