It’s only natural for some spackle to end up on your carpet during a DIY job, so if you want to know how to get spackle out of carpet you’ve come to the right place.
Our recommended method is to allow the spackle to dry out completely and then scrape off as much as possible using a putty knife, and then vacuum afterwards. After this, spray water onto the area and gently blot with a clean cloth, rinsing regularly. Allow the carpet to dry once all of the spackle has been removed.
Let’s jump into the method, as well as some of the most common questions that people ask regarding spackle in carpets.
Removing Spackle From Carpet: 8 Easy Steps
Let’s get straight into the method for removing spackle from the carpet. Keep in mind that it can be more difficult depending on the type of carpet that you have.
For example, wool carpets typically have longer fibres that provide more surface area for the spackle to stick to, but you should still follow the same method regardless.
1. Put On Protective Equipment
When handling spackling paste it is important to follow the safety guidelines set out by the manufacturer.
This typically involves wearing a respiratory mask, goggles and gloves, but be sure to double-check on the label.
2. Allow The Spackle To Fully Dry
The first step is to do nothing.
No – we actually mean it. The best thing that you can do is let the spackle dry completely because once it is dry it becomes much easier to break off large chunks and scrape away as much of the rest as possible.
Spackle can take a long time to dry though, so we advise speeding up the process by applying heat to the area where possible, or by heating the room. If you decide to apply direct heat be careful to not let it get too hot – you obviously don’t want to damage your carpet in the first place.
You can use a hairdryer on a medium setting from at least 10 inches away, or simply turn up the thermostat, just make sure the carpet doesn’t get too hot.
3. Remove Any Large Chunks
Once you’re satisfied that the spackle has dried, you can use your hands to gently break off large chunks that are not completely attached to the fibres of the carpet.
These chunks should come off easily and don’t worry if you make a mess as you will be vacuuming any smaller pieces later.
4. Scrape The Rest With A Putty Knife
Once you’ve got rid of any larger chunks by hand it’s time to address the spackle that has stuck to fibres in the carpet. We highly recommend using a putty knife for this stage as you need to be careful to not damage the carpet itself.
The easiest way to do this is to run the knife parallel to the fibres, trying not to apply much pressure directly into the fibres but parallel to their surface.
This stage can be tedious and take a long time, but it will remove most of the spackle so it is worth spending the time to do it carefully.
5. Vacuum
Using a vacuum that is suitable for your carpet, clear up any remaining loose particles of the spackle that are left.
In an ideal world, you would have access to a suction-only vacuum, but your regular vacuum should do the job just fine.
6. Spray Water On to The Area And Blot With A Clean Cloth
After most of the spackle has been removed, there may still be some left that has stuck to individual fibres that was too difficult to remove by scraping. This is common if you don’t leave enough time for the spackle to dry properly.
To tackle this take a spray bottle filled with water, a clean cloth and a container filled with fresh water. Gently spray the affected area with water to make it damp and then wring the cloth out in the container until it is damp.
Gently blot the area with the damp cloth, rinsing regularly. You can apply a fair amount of pressure if there are particularly stubborn areas, but the addition of water should make the spackle more of a liquid and easier to remove.
7. Allow To Dry
After the spackle has been removed entirely allow the area to fully dry.
You can speed this process up again by increasing the temperature of the room, but also by blotting gently with a rag. Once fully dry you will be able to tell if you have gotten rid of the spackle completely or if there is still some remaining.
8. Bonus – Use A Carpet Cleaning Machine
If there is still some spackle leftover you can hire out a carpet cleaning machine or pay a professional to clean your carpet.
This can be expensive, but it is a great way to entirely remove the spackle as well as giving your carpet a well-deserved clean. It makes even more sense if you have a carpet cleaning machine at home as well, just be sure to follow the steps above before using the machine as large chunks of spackle may cause issues with your machine.
Final Thoughts
We hope you have learnt how to get spackle out of carpet from this guide.
If you have any other methods that you have tried then please let us know!