How to Remove Gatorade from Carpet (DIY) – Safe & Quick Method

Figuring out how to remove red or blue Gatorade from your carpet shouldn’t make you sweat. There are plenty of household items such as club soda, vinegar, hydrogen peroxide, and even good old detergent that can help. 

Why Is Gatorade So Tricky to Remove?

Gatorade is tricky to remove, no doubt. It contains food coloring like Yellow 5, Red 40, and Blue 1 which are artificial food dyes added to this drink to make it more appealing.

While these red, blue and yellow food dyes are safe for consumption, they could stain our carpets and ruin their aesthetics permanently. 

These food dyes can be seen when dissolved in water. Their molecules can absorb a few wavelengths that make them visible. When spilled on any material, they cling and penetrate the layers of the material in question, making it sticky and a bit difficult to remove. That’s why getting rid of these stains as soon as possible is the best way to save your carpet from an unsightly stain. 

If you weren’t fortunate to get to the spot right away, the step by step guide we present below for removing gatorade stains may still work for you. They’re cheap and easy and nothing’s lost in trying. 

And it should be noted, you can use these same methods on your furniture upholstery too because as we all know kids don’t only spill their drinks on the floor.

Try Vinegar for Removing Gatorade Stains

Let’s start by trying vinegar to get that Gatorade out. Because it’s mildly acetic it’s a natural spot remover.  This may not be strong enough for you, but give it a try- particularly if you act quickly before the stain sets. 

Distilled white vinegar is what you’ll need. When using a vinegar solution, you need to know the right proportion of vinegar to water ratio that would clean your carpet, and it depends on whether your carpet or couch is made of natural or synthetic fibers. We tell you how below.

Things to consider:

• It is not poisonous, and allergic reactions are rare
• An incorrect mixture can damage the texture and color of the carpet

Steps:

1. Mix two cups of water with one cup of white vinegar for synthetic carpets. This most likely is what you’ll use for your couch or chair upholstery.
2. For natural carpets, mix one-quarter cup of white vinegar and one-quarter cup of water.
3. Soak a white absorbent cloth in this solution.
4. Press it hard against the stain and leave for 30 minutes.
5. Wipe the area towards the center.  Do not rub into the carpet, however. That may drive it further into the fibers.
6. Clean the area with water.
7. Use an absorbent paper towel or cloth to dry the area.

The Right Detergent May Be Enough to Remove Gatorade Stains

A detergent solution with the right alkalinity can possibly remove Gatorade stains for both natural and artificial fiber carpets and furniture.

Alkaline cleaners contain alkaline salts, wetting agents and sequestrant (chelating) agents. Their cleaning ability is due to the displacement of contaminants by surface-active materials and alkaline builders that remove the contaminants and allow them to be easily rinsed away. Ideally you want a detergent with a pH balance of 8.5-10. Laundry detergents typically fall in the range of 7-9 so the one you have may not be good enough. We recommend Dawn Ultra dish soap. It’s pH is between 9 and 9.2. 

Things to consider:

• It doesn’t destroy the texture of your carpet
• Residues aren’t left behind
• It gives your carpet a fresh smell
• You might need to apply this solution more than twice for deeper stains

Steps:

1. Mix one tablespoon of dishwashing soap and a cup of water in a bowl.
2. Get a white absorbent cloth and soak it in the detergent solution
3. Jab the cloth soaked in detergent solution on the Gatorade stain. Make sure it’s wet enough to to get that stain wet again.
4. Allow to set in for 5-10 minutes.
5. Wipe away with an absorbent paper towel. Keep replacing paper towel until you’ve soaked up all the liquid. 
6. Let the spot dry completely. If there are still remnants of the spot, repeat.

Use an Oxygen Bleach Such as Hydrogen Peroxide

If you have white carpets, hydrogen peroxide may be your best bet. But it may also work on colored carpets as well because science claims it’s color-safe.  

To quote from Sciencing.com:

“Oxygen bleach is hydrogen peroxide with some sodium and sometimes carbon added to it to form a powdered compound that releases the hydrogen peroxide when added to water. Oxygen bleach is known as “color-safe” or “all fabric” bleach since it does not degrade most fabric or strip most color if used correctly, though you must still test colorfastness before using. It is very stable and can be kept for over a year with no loss of effectiveness. However, it should never be stored in metal or organic containers.”

Even though they make that color-fast claim, I agree with them that before using hydrogen peroxide on your Gatorade stain, you should conduct a test in an inconspicuous area first. Just put a drop somewhere and check in a half hour. If all’s good and the color is unchanged, you’re good to go. 

Things to consider:

• Safe and easy. There’s a chance that it’ll lighten your carpet, so test first. But 3% hydrogen peroxide is weak enough and you should have no problems.
• Quick result
• Cheap

Steps:

1. Put on protective gloves.
2. Create a mixture of 1/4 cup 3% hydrogen peroxide, 1/4 cup water, and a couple of drops of dish soap. 
3. Dampen the stained area with the hydrogen peroxide solution using a spray bottle, or tap it on with a cloth.
4. Allow it to sit several minutes so your carpet can soak it in.
5. Gently agitate.
6. You’ll get even better results by using a carpet steam cleaner at this point. 
7. If you don’t have a steam cleaner, place a wet cloth or towel on the affected area to protect the carpet from burning, and use a steam iron until the cloth is almost dry. Be careful of heat though. Last thing you need is your iron burning your carpet. 
8. Blot up the till dry.
9. Repeat if necessary.

ADDENDUM: There are oxygen bleaches like Oxiclean on the market you can try instead, but their active ingredient is still hydrogen peroxide.

Still Can’t Get Gatorade Out of Your Carpet?