How to Get Ink Out of Carpet

While ink is a bit more complicated and tricky to remove from a carpet than other spills thanks to its chemical makeup, the task is most definitely possible. 

Ink stains are nothing to worry about, and they can be removed as simply as any other stain if you know how to do it properly and have the correct tools to execute the process. 

The most helpful thing is to be able to identify what type, and color, of ink you are working with. Once you know this, it makes the process a lot easier. 

In this article, we will be talking about how to get ink out of a carpet. We'll be discussing the different products and methods that you can use for different types of ink, as well. 

What this article covers:

• The Best Way to Remove Ink from A Carpet
• How to Get Old Ink Stains out of a Carpet
• How to Get Ink out of a Carpet with Rubbing Alcohol
• How to Remove Black Ink from a Carpet
• How to Remove Blue Ink from a Carpet
• How to Remove Red Ink from a Carpet
• How to Get Pen Ink out of a Carpet
• How to Get Stamp Ink out of a Carpet
• How to Get Tattoo Ink out of a Carpet

The Best Way To Remove Ink From A Carpet

The best way to remove fresh ink stains would be to use our carpet cleaning chemical called PIG OUT. PIG OUT is made specifically to target and remove ink stains from your carpet. 

But, even though it is made to target ink stains, it was also created with the ability to remove black grease from a carpet, so it is multifunctional.

Fresh ink stains are much easier to remove than dried ink stains, so one product should be enough to remove the stain. 

But, we do recommend that you do a full-on clean once you have removed the ink stain. We will explain how to do this with step-by-step instructions below. 

Step 1: Gather The Necessary Equipment

There are a few things that you are going to need to remove the ink stain from your carpet. We have listed them below for you to easily follow.

• A clean, white rag or paper towels
• An old white rag 
• Our PIG OUT stain remover
• One of our carpet presprays
• Our Counter-rotating brush machine

Step 2: Soak Up The Wet Ink

Use a clean white rag or paper towels to soak up the excess ink if it is still quite wet. 

Do this by pressing the rag onto the stain and letting it absorb as much ink as possible. 

Step 3: Apply The PIG OUT To The Stain

Apply our PIG OUT to the stain so that it is damp. 

Step 4: Blot The Stain 

Use the old rag to repeatedly press into the stain and lift the ink. Make sure that you only blot the stain, and do not use any rubbing motions. This can make the stain worse and cause it to sink further into the carpet.

Step 5: Apply A Carpet Prespray

Once the stain has been completely removed, we suggest giving the carpet a good clean with the prespray of your choice. 

Dilute the prespray as stipulated in the instructions, and spray it onto your carpet, especially where the stain was.

Step 6: Agitate The Carpet

The next step is to agitate your carpet. This simply means using a form of friction to loosen the carpet fibers and get rid of any residue that might be trapped within them. 

We recommend using our counter-rotating brush to help you do this.

Step 7: Rinse The Carpet 

The final step is to use one of our carpet rinses to rinse the entire carpet. Mix the carpet rinse as instructed, and spray it onto the carpet. 

How To Get Old Ink Stains Out Of A Carpet

As we touched on, old ink stains are much harder to remove than fresh ink stains. So, even though our PIG OUT will likely do the trick to remove old carpet stains, you might need something a little stronger than that. 

So, to remove old ink stains from a carpet, we would recommend using our Rave Spotter. This stain remover is one of the strongest and fastest-acting stain removers on the market. 

And, while Rave Spotter can remove rust stains on a carpet, and get rid of oil stains on a carpet, it works wonders for ink stains, too. 

Step 1: Get The Required Products And Equipment

You will need the following products and equipment to help you get old ink stains out of your carpet.

• An old white rag
• Our Rave Spotter stain remover
• One of our carpet presprays
• Our Counter-rotating brush 
• A carpet rinse of your choice

Step 2: Apply The Rave Spotter

Apply our Rave Spotter to the old ink stain. Make sure that the Rave Spotter properly saturates the stain.

Step 3: Allow The Rave Spotter To Set In

Once the stain is fully saturated, allow for the Rave Spotter to set in for about 10 - 15 minutes.

Step 4: Blot The Stain

Use a clean white rag to blot at the stain and lift it from the carpet. Keep doing this repeatedly until the stain has been fully removed.

Step 5: Apply A Carpet Prespray

Since these are old ink stains that we are working with, it would be a good idea to wash the rest of the carpet too. Otherwise, the section where you removed the stain may look clean, but the rest of the carpet will likely look a bit dull and dirty. 

So, we would recommend using one of our presprays to give the entire carpet a good clean.

Dilute your prespray of choice with water as directed on the bottle. Spray your prespray onto the carpet and let it sink in for about 5 minutes.

Step 6: Agitate The Carpet

Now it is time to agitate the carpet. We recommend doing this with our counter-rotating brush machine. 

For those of you who are unsure what agitating a carpet refers to, it simply means using friction to loosen up the carpet fibers and any particles that may be wedged between them. 

Step 7: Rinse The Carpet

The next step is to rinse the carpet using any one of our carpet rinses. This will help prevent any product build-up, and ensure that your carpet is left clean and stain-free.

Step 8: Dry The Carpet 

The last thing that you want to do is dry your carpet. This can be done using our counter-rotating brush machine, or a wet-dry vacuum cleaner. 

There is also a great way to remove old ink stains using more common household items. The most effective is to use rubbing alcohol. 

How To Get Ink Out Of A Carpet With Rubbing Alcohol

Step 1: Amass The Equipment You Will Need

This method is quick and simple. There is minimal equipment required, and it is easy to execute. 

There are only three things that you need to have handy. These three things are the following:

• Rubbing alcohol
• An old dry rag
• Warm, clean water

Step 2: Saturate The Cloth With Rubbing Alcohol

The first thing that you want to do is fully saturate a part of the rug with rubbing alcohol. 

Step 3: Dab The Stain

Dab the stain with the cloth and rubbing alcohol. You must never rub the stain, as this could make it worse. 

Start dabbing from the outside of the stain and work your way toward the middle. If your rag starts to dry out, rewet it with more rubbing alcohol and continue the process. 

Keep going until the stain is completely out. 

Step 4: Rinse The Area With Warm Water

It can be quite bad for your carpet if you allow rubbing alcohol to stay on it. So, to avoid causing damage to your carpet, rinse it with warm water after you are done removing the stain. 

You can dry up extra moisture using a dry rag or a vacuum cleaner. 

How To Remove Black Ink From A Carpet

There are many different types of black inks around. And, as we mentioned a little earlier on, it is very important and helpful to identify what type of ink you are working with. This makes the stain removal process a lot easier. 

So, for the sake of this section, we are going to go ahead and say that the black ink we are dealing with is from a permanent marker. 

A great way to get black permanent marker ink out of a carpet is by using nail polish remover, particularly that which is 100% acetone. 

Step 1: Get The Correct Tools

As always, there are a few different things that you will need to remove black permanent marker ink from a carpet. 

We have listed them below so you can get hold of them easily. 

• Nail polish or acetone
• Cotton balls

Step 2: Soak A Cotton Ball In Acetone 

Soak a cotton ball in acetone to start off with. Keep in mind, you will more than likely need more than one cotton ball but start with only soaking one. 

Step 3: Blot At The Stain

Blot the stain with the cotton ball repeatedly. Make sure you press quite firmly, and that you don’t make any rubbing motions. 

Reapply acetone to the cotton ball as you see it start to dry out. Once the cotton ball is no longer absorbing any more ink, soak and use a new one. 

Keep blotting at the stain until it has fully lifted from the carpet.

Step 4: Rinse With Warm Water

The last thing that you want to do is rinse the area with a bit of warm water. Acetone is not good for your carpet, as it is quite a corrosive substance. 

So, it is best to slightly rinse it with warm water so that it doesn’t cause any damage to your carpet. 

How To Remove Blue Ink From A Carpet

Luckily blue ink is one of the easier color inks to remove from a carpet. Regardless, we would still recommend using our Super Gel stain remover to get the job done.

Super Gel is not highly targeted at ink stain removal like PIG OUT is. It is more targeted at removing dried hot glue from a carpet, for example. Nonetheless, it is highly capable of removing blue ink from a carpet. Super Gel is also safe to use on carpets with any type of fiber. 

Step 1: Gather The Equipment You Will Need

There are a few things that you will need in order to effectively remove blue ink from your carpet. The equipment that you will need to get the job done is as follows:

• Our Super Gel stain remover
• A white rag (this can be old or new, just make sure it is clean)
• A carpet brush or an old toothbrush (depending on how small the stain is)
• One of our carpet rinses
• A wet-dry vacuum cleaner

Step 2: Remove Any Excess Ink

The first step is to remove any excess ink from the carpet. This step is only applicable if the ink is still dry. If the ink is not dry, move on to the next step. 

Use the white rag to remove any excess ink. The reason that you want the rag to be white is so that no excess color from the rag gets mixed with the ink stain. 

To remove excess ink, use the white rag to blot at the ink and let it absorb as much of the ink as possible. The best method to do this is to blot and hold the rag down firmly on the ink for a few seconds. Repeat this until you aren’t able to lift off any more ink.

Step 3: Apply The Super Gel

Apply the Super Gel to the blue ink, and let it sit for a few minutes. This should lift the ink and pretty much take the stain away.

Step 4: Agitate The Stain Spot

Before it has dried, you want to agitate the stain. This is where the carpet brush or the old toothbrush comes in handy. 

If the stain is too big, then obviously a toothbrush won’t quite work. But, if the stain is small enough, then using an old toothbrush helps you in the sense that you don’t have to go and buy a carpet brush. 

To agitate the stain spot, simply use the toothbrush or carpet brush and brush up and down in small motions. The friction will cause any ink that may be stuck on the carpet fibers to lift and be easily removed. 

For those of you who are unsure, that's basically what agitating a carpet means. You are using friction to lift any particles that may be stuck in the carpet fibers. 

Step 5: Rinse The Area Of The Stain

The next thing that you want to do is rinse the area of the stain. This is to make sure all of the ink is removed, and that there is no remaining product that may cause a build-up. 

While this could be done with warm water, the best and most effective way to do it is by using one of our carpet rinses. This will ensure that all of the product is washed out of your carpet fibers properly. 

Step 6: Dry The Carpet

The last thing that needs to be done is drying the carpet. This can be done by using a wet-dry vacuum cleaner and running over the area that has just been cleaned. Keep going until the area is sufficiently dry. 

How To Remove Red Ink From A Carpet

We have an amazing product that is made specifically to remove all types of red stains, including red ink stains. This fantastic product is called Red Action. 

Since this product has ammonia added, it can technically be used to remove a few different colored stains, too. But, as the name states, it is the best in the business when it comes to removing red stains. 

Step 1: Get Your Equipment

Red ink can be a bit tricky to remove, so there are a few more processes you need to follow compared to normal. 

We have listed what exactly you will need to make this process as effortless as possible. 

• Red Action stain remover
• One of our carpet rinses
• An iron or wallpaper steamer
• A towel
• Paper towels

Step 2: Soak Up Any Excess Ink

The first thing that you need to do is soak up any excess ink from the stain using paper towels. Press the paper towels firmly onto the stain, and soak up as much of the ink as possible. 

Keep going (you may need a few sheets of paper towels) until you have soaked up all of the possible ink. 

Step 3: Apply The Red Action Stain Remover

Apply the Red Action stain remover to the red ink stain quite generously. Let this sit for 2-5 minutes.

Step 4: Rinse The Area Of The Stain

Rinse the area with warm water and pat it dry with paper towels until most of the water has been removed. 

Step 5: Re-Apply The Red Action Stain Remover

Re-apply the Red Action to the spot that you just rinsed. Make sure it is quite a generous amount. The area should be saturated. 

Step 6: Heat The Area Of The Stain

The next thing that is required is to heat the area that has been covered with the Red Action. This is because heat accelerates the chemical process, and allows the Red Action to work more efficiently. 

To do this, you will use an iron and towel, or a wallpaper steamer. An iron is a little bit more dangerous to use, as it can burn your carpet if you are not careful, or it can be a threat to children or pets. But, if you keep an eye on it the whole time, it shouldn’t be a problem. 

To use an iron, place the towel over the area you are working on. Heat the iron and run it over the towel for about two minutes. Check to see if the stain has lifted after this time. If not, continue for longer. 

The wallpaper steamer is used in the same way, except it doesn’t require a towel to be used as well. 

Step 7: Rinse The Area Of The Stain

Rinse the area again. Since you are not applying any more product onto the carpet, we would suggest rinsing it with one of our carpet rinses this time, and not just water. This will remove any remaining ink or product, and prevent any product build-up and further staining of the carpet. 

Choose your rinse of preference, and dilute it with water as instructed on the bottle. Spray it onto the carpet area where you just removed the stain.

How To Get Pen Ink Out Of A Carpet 

Pen ink can be removed from a carpet using a very surprising household item - hairspray. 

Step 1: Gather The Equipment That You Will Be Needing

This is quite a simple process and doesn’t require too many different pieces of equipment to get the job done. But, you will need the following:

• Lacquer hairspray
• A clean towel 
• Clean water
• A wet-dry vacuum cleaner

Step 2: Spray The Hairspray Onto The Stain

Spray a decent amount of hairspray onto the ink. Allow the hairspray to sit on the stain for a few minutes, but make sure it does not dry.

Step 3: Blot The Hairspray

Use your clean towel to blot at the stain and try to lift it out of the carpet. Keep going until the stain has been removed. You may need to reapply hairspray several times. 

Step 4: Rinse The Hairspray Out Of The Carpet

Hairspray can damage and harden carpet fibers if it is left to dry on the carpet. For this reason, you want to make sure that you rinse the hairspray out of the carpet thoroughly. 

To do this, use cool and clean water.

Step 5: Dry The Carpet

The last thing that you need to do is dry the carpet. This can be done easily by using a wet-dry vacuum cleaner and running it over the wet area. 

How To Get Stamp Ink Out Of A Carpet 

Whether you have kids at home, or you are a regular stamper yourself, it is just a matter of time before stamp ink messes on your carpet. Luckily, a lot of stamp ink is water-based. This makes it pretty easy to remove, so hopefully, that is what you are dealing with.

Step 1: Get Together The Tools You Will Need

To remove water-based ink stains, you can use simple household items, so it is unlikely that you will have to go buy anything for them. 

Here is a list of exactly what you will need to remove water-based stamp ink from your carpet:

• Dishwashing detergent
• A clean towel
• Warm water

Step 2: Mix The Dishwashing Detergent And Water Together

Mix one teaspoon of dishwashing detergent with about a cup of lukewarm water in a bowl.

Step 3: Blot At The Stain

Use the clean towel and dip it into the bowl with water and dishwashing detergent. Then blot the damp towel onto the ink stain. Do not rub the stain at all, as this could make it worse. 

Repeat this process until the stain has been removed.

Step 4: Rinse The Carpet

Finally, rinse the area with clean warm water. This will ensure that no soap remains on the carpet. 

How To Get Tattoo Ink Out Of A Carpet 

If you are a tattoo artist, or even just someone who has gotten a tattoo, there is a chance of you messing it on a carpet at one stage or another. 

If you catch the ink quick enough, there is an interesting way to remove it that doesn’t involve the use of harsh chemicals, or the need to bleach your carpet clean.

Step 1: Gather The Necessary Tools

To remove tattoo ink from your carpet, you will need the following: 

• Paper towels
• Warm water
• Baking soda
• Diet ginger ale
• An old toothbrush

Step 2: Remove Excess Ink

Remove any excess ink using a paper towel. Simply press the paper towel into the stain and try to soak up as much ink as possible. 

Step 3: Saturate The Stain With Warm Water

Spray a little bit of warm water onto the stain. This will wet the area and make it easier to work with. But, you only want it to be damp, so soak up any excess water with a paper towel. 

Step 4: Sprinkle Baking Soda Over The Stain

Sprinkle the baking soda over the stain and its surroundings. Make sure that you sprinkle a decent layer, and that you allow it to sit for at least two minutes. 

Step 5: Pour The Diet Ginger Ale Onto The Baking Soda

Next up is the diet ginger ale. The reason that you should use diet ginger ale is that the sugar from normal ginger ale can create quite a sticky mess. 

Pour the diet ginger ale over the baking soda and let it sit for a little while.

Step 6: Scrub The Area With A Toothbrush

Using an old toothbrush, scrub the mixture into the carpet very gently. You should see the stain starting to lift. Keep scrubbing until the ink has been completely lifted out of the carpet. 

Step 7: Rinse The Area With Warm Water

Use warm water to wash the mixture out of the carpet. 

Conclusion 

While removing ink from your carpet might seem like a daunting and impossible job, it certainly isn’t. 

As we have demonstrated, numerous methods and products make the process quite easy. As long as you know what type of ink you are dealing with, and you use the appropriate methods and carpet cleaning products, the job is much easier than you think it may be.

Did you find our blog helpful? Then consider checking other guides:

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