What dissolves fruit snacks

[Anonymous]

Because of a series of bad decisions, beginning with marriage and children, I’m dealing with a series of fruit snacks that have been ground into my living room rug.

A few weeks ago, closer to the time of the crime but still not close enough, I scraped off what I could with a butter knife and went at the spots with a spot bot thingy and a dish brush. The rug is polyurethane in a kind of faux sisal weave. I achieved little.

Now I want to try again but seriously what will even help? The fruit snacks are like, down in the grooves. The polyurethane should hold up to basically anything. Here are my ideas:

1) Soak them for as long as I can in dish soap water, I guess using rags on top.

2) goo gone. Does that work on fruit snacks?

3) bleach. Does that work on fruit snacks?

4) a heat gun. Do fruit snacks melt? Is the melting point of fruit snacks higher or lower than my plastic rug?

Any insights or experience appreciated.

[Anonymous]

I cannot help, just wanted to say thank you.

I mean, I am sorry for the consequences you are experiencing as a result of your poor decision-making, but it made for a much-needed laugh for me.

[Anonymous]

My only insight is that your writing style is awesome. I thought this might be about fruit snacks in the plumbing, a situation on which I can advise.

[Anonymous]

Have you tried an enzyme cleaner like the kind you use on pet stains? It is designed to break down organic material which may or may not be what fruit snacks are made of.
Also, consider a steam mop or steamer over top of a towel to absorb melted material. You could also try a steam iron over a towel on a low setting so you don't melt the rug.

[Anonymous]

I would try goo gone, ice cubes and/or nail polish remover. You’re supposed to be able to rub ice cubes over it to loosen gooey stuff.

I’m currently battling my own battle with thinking putty that somehow my 13 year old slept with 😳🤷‍♀️and is now everywhere.

Yes, fruit snacks melt at very high heat. We live in AZ and can’t leave them in the car in summer.

[Anonymous]

Just have the kids naw on the carpet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just have the kids naw on the carpet.

*gnaw

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just have the kids naw on the carpet.

Honestly this whole experience is making me miss our dog who died last year! He would never have let this happen.

[Anonymous]

I think heat is going to work better than cold and wet. Perhaps try a similar method to what's used for ground-in crayon. Usually you place a thin towel on it and then use an iron on low setting over top to melt the material into the towel. Once the solid material has been removed, use an oxy-clean type product to fade the stain. (I really like the Oxy Clean carpet and rug spray.)

[Anonymous]

Hot water or hair dryer

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My only insight is that your writing style is awesome. I thought this might be about fruit snacks in the plumbing, a situation on which I can advise.

Thank you because I am really horrified by the way I used “series” twice.

[Anonymous]

Update:

I decided to try goo gone because all of my heat sources would have required me to walk upstairs to get them. I didn’t spot text the goo gone because of what I can only assume is a personality disorder.

Guys, it worked SO WELL. I may have left “clean stains” on the rug but I’m counting on the goo gone residue to attract enough dirt to color match over time.

Goo gone is a really good product.

[Anonymous]

Your post was funny. Great opening line!

My main experience is with barf spots. However I agree with heat. Also recommend soft white cotton t-shirt rags for observing whether stains are lifting and absorbing the goo. Towels might be too thick to contact what should become a sticky juice spot.

Goo Gone is great. But. It is an oily liquid. It will be somewhat difficult to get it fully out of the carpet once it is carrying the dissolved jelly goo.

First, experiment on whole gummies away from the rug. Does your hottest setting kitchen sink water melt them into soup? What does your lowest setting hair dryer do? You need to be careful not to overheat and melt your carpet pile with a hair dryer.

If kitchen sink water is hot enough and you have a washable rubber hot water bottle, I would lay that on the stained area until the gummies soften. Then I would wipe the fibers gently, keeping them in their strands, until the gummy juice transferred to my rag.

I would then try a carpet cleaner that says it works on juice and grease. I have had luck with Resolve.

The reason I thought of the hot water bottle is because of a crafter's hack I learned for getting labels off of 2L soda bottles. Filling them with hot water is perfect for label removal. Doing that at room temperature is very difficult. So sometimes small changes in temperature matter a lot.

Be conservative. You don't want a melted or oily carpet. I think you should finish the job with a real carpet cleaning product. Not sure how that would interact with Goo Gone.

[Anonymous]

PP. Congrats on solving it! Glad Goo Gone worked. Took me too long to respond.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PP. Congrats on solving it! Glad Goo Gone worked. Took me too long to respond.

No it’s great because your post can guide people who are more responsible. I’m not going to tell you what I used as absorbent material, I’m taking that to the grave.

Jk it was dunkin napkins.