How to Get Drywall Mud Off Carpet

Drywall mud is used to patch seams and holes in drywall. Once it dries, it forms a hard mass. Should you accidentally track drywall mud from the workroom onto your carpet or you and your workers accidentally dropped it on a carpet, removing it should be fairly simple. It helps to know how to get drywall mud off carpet.

In this article, we’ll discuss how to get drywall mud off your carpet. While the process is fairly simple, you need to be careful not to do it the wrong way, otherwise you could end up in a worse situation.

Step 1

Before you try to remove the drywall mud, let the wet compound dry on the carpet. Trying to wipe the stain before it dries will only make things worse by spreading the compound out and driving it deeper into the carpet. You also want to avoid walking on the carpet while the compound dries.

Step 2

If there are any large lumps of drywall mud on the carpet, place a newspaper over them and break them up by stepping firmly.

Step 3

Use a putty knife or clean metal paint scraper to scrape the dried drywall mud that remains on the carpet fibers. Any straight-edged metal device such as a butter knife or spatula will work as well. Be sure to use firm strokes and sweep across the stained spot from side to side. It also helps to move around the stained spot slightly by changing directions after a few strokes. This motion goes a long way in loosening the dried compound from the carpet fibers. It may seem to have disappeared but it will become dust and sink into the carpet.

Step 4

Using the brush attachment of your vacuum cleaner, remove as much of the drywall mud dust that you created by vacuuming the area thoroughly.

Step 5

Repeat steps 3 and 4 above until you’ve removed all traces of the drywall mud.

Ultimately, the best remedy when it comes to dealing with stains is prevention. Therefore, be sure to secure any working areas with painter’s tape and use plastic drop cloths to cover your carpets and prevent the mud from getting on your carpet in the first place. However, you shouldn’t be too worried about a drywall mud stain as it won’t discolor your carpet permanently.

If the stain persists, try using a portable steam cleaner that has vacuum action. You also want to gently blot the area with clean, dry paper towels once you’re done steaming. Vacuum the area again once the carpet has dried.

Bottom Line

If you own a carpet, be sure to keep these tips on how to get drywall mud off carpet. Be careful enough to follow the instructions because doing it the wrong way can result in more of a mess than when you started. Should you have a difficult time dealing with the stain, hire professional carpet cleaners such as our experts here at Metro Cleaning.