If you have an ink stain from a ballpoint pen or marker on your upholstered furniture or your car upholstery, do not panic!
Take a minute to review your options before rushing to try and get the stain out, which might actually make the stain worse.
Here are several different methods for how to get ink out of upholstery.
Be prepared to spend 30 minutes to 2 hours cleaning in order to remove the stain completely.
Contact the Manufacturer
Always contact the manufacturer of your sofa, chair, car, or whoever made your upholstery to get their advice on how to clean it. If you know the manufacturer of the fabric, then contact them.
Cleaning ink out of your upholstery without following the manufacturer's directions may void your warranty, so you must contact them first.
If your upholstery's manufacturer does not have any suggestions for you, then proceed with caution.
Always check these cleaning methods in an inconspicuous place on your upholstery to make sure they do not hurt your fabric. You might find a scrap of fabric underneath your furniture that you can use the cleaning product on to check to see if it will cause damage.
Different fabrics react differently to different cleaning methods, so be very cautious.
Make sure to know the type of material your upholstery is made of - whether it is microfiber, leather, vinyl, cotton, linen, wool, silk, acetate, acrylic, nylon, olefin, chenille, faux leather, polyester, or rayon.
Work While it is Wet
Fresh stains are always easier to clean than set in stains, so attempt to remove the ink stain as soon as you notice it instead of waiting a few hours or days.
Blot Ink
First, remove as much ink as possible by blotting the stain using a disposable paper towel or old rag.
Make sure to not rub the ink and spread it around, else it will make a larger stain.
Try to blot as much ink off of your upholstery as possible before proceeding to the next step.
Keep blotting until your towel no longer absorbs any ink.
Blot from the outside of the stain towards the middle so you don't smear the ink and make the stain larger.
Remove the Cover
If possible, remove the upholstered cover from your chair or sofa, but make sure to not have a clean part of the upholstery touch the ink stain.
Removing the cover will make cleaning easier and more effective while reducing the possibility of the ink stain spreading.
Plain Water
Use plain water to flush the ink out of your fabric by blotting the fabric again using a wet rag.
Do not pour water directly on the stain, else it may spread.
After that, if you have removed your cover, you can go to your kitchen sink and run water through the fabric upholstery from the back side of the fabric.
Make sure to keep the clean parts of the upholstery out of the way so the ink stain does not spread.
Blot the fabric with a dry towel periodically to help remove the ink.
Hair Spray, Vinegar, or Rubbing Alcohol
Another upholstery cleaning method is to blot the ink stain with a rag soaked in hair spray, vinegar, or rubbing alcohol.
Do not put the hair spray, vinegar, or rubbing alcohol on the fabric, but put it on your rag and blot the rag on the ink stain to avoid the stain spreading.
Make sure to test an inconspicuous place on your upholstery to ensure it will not discolor when using this method. Make sure to look at the treated fabric once dry next to the untreated fabric to ensure there is no discoloration or bleaching of the fabric.
Baking Soda and a Toothbrush
You can use baking soda and a toothbrush to remove an ink stain on fabric upholstery, but it works best if you can remove your upholstery cover.
Simply sprinkle some baking soda on the wet upholstery and brush the fabric vigorously with the toothbrush in all directions to remove the stain.
Repeat over and over again until you get your desired results.
Make sure to flush the baking soda off of your upholstery using water after you are done cleaning.
Make sure to test an inconspicuous place on your upholstery to ensure it will not discolor when using this method.
Commercial Cleaners
As a last resort, you can use commercial laundry stain removers to get the ink out of your fabric.
Be aware that many commercial stain removers are very harsh and can bleach or damage your upholstery.
Some laundry stain removers might actually create a hole in your upholstery if left on for an extended period of time.
Make sure to test an inconspicuous place on your upholstery to ensure it will not discolor when using this method.
Let it Dry
Do not put your upholstery cover in the dryer since it may shrink (unless your upholstery manufacturer says it is OK).
Blot as much of the liquid out of the fabric using a dry towel and let it air dry indoors since hanging it outdoors may bleach the fabric.
You can add fans to your room to circulate the air and help it dry faster.
Professional Upholstery Cleaning Service
If you are too scared of damaging your upholstery, enlist professional help.
Contact a professional upholstery cleaning service.
The service may visit your home to clean the upholstery on site or they may take the upholstery with them to clean it at their office.
