Home printers are now extremely common, with most homes containing at least one computer. Whilst this certainly saves a lot of time and money caused by having to visit the local library in order to print out a sheet or two, it does bring with it a few drawbacks.

The biggest one of these is, thankfully, not too common, but when it does happen, it can cause a lot of distress and panic. I’m talking, of course, about when your ink cartridges leak or break, spilling black or coloured ink onto your carpet. Many of us probably know, off by heart, home remedies from our parents that have been passed through generations, about how to get red wine and other stains out, but ink, being relatively new in the family home, does not seem to be included in this list.

Thankfully, there is no need to panic. In fact, panicking is probably the worst thing that you can do in this situation as it is likely to lead to frantic scrubbing of the affected area which will only make the situation worse.

So, how do you get rid of ink stains from your carpet?

First of all, under no circumstances should you scrub the stain as this will only act to spread it out over a wider area. As soon as any ink is spilled, very gently dab the stain with some kitchen towel, removing as much of the ink stain as possible before taking any further steps.

Once you have removed as much of the excess ink as you can, by using the kitchen towel, you should take a clean cloth and soak a corner of it with rubbing alcohol. Gently dab at the stained spot, re-wetting the cloth occasionally with more of the alcohol. Keep dabbing and re-wetting until the stain has completely gone. Please note that it is important not to press the stain with the cloth too hard as this will cause it to become embedded even deeper into the carpet.

Sometimes, the use of a lubricant such as WD-40 can work well, however, this should always be tested on a very small hidden area of the carpet as it will not work on all types, and may make the situation far worse than it already is. If a small test area brings success, then simply spray the WD-40 onto the stain and leave for a few minutes. Then, using warm soapy water, wipe the stain with a sponge and rinse with warm water.

Other methods that may work include the use of vinegar and baking soda. However, these methods are heavily dependent on the type of carpet, and the above methods are preferable to remove any stains that have leaked from your ink cartridges onto your carpet.

If you are in any doubt, or if you have a very expensive carpet, you may prefer to enlist the help of a professional carpet cleaner. If you decide to do this, always call them immediately after the spill. Although they may be busy, some carpet cleaners will prioritise situations such as this in order to maximise the chance of the successful removal of the stain from your carpet.

Ben Greenwood is writing on behalf of Cartridge World, the UK\’s leading specialist in printer cartridges.

Ben Greenwood is writing on behalf of Cartridge World (http://www.cartridgeworld.co.uk), the UK\’s leading specialist in printer cartridges.

Author Bio: Ben Greenwood is writing on behalf of Cartridge World, the UK\’s leading specialist in printer cartridges.

Category: Advice
Keywords: office supplies,inkjet cartridges, toner cartridges, printer cartridges