How to Remove Ink Stains From Leaking Printer Cartridges

Leaky printer-ink cartridges leave tough stains.

Ink from printer cartridges has a pigment in it that adheres to paper and other surfaces, leaving a permanent mark. When a leaky printer cartridge stains a hard surface, carpet or clothing, the result can be an overwhelming mess. Tend to these ink stains quickly and with care to fully remove them.

Things You'll Need

• Clean white cloths
• Isopropyl alcohol
• All-purpose cleaner
• Hydrogen peroxide
• Bucket
• Milk
• Laundry detergent
• Lemon juice
• Salt

Instructions

Removing Ink Cartridge Stains From Hard Surfaces

1. Press a clean white towel against the ink stain on your desk or other hard surface. Move to a clean spot on the towel and continue to blot the ink stain until no more of the ink transfers to the cloth.

2. Pour isopropyl alcohol on a clean cloth. Wipe the remnants of the printer cartridge ink stain from your hard surface. Move to a clean portion of the cloth and apply more alcohol as needed until the ink is fully removed.

3. 

   An all--purpose cleaner removes your stain-removing agent.

   Spray all-purpose cleaner on your desk or hard surface where the printer cartridge ink stain was. Wipe with a clean towel to remove the isopropyl alcohol.

Removing Ink Stains From Carpet and Upholstery

1. Blot up as much of the printer ink cartridge stain from your carpet or upholstery as you can, using a white cloth. Continually move to a clean portion of the cloth and blot the ink stain until you cannot pick up any more of the ink with the cloth.

2. 

   Always blot an ink stain rather then wiping it.

   Dampen a clean white cloth with isopropyl alcohol and blot at the ink stain on your carpet or upholstery, starting at the outer edge of the stain and working toward the middle. Change to a clean cloth as needed, apply more alcohol and continue to blot until there's no further transfer of ink to cloth.

3. Tackle any remaining ink stain on your carpet or upholstery by wetting a clean cloth with hydrogen peroxide. Blot the stain until it's fully removed.

4. Rinse your carpet or upholstery by pressing a clean cloth, dampened with plain, cool water, against the site of the ink stain. Continue to blot using a clean portion of the cloth to remove the peroxide and alcohol from your carpet or upholstery.

Removing Ink Stains From Clothing

1. Place colored-fabric clothing that has printer cartridge ink stains on it in an empty bucket. Pour milk over the garment to cover the ink stain. Allow the garment to sit in the milk overnight.

2. Wash your colored-fabric garment with laundry detergent according to directions on the care label. Check to make sure the ink stain is completely removed before placing your garment in the dryer.

3. Tackle printer cartridge ink stains on white clothing with a paste made of one part lemon juice and one part table salt. Apply the paste to the ink stain and work it into the fibers by rubbing the fabric together.

4. 

   The bleaching power of sun and lemon juice works to remove ink stains from white laundry.

   Hang your ink-stained white clothing outside in direct sunlight. The sun will work with the lemon juice and salt to fully bleach and remove the ink stain.

5. Launder your white garment according to directions.

Tips & Warnings

• Wrap a plastic sandwich bag or other zip bag around a printer cartridge before installing it or pulling it out of the printer so any leaks will stay in the bag.

• Hydrogen peroxide is a form of bleach. Test an inconspicuous place on your carpet or upholstery to ensure it doesn't bleach the fibers.

References

• Good Housekeeping: Ink Cartridge Stains On Carpets
• Mrs. Clean USA: Removing Ink Stains