Ink stains on carpeting happen all of the time. Fortunately, with a little know-how, you don't have to live forever with that blotch. Here's one option of using rubbing alcohol to help you remove that blemish from your carpeting for good.

To use this method, you will need a few supplies, like:

• Rubbing alcohol
• Clean white cloths or heavy duty paper towels
• Styrofoam plate and masking tape
• Bucket of warm, almost hot water
• Clean sponge
• Wet-dry vacuum

Step 1: Prepare the Workspace – Start by cutting a hole in the center of the Styrofoam plate that is slightly larger than the ink spot on the carpeting. Tape the plate over the spot with the hole lined up with the spot. This will help to prevent the ink from spreading as you work to remove it.

Step 2: Apply the Rubbing Alcohol – Apply a bit of rubbing alcohol to the cloth or paper towel. You want it to be wet, but not dripping wet. Begin blotting the spot working from the outer edges towards the center. Change your cloth or paper towel often to avoid spreading the ink as you blot. Continue this process until the ink spot has lifted. This can take several cloths and quite a bit of time, but eventually, the alcohol will break down the chemicals in the ink and cause it to disappear.

Step 3: Rinse the Area – This is an important step for two reasons. It gives you a chance to double-check to make sure that you have removed all of the ink and it will remove the alcohol from the carpeting. Failure to remove all of the alcohol could result in a bleaching effect that cannot be undone. Get a bucket of very warm water and a sponge. Dip the sponge in the water and blot the spot. If the water turns color from the ink, you haven't removed all of the ink from the carpeting and you need to go back to the alcohol and start again.

Step 4: Dry the Carpet – Now that the spot is gone, it's time to get the carpet dry. Use a wet-dry vacuum to suck up as much moisture as possible. Then, use a clean cloth or paper towel to blot a bit. If any ink comes off of the carpet onto the cloth, you need to go back to step 2 and dry again.

This will remove the ink spot from your carpeting. If that area is a different shade than the rest of the carpeting, it's time for a deep cleaning. Talk with your local carpet cleaning specialists for assistance. You can also visit websites like revolutioncarpetcleaners.com.