This is only worth doing if you have small piles of ash on the ground. If the ash is evenly distributed or you’ve got a carpet with a thin pile, this may make things worse. Don’t dig the spoon into the carpet. Run the bowl of the spoon over the surface of the fibers so that you don’t rub them in even further. Put the ash into plastic bags and seal them to avoid spreading debris. [2] X Research source
This may not do much depending on how thick the fibers in your carpet are. If you feel like you aren’t picking much ash up, move on. Do not press down hard with the lint roller. You might accidentally break the ash up and work it into the fiber if you push too hard.
Continue doing this until you’re only left with the ashy residue in the carpet. You can use soapy water if you prefer, but your goal here is to pick the ash up. You’ll deodorize/clean it later.
You may be tempted to turn some fans on, but it’s actually better if you don’t blow ash into the air if you want to remove it. It’s easier to keep all of the ash in one place. On top of that, breathing ash can damage and irritate your lungs, so it’s safer to leave it where it is.
You can use cornstarch instead of baking soda if you prefer. You could also use a commercial carpet cleaning powder. [7] X Research source
If you can get your hands on a vacuum, go do it now. You’ve got to wait at least 1 hour for the baking soda anyway, and it will make things a lot easier if you can vacuum it up.
If you can still see visible chunks of ash, try to be gentle. If you’ve got a thin layer of ash and baking soda though, use a little bit of force. Use a blotting motion whenever possible here, but you’re probably going to have to do a little bit of wiping and that’s okay. Just try not to spread the ash out too much.
You can repeat this process with the baking soda and damp cloth as needed until the stain and odor is entirely gone.
If you don’t mind having a nearly invisible layer of ash residue left behind, feel free to leave the carpet as is. If it isn’t visible to the naked eye, it may not matter a lot to you.
Once you shake the ash out, you’re good to go. If you see any residue or you want to get rid of any lingering odors, sprinkle the baking soda over the area, let it sit for at least one hour, then shake the rug out again. If the rug is washable, throw it in the washing machine and air dry it out.
