Ink stains are probably the hardest ones to remove from clothes or upholstery. No matter hard you try, if these dried-up stains do not come out, you have to run to a professional for help.
Talking about professionals, have you ever accidentally spilled ink on your carpet? If yes, what did you do other than panicking of course?
Did the ink stain come out easy? Alternatively, did you have to replace the carpet altogether? Yes, ink stains are tricky to clean but that does not make the task entirely impossible to achieve.
Those who have never experienced such a situation might be wondering how one can get rid of a stubborn stain like that of ink.
Especially without ruining the carpet by damaging the fibers or smearing the stain.
Let us not waste any more time and get straight to the tricks we have experimented with successfully!
If your kids have decided to be a little creative and color your white carpet with their markers then you immediately need to get it off. However, how to get ink out of carpet be that of markers?
Different types of inks (water-based or permanent) come out using different solutions and thus, here is a detailed look at how you do it:
1. Removing Water-based Ink Stains
Water-based ink stains are fairly easy to remove unless they have dried up over the days.
Although, water-based ink can simply be cleaned using plain hot water, if you are struggling with the mark, dry adding a good detergent to water first, mix and spritz the solution on the spot and blot it with a cloth.
If the need is, rub the stain with a toothbrush and rinse it with water.
Make sure you let the solution sit for 10 to 15 minutes so it saturates and the stain comes out easy. Thus, when all done, vacuum the area to dry it fully.
2. Removing Permanent Ink Stains
Permanent ink stains like that of an ink pen or tattoo are trickier to remove. Thus, how to get tattoo ink out of the carpet? If the stain is fresh, then grab a handful of paper towels and clean as much ink as you can.
Next, mix ammonia and warm water in a bottle to make a cleaning solution. Once done, spray the solution on the stain; leave it for 10 minutes before blotting it with a cloth.
When the time is up, use wet wipes to get it or rinse it thoroughly with water.
And if the need is, use a soft bristle toothbrush to rub out the stain or repeat the process for better results.
Just make sure you do not rub the stain with force or it will spread to the surrounding area, making it more difficult to remove.
And just so if you are wondering where can you find ammonia? You can get it from any supermarket placed right next to your favorite washing detergents.
If you have carpets in the house, we would suggest having them in the house all the time!
3. Removing Black Ink Stain
So, did you stain the carpet with black ink while working on your project? Alternatively, did the kids do it and now you are stuck at ways to get it out? How to get black ink out of carpet are you wondering?
If you have rubbing alcohol in the house then it should not be a problem. Get some paper towels from the kitchen and dab the stain to remove excess ink.
Next, pour some rubbing alcohol over the cotton ball and gently clean the stain with it.
Make sure you use the outside inside motion to avoid smearing. Now, let the alcohol sit for some time and saturate to work deep within the fibers and remove the stain.
After a good 10, 15 minutes, use a wet cloth to clean the stain and vacuum it to dry.
3 Tips to Get Rid of Ink Stains from Carpet
Now if you are wondering if you have an ink stain to remove but neither have rubbing alcohol at home nor ammonia, what will you do? How to get ink out of the carpet when you do not have carpet cleaner with you?
Well, if you have the following items at home, you can rush right into cleaning the stain and get rid of it in no time at all:
1. Hair Spray
This may come as a shock but hair spray helps in getting rid of stains left by permanent ink like tattoo ink or so.
Yes, as weird as this may be but everyone has at least one bottle of hair spray at his or her homes.
And if you’ve stained your carpet, just spritz a generous amount of hair spray on the stain and leave it for a good 10 minutes before blotting it with a paper towel.
Moreover, rub the stain if it is required, or else use a wet piece of cloth, wipes, or towel to wipe it clean.
Make sure, when you are using hair spray for removing a stain, you open the windows for proper ventilation or it can become difficult to stay in the room.
Also, once you have successfully removed the stain, vacuum the place so the carpet dries out quickly or just switch on the fans.
You do not want any moisture to accumulate within the padding or else, it will give rise to mold which can be more troublesome than these harmless ink stains.
2. Baking Soda and Vinegar
You can never go wrong with baking soda, vinegar, and water hack. In a bottle, add some baking soda, vinegar, and warm water and spritz the stain with it.
Blot with some paper towels and leave it like that for 10 to 15 minutes before wiping it clean and letting it dry.
This homemade solution is very effective, inexpensive to make, and works like magic without damaging your carpet.
3. Carpet Cleaners
Okay, when nothing works for you, try the carpet cleaners available in the market.
We promise you can never go wrong with these but make sure you choose a cleaner that is safe to be used on the type of carpet you have.
And yes, do not rub the stain, or else it’ll smear and become more difficult to clean out!
Can You Remove Ink Stains from Carpet?
When you were a kid and spilled ink on your clothes, what did your mum do? Dried washing out the fresh stain, right? Most of the time she succeeded in using cloth stain removals.
Thus, why can’t you remove ink stains from the carpet? You can! However, yes, you might struggle with a dried-up stain.
If you have tried and failed at removing ink stain, it is always advised to call in a professional for help. They have tools and products that will help get rid of it quickly and easily.
But what should you do if the ink stain is days old? No problem! Scratch off the chunks from the carpet using a knife or anything sharp and pour some ammonia/rubbing alcohol or any other carpet stain cleaner and blot the area. Next, rub it gently and rinse with water.
And if you do not have time to do so, just send it for dry cleaning and it’ll return to you as good as new!
Carpet cleaners are expensive but sometimes it becomes necessary to hire their services and so, one should not shy away from doing so otherwise you will be left with an ugly looking carpet forever!
John Wesley is passionate about cleaning industry especially vacuum cleaners. He is having more than a decade of experience in repairing and selling vacuum cleaners from a well known retail shop. When he’s not testing and reviewing latest vacuum cleaners for this site, he likes to spend time with his partner, 2 kids, and doing house projects.
