How to Get Ink Out of Carpet (Pen, Marker and Permanent Marker)

To get ink out of carpet, first work out what kind of ink it is, then blot, never rub.

• Washable marker or kids' pens: blot with a damp sponge or cloth, then with a weak dishwashing liquid solution, and rinse. If colour remains, Crayola's own carpet method is to blot with rubbing alcohol on a cotton ball.
• Ballpoint pen: ballpoint ink is oil-based and water barely moves it. A small amount of rubbing alcohol on a white cloth, tested first, often lifts a small pen mark. Then wash and rinse.
• Permanent marker: this is made not to wash out. Try alcohol carefully on a small mark, but expect a professional job for anything larger.

Whatever the ink, test on a hidden spot first, keep the liquid on a cloth rather than pouring it on the carpet, and never scrub. This guide covers each type step by step.

Ink is not one stain. The method depends on what carries the colour.

• Water-based ink includes washable markers, most children's felt pens and many fountain pen inks. The pen or packet often says "washable". Water and detergent do most of the work.
• Oil-based ink is what most ballpoint pens use. It does not dissolve well in water, so scrubbing with soapy water just spreads it. It needs a solvent such as alcohol.
• Permanent marker uses dyes in a solvent designed to bond with surfaces and resist water. It is the hardest to shift.

If you are not sure, find the pen. If you cannot, start with the gentlest method (plain water on a cloth) and move up only if nothing is lifting.

Most pen marks on carpet are small, which is lucky, because ballpoint ink is oil-based and does not respond to water.

1. Test first. Dab a little rubbing alcohol on a white cloth and press it on a hidden patch. Stop if colour comes off the carpet or the fibres change.
2. Blot with alcohol on a cloth. Put a small amount on a white cloth or cotton ball, not on the carpet, and blot the ink from the outside in. Turn to a clean section each time ink transfers. Be patient: small amounts, many times.
3. Wash and rinse. Blot with the weak dishwashing liquid solution, then plain water, and press dry.

It is worth being straight about the evidence here. University of Georgia Extension's carpet method for ballpoint ink uses a dry-cleaning solvent first and then butyl alcohol, which most homes do not have, rather than ordinary rubbing alcohol. Rubbing alcohol is the practical home version and often works on small marks, but it is not guaranteed. If a careful few rounds do not lift the ink, stop before the area spreads and call a professional.

UGA also warns that solvents can damage carpet backing if they soak through, so keep the cloth damp, not wet.

Permanent marker is designed not to come off, so set your expectations accordingly.

For a small mark on synthetic carpet, you can try the ballpoint method above: rubbing alcohol on a cotton ball, tested first, blotted patiently. Some colour often lifts. A faint tint commonly remains.

For anything larger than a few centimetres, or a mark on light-coloured carpet, stop and call a professional. Repeated DIY attempts tend to spread the dye into a wider, paler smudge that is harder to treat than the original line.

Wool carpet or a wool rug? Blot with a damp cloth only, then call a professional. Godfrey Hirst warns that haphazard spot removal on wool can cause permanent colour loss and pile distortion. UGA Extension also warns that ammonia, which appears in some ink-removal recipes online, damages wool.

Check your fibre before using alcohol. UGA notes that alcohol damages acetate, triacetate, modacrylic and acrylic fibres. These are uncommon in household carpet but do appear in some rugs, which is another reason the patch test matters.

Rubbing alcohol and many solvent spot removers are flammable. UGA Extension advises working with good ventilation and away from open flames. For the washing steps, use plain dishwashing liquid. The Carpet and Rug Institute warns that many laundry detergents contain optical brighteners that can dye carpet fibres.

You may have seen hairspray recommended for ink. We have not found reliable carpet guidance supporting it, and many hairsprays leave a sticky residue. Use alcohol on a cloth instead.

A small washable-marker or pen mark is usually a DIY job. Call a professional carpet cleaner when:

• it is permanent marker, or a large area of any ink
• a burst pen or ink cartridge has soaked into the carpet
• the patch test changed the colour or feel of the carpet
• the mark is on wool carpet or a valuable rug
• the ink has spread into a smudge after earlier attempts

We treat spots and stains as part of a carpet steam clean. Stain treatment usually adds $30 to $60, and you can see the full rates on our carpet cleaning prices page. We check every mark before we start and tell you honestly if a dye mark is unlikely to come out completely. We clean carpet across Canberra and Queanbeyan; see our Canberra carpet cleaning page for what is included.

Kids' art on the carpet in a rental? Marks like these are worth sorting before a final inspection; see our end of lease cleaning. If the ink is on a couch, our upholstery cleaning service can help. For similar solvent-type stains, see our guide on how to get nail polish out of carpet, or our complete guide to removing carpet stains.