How to remove printer ink stains

No matter how careful you are, at some point you will probably get printer ink stains on your hands, clothing or carpets. This can happen especially if you are changing a laser toner cartridge or refilling ink cartridges. It is possible to remove printer ink stains if you act quickly before the stain has time to set. Ink stains fall into two different categories, water based ink stains and permanent ink stains. Water based stains are relatively easy to remove but permanent ink stains can be much more challenging. Follow our easy step by step guide below to remove any unwanted ink stains!

Water based ink stains

To remove a water based ink stain from your hands or skin, firstly wash your hands thoroughly with water, and then lather your hands in a mild soap. If the stain still remains you can use a more abrasive soap or a pumice stone.

If you get some ink on your clothing, lay the stained area on top of a clean dry white towel, apply water to the ink stain and blot it with another clean white cloth, removing the stain as you blot. Then apply your normal liquid laundry detergent onto the ink stain and allow the garment to sit for 3-5 minutes. Then wash the garment in the warmest water the fabric can tolerate. Before drying, check to the make sure the ink stain was removed, if not then repeat the previous steps until it has gone.

If you get an ink stain on your carpet, you should firstly blot the ink stain with a clean dry towel to remove any excess ink. Secondly pour a small amount of rubbing alcohol onto the stain, or you can spray the stain with some hairspray, now dab away the stain gently with a towel. You should now apply some purpose made carpet cleaner to the stain and gently scrub it away with a toothbrush. Finally wet the towel and wipe away any excess carpet cleaner from the carpet. As you work to remove the stain, use a clean area of the towel so you do not transfer any ink back into your carpet.

Permanent ink stains

You must remember that permanent ink stains are some of the most difficult stains to remove. If a permanent ink stain happens on a fabric or pattern that cannot be bleached, it will be extremely difficult to impossible to remove.

To remove permanent ink from your skin or hands, wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water, this will not remove the stain but will lessen it slightly. Secondly use some abrasive skin scrub or a stone and gently rub the stain until it becomes faded. You cannot fully remove the stain but it will gradually wear off over days.

If you get a permanent ink stain on your clothing or carpet, you should dab the stain with the clean wet sponge or paper towel immediately. Spray the stain with hairspray, then place the stained fabric between two clean paper towels and blot from the back side of the stained fabric spraying with additional hairspray if needed. Apply a laundry pre-treatment stain remover, then wash and air dry.

If the above tips didn’t work then try some rubbing alcohol on the stain. Place the clothing on top of a clean white towel. Make sure you test in a hidden spot prior to applying the rubbing alcohol. Blot rub the alcohol on to the ink stain. The towel underneath should become wet and discoloured from the ink. Make sure you move the garment to a clean dry section of the towel as this happens. Continue doing this until no more ink stain can be removed. After you have finished, ensure you completely rinse the stained area free of rubbing alcohol. If this did not work, try some nail polish remover next, applying this in exactly the same way as the rubbing alcohol. When you have finished rinse the garment thoroughly.

If none of the above steps work, you can try rubbing some baking soda mixed with water into the stain as a last resort. Unfortunately if this doesn’t work you may be stuck with the stain for life!

Laser toner cartridge stains

The ink used in a laser toner cartridge is actually a fine powder. It can be washed off your skin easily using cold water. Do NOT use warm water, as the heat will make it sticky and stain your skin! If this happens you will need to use an abrasive hand wash. If you get any toner on your clothes, try to brush it off with a broom or any type of dry brush of cloth. You can also try shaking the powder out of any fabric, unfortunately though, the chances are it will stain permanently. You must NOT try to vacuum up any spilt laser toner, as it is statically charged and could cause a fire in your vacuum cleaner!