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Did your latest art project get a little bit out of hand? Or maybe your dog has chewed up your favourite pen. Not only is the ink all over your pet now, but your carpet, too! Put away your art supplies, add a new pen to your shopping list, and put on your cleaning gloves! It’s time to get that pesky ink stain out of your carpet.
If you:
Then read on! This post will answer your questions.
Ink is literally made of dyes for staining the surfaces they touch. In addition to dyes, ink contains other ingredients such as lubricants, resins, solvents, surfactants and others. That’s why it can be harder to remove ink once it has settled into the carpet fibre. Ink can also be liquid or paste, oil or water-based, so no shortage of stain types.
If ink has stained your carpet, it is important to act quickly. Letting it dry will only make it harder to remove, resulting in more tedious work for you. Blot out as much of the liquid as you can before proceeding.
How you clean your carpet will depend on several factors.
They all make a great difference in how you should handle it. Some more delicate materials, such as wool, require more careful cleaning.
That being said, here are some of the most common ink stain types and how to remove them.
Water-based inks, such as Indian Ink, are one of the easiest to clean up. They use water as a solvent base and don’t need any harsh chemicals to break them down. You can make a DIY cleaning solution from products you have around the house.
So, here is how to easily remove water-based ink stains from your carpet:
Dish soap can help you remove water-based paint stains from your carpet, too.
Some ballpoint pen ink shouldn’t prove too difficult to remove from a carpet. However, if dishwashing liquid and water don’t do the trick you can move on to this method.
Printer ink, dried up stains, gel pens and sharpies are a different matter. To remove them, you will need something to break down the ink. This is where rubbing alcohol comes in.
Make sure to always rinse away any leftover alcohol to avoid damage to the carpet fibres. You can use a mixture of water and white vinegar, or water and dish soap.
Follow these steps to remove more stubborn ink stains from your rug:
Use a white cloth to minimise the risk of transferring dirt or colour onto the rug.
Blot the ink stain with the cloth, working from the outside towards the centre. Make sure to turn the cloth occasionally to avoid reapplying the ink to the carpet.
This might take a while, depending on the type of ink and age of the stain.
This will help remove the excess rubbing alcohol and prevent damage to the fibres.
Dab the spot with a clean cloth, dipped in the vinegar solution.
When the carpet is dry, vacuum it to restore the look of the fibres.
White vinegar works wonders when it comes to removing nasty carpet odours, as well.
As much as you try, some stains simply won’t go away. Why not let the professionals help? Fantastic Services offers a carpet cleaning service that is sure to leave your favourite rug looking and smelling fresh. The fully insured cleaners come equipped with everything they will need to restore your carpet to its former glory. They are prepared to tackle any type of material and stain you may be faced with. The service is done using the effective, child- and pet-safe hot water extraction method. Rest assured – your rug is in the right hands!
Book now to enjoy a professional and reliable service.
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Did you manage to get the ink stains off your carpet? Do you have any additional cleaning tips? Let us know in the comments below!
No matter of the cleaning method, remember to always do a small spot test on hidden part of your carpet. Depending on the size, nature, and age of the stain, some of them might be impossible to remove. We cannot take responsibility if any of the above-mentioned methods do not work on your carpets. Read our disclaimer here.
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