Removing ink from upholstery fabrics can be a troublesome and somewhat risky procedure. Here are a few tips that should make the job easier, and less risky:
The nature of some types of ink is such that once a spotter is applied, the ink pigment may spread rapidly to adjoining areas of the fabric. That means, ink spots that at first appear just as a few specks, could become large and unsightly from improper spotting.
Because of the risk of the spotting procedure making the ink stains look even worse, you should only proceed
(1) IF your customer is willing to sign a release of responsibility, and
(2) IF they are willing to pay you enough (Two VERY big "if's").
You then should apply a few drops of a high quality, solvent based ink remover, such as Sapphire Scientific OGC (Oil, Grease, and Cosmetic remover). As the solvent liquifies the ink, the vacuum will immediately pull the ink into the vacuum flow and keep it from spreading.
Afterward, apply Sapphire Scientific Natural Fiber Cleaner as a preconditioner, and agitate it with a soft horsehair brush. Natural Fiber Cleaner has a special surfactant that suspends pigments and particulates better than most upholstery preconditioners, so you are more likely to suspend and then later be able to rinse out remaining ink residues than if you used other cleaners.
If the ink is in areas other than cushions that can be unzipped, your risks increase. You can apply the ink spotter to a Q tip swab and gently blot the ink, with immediate extraction afterward. This will be EXTREMELY time consuming, and you still have the risk of the ink spreading.
