The Best Ways to Get Ink Out of the Carpet

There’s something comforting about having carpet underneath your feet, but carpet’s not always the easiest material to maintain. It doesn’t matter what kind of carpet you may have; it’s going to get stained and dirty at one point or another. Not all stains are created equal, however, and perhaps there’s no stain harder to deal with than ink—no matter what color ink that may be. If you’ve ever gotten ink on your carpet, you know exactly what we’re talking about. We’ve compiled a list of the best ways to get ink out of carpet. Try one or try them all.

1. Carpet cleaner

This should be your first go-to cleaner before you try anything else. After all, carpet cleaners are designed to do one thing—clean carpets. There are different types of cleaners out there. You can buy generic ones or industrial-grade cleaners that will give you some extra cleaning power. You can also use spot cleaners that are designed to clean heavy traffic areas. There’s a chance that they can get a good amount of ink out of your carpet, especially if it’s fresh. It might be more difficult to get hardened ink out, but we’ve got other options for those.

2. Dishwashing liquid

Tough grease is no match for some of the best dishwashing liquid in the market, and they happen to do well for ink as well. According to this article, dishwashing liquid will work exceptionally well to treat an ink-stained carpet if the ink is water-based. All you’d have to do is dissolve a little bit of dishwashing liquid in some warm water, and start dabbing on the stained area right away using a washcloth or small towel. Repeat this process until the ink has completely dissolved.

3. Rubbing alcohol

Permanent ink can be particularly difficult to get rid off, especially when it happens upon certain kinds carpets such as textured or plush piles. The thin consistency of rubbing alcohol allows it to seep into carpet fibers more easily compared to other cleaning solutions. Generally, average rubbing alcohol contains about 70% ethanol, but you can find stronger hydroxyl solutions with up to 95% alcohol. To clean ink stains off of a carpet using rubbing alcohol, make sure not to pour alcohol directly onto the area. Dilute the alcohol with a little bit of warm water and use the blotting technique to slowly get the stain out.

4. Laundry detergent

Laundry detergent acts very much like dishwashing liquid when it comes to getting rid of stains. Laundry detergent is designed to work with organic or synthetic fibers in clothing, which has similar composition to most carpets. Laundry detergent works with water and a little bit of agitation to get rid of stains. However, you wouldn’t want to agitate carpet too much because it can cause the fibers to break. Mix laundry detergent with some warm water, and apply the mixture onto the stained area. You can use a brush with soft bristles if a stain won’t come out using a towel. An old toothbrush will do wonders with getting ink out of carpet.

5. Hairspray

Hair products often get a bad rep for the damage they can cause, and hairsprays have seen the worst reviews for years now. It turns out that hairsprays have more use than just keeping your hair in place. They’re quite useful as stain removers, especially when it comes to permanent ink on carpet. The hairspray acts as a softener for the ink. Spray as much as you can to slowly saturate the stained area on your carpet. Let the hairspray soak in a bit, then start blotting gently with a towel until the stain has been removed completely.

6. Ammonia

If you have a stain that won’t budge with rubbing alcohol, you can try using an ammonia solution instead. Ammonia is known as a useful ingredient in cleaning solutions, and it’s powerful on its own. As an alternative ink remover, you’ll have to mix the ammonia with warm water in a spray bottle. Spray the solution, and let it seep in for a couple of minutes before you start blotting away. If the simple ammonia solution won’t work, try adding about a teaspoon of detergent to make a stronger solution. Repeat the process as necessary.

7. Lubricant

Before you try this method onto your carpet, make sure that you test it out first on an inconspicuous area. The lubricant may not react well to your specific carpet; or worse, it might even cause its own stain. When ready, spray some lubricant onto the ink-stained carpet area. After a couple of minutes, slowly blot the lubricant away with soapy water using a washcloth. Do this slowly until the stain disappears.

8. Distilled white vinegar

There’s nothing that vinegar can’t do. It’s one of the most useful things you can find in your kitchen, especially when it comes to cleaning. We all know that vinegar does wonders as a nontoxic cleaner. It is powerful without being damaging. As long as you can stand the smell, you can use distilled white vinegar to treat your ink-stained carpets. Vinegar should work well against any type of ink stains. Mix equal parts of water and vinegar, and dab the solution onto the stained area. Rinse with warm soapy water when finished.

9. Acetone

Acetone can do more than just remove your nail polish. It’s strong enough to get rid of sticky gunk from labels or stickers, and it can also remove ink stains from your carpet. Using this method, you can simply use a cotton ball that’s saturated in acetone. You’ll want to dab the acetone onto the stained area very gently. You wouldn’t want to push the ink stains deeper into the fibers. Keep dabbing until the stain is completely removed.

10. Shampoo

If you’ve got a light ink stain, shampoo should do well enough to wash it off. Baby shampoo is preferable because it is gentle enough for the fibers on your carpet. However if you’re just at a loss on how to remove ink stains on your carpet, it might be a good idea to just shampoo the area. To do this properly, you’ll need a machine that will do most of the work for you. If you don’t have a carpet steamer handy, you can easily rent one to use. Make sure to buy the best carpet shampoo that is compatible with your steamer, and operate the machine per manual/shampoo instructions.