How To Get Tattoo Ink Out Of Carpet – 8 Crazy Method In 2023

When you are tattooing, there are many things you have to do to prepare. You need to have the tattoo stenciled on yourself or your client and get your equipment ready. You might also place plastic wraps around where you are tattooing to keep the ink from staining your carpet. But maybe once or twice you were careless and spilled tattoo ink on your carpet and now it’s staining!

So how to get tattoo ink out of carpet? Lucky for you, there are many ways of doing so! There are both conventional methods you can follow and unconventional methods that you might have not thought about. If you accidentally spilled your tattoo ink on your carpet, then it is time to learn how to get them out without staining your carpets!

Key Takeaways

• Tattoo ink can fall on your carpet while you are tattooing at your shop or it could leak and fall from your healing tattoo.
• 8 methods of getting rid of tattoo ink from your carpets, with conventional and unconventional methods.
• Dried tattoo ink may be especially difficult to get rid of from your carpets, but there are still ways to do so.

How Can You Get Tattoo Ink on Your Carpets?

As a tattoo artist, I will always keep plastic wraps around where I am tattooing. This might be on myself or a client, but I always make sure to do that so the ink does fall and stain places. But there are often times when you can be absent-minded and drop your tattoo ink cups and now it’s all over your carpets!

It can even happen when you are recovering from your new tattoo. New tattoos are like open wounds that need time to heal and will periodically leak ink and plasma. You might not notice it and now it’s all over your carpet too! There are many ways that you can get tattoo ink on your carpet. I am a klutz and often drop things so I have regrettably been guilty of getting ink on my carpet when I practiced tattooing at home. It’s perfectly normal, as long as you know how to get rid of them with the following easy methods. The first thing you have to do is to make sure you don’t panic and act fast!

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Method 1: Isopropyl Alcohol

Isopropyl alcohol is probably the best method of action against spilled tattoo ink. It acts as a solvent and mixes with the ink, making it easier to separate from the carpet. Remember when you use isopropyl alcohol you only blot the stain. Do not rub the ink stain or you will risk making it worse

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Steps to follow

1. Take the cloth and rinse in warm water and absorb the excess ink off the surface of the spill
2. Dampen a rag with the isopropyl alcohol and blot the ink stain
3. Repeat step 2 until the ink fades (this could take about 10 to 15 minutes)
4. After getting the tattoo ink off, use a dry cloth to take remove any trace of alcohol from your carpet

Pros and Cons

Method 2: Acetone-based Nail Polish Remover

The acetone present in nail polish is what makes it a good stain remover. It works to break down the physical components in the tattoo ink and make a suspension that is easier to remove than the actual tattoo ink itself.

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Steps to follow

1. Take a damp cloth and start blotting the excess ink stain carefully
2. Slightly soak a cotton ball with the acetone polish remover. Do not completely soak it
3. Cover the ink stain with a few soaked cotton balls. Use as many as required to cover the ink spill.
4. After a couple of minutes, take gently rub the area with the soaked cotton balls. Do not squeeze it and drip acetone on the carpet
5. Repeat step 4 until the tattoo ink is removed
6. Wipe the area with a warm damp cloth and then a clean cloth to remove any trace of acetone left on the carpet.

Pros and Cons

Method 3: Baking Soda + Diet Ginger Ale

Don’t be alarmed by the ginger ale in the method, this is one of those unconventional methods I was talking about! The ginger ale will help make sure that the carpet is not sticky. Baking soda is made of sodium bicarbonate that reacts with the ink and creates a clear solution that can be easily removed.

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Steps to follow

1. Add a few drops of warm water to the stain and absorb the excess ink with the paper towels
2. Put baking soda on the ink stain and let it sit for 3 minutes. Cover the whole stain and make sure to not exceed the 5-minute mark after adding the baking soda
3. Add diet ginger ale to the baking soda on top. Make sure the ginger ale doesn’t spill onto the other parts of the carpet
4. Use a toothbrush and scrub only the tattoo stain. Use paper towels to absorb any liquid that comes off when doing so. Continue until the ink fades
5. Add more water on top of the faded stain
6. Clean the area with warm water and a dry cloth

Pros and Cons

Method 4: Spot Stain Remover

Spot stain removers like OxiClean are what you want to remove stains. It uses non-bleaching ingredients to help remove the stain from your carpet.

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Steps to follow

1. Apply the spot remover on the stain with the spray and let it sit there for 5 minutes
2. Wipe off using the wash sponge. Make sure to really get into the carpet
3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 until the stain fades
4. After it is removed, rinse the area with cold water

Pros and Cons

Method 5: Hydrogen Peroxide

When you have a really pesky and hard to get of ink stain like tattoo ink, you have to bring out the big guns like hydrogen peroxide. It can work to remove almost any ink from any surface.

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Steps to follow

1. Add a tablespoon of hydrogen peroxide solution to the spray bottle and mix it with water
2. Spray the area of the stain and leave it there for 5 minutes
3. When the ink is removed, wipe the area with a cloth and cold water

Pros and Cons

Method 6: Vinegar + Dishwasher Soap

There is nothing like a bit of old-school vinegar and dishwasher soap to remove stains. The combination will help to break up the tattoo ink.

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Steps to follow

1. Mix vinegar and dishwasher soap in equal parts in water inside the spray bottle
2. Apply the mixture on the stain with the spray and let it sit there for 5 minutes
3. Wipe off using the wash sponge.
4. Repeat the above steps until the stain is removed
5. After it is removed, rinse the area with cold water

Pros and Cons

Method 7: Hair Spray

This is another unconventional method but a hair spray will work, I promise! The alcohol in most hair spray is just like isopropyl alcohol so it works similarly to remove the tattoo stain.

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Steps to follow

1. Spray the area with your hair spray and leave it there for up to 10 minutes. Make sure to completely cover the stain
2. Start blotting the stain when the ink stain starts to fade
3. Wipe the area afterward and then vacuum over the stain

Pros and Cons

Method 8: Bleaching Products

Saving the best for last, bleaching products can remove everything. It is especially good for spilled ink from your new tattoo which has plasma, blood, and tattoo ink.

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Steps to follow

1. Mix 3 tablespoons of bleach for every half liter of water inside the spray bottle
2. Apply the mixture on the stain with the spray and let it sit there for 5 minutes
3. Wipe off using the cloth.
4. After it is removed, rinse the area with cold water and let it air dry

Pros and Cons

Best Method to Get Dried Tattoo Ink Off Carpet

Dried tattoo ink is notoriously hard to remove because the heavy metal pigments in the tattoo ink will remain. They are hard to remove, much like how hard it is to remove once the tattoo ink settles in your dermis. That is why you should act fast to wipe off any excess ink off the carpet first so it doesn’t dry as fast.

The best method of dried tattoo ink removal from your carpet is to use isopropyl alcohol. It’s a solvent that mixes well with the tattoo ink and makes the removal very easy. It is also less damaging while also being strong enough to get rid of tattoo ink. However, very old and dried tattoo ink might need something stronger than isopropyl alcohol.

Bleach is the best you can do as an at-home solution for complete removal. But if you don’t have a completely white carpet you risk discoloring your carpet forever. Not to mention the fact that even white carpets will remain severely damaged when bleach is used.

In that case, I would suggest hiring professionals to help. They know best what to do and use machinery that can easily get rid of the tattoo ink stain. It might be expensive but in return, you will get back a carpet that will look brand new!

FAQs

Can WD-40 help remove tattoo ink off the carpet?

WD-40 is a petroleum-based cleaner that loosens the water-insoluble pigments in the tattoo ink and makes removal very easy!

Is OxiClean good at removing tattoo ink stains?

The hydrogen peroxide in OxiClean will massively help remove ink stains. But it can also ruin the fabric while doing so.

Is Method Stain Remover good for tattoo ink removal from carpets?

Method Stain Remover is made with enzymes that break down the pigments in the stain. The only problem is that it works better on natural fiber than on synthetic fiber carpets.

Final Thoughts

If you are ever in a predicament where you dropped tattoo ink on your carpet, the first thing to do is not panic. Acting immediately and swiftly will ensure that getting the tattoo ink off the carpet is quick, easy, and painless. I will always say this: the best method of removal is to not spill at all. Always cover the area with plastic wraps when you are tattooing, whether on yourself or a client. If you still spill on your carpet, then hopefully this saves you the trouble of getting your carpet washed by a professional to get rid of a small stain.

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