Get Pen Stains out of Clothing

Whether your favorite pen sprung a leak or your child got hold of some off-limit markers, ink stains on your clothes can ruin your style. Rather than throwing out otherwise good clothing, you can often lighten or remove the stain and salvage the garment. To get pen stains out of clothing, you can dab on certain chemicals like rubbing alcohol or ammonia, or apply natural products like vinegar or milk; typically, you'll need to let the product sit on the stain for a few minutes before washing the material. You'll be surprised by how quickly and effectively you can get ink out of clothing using products you probably already have!

Steps

Chemical Methods for Removing Stains

  1. Pour on rubbing alcohol. This is, by far, the most effective means of removing ink stains from clothing. Pour rubbing alcohol directly onto the stained spot and allow it to set for a few minutes. Then, toss your clothes into a regular wash cycle and they should come out ink-free!
  2. Dab on some hand sanitizer. Hand sanitizer is just another sneaky way of packaging rubbing alcohol. If you don’t have straight-up rubbing alcohol around, pouring on any hand sanitizer (even the dyed kind with little beads) should remove the pen ink. Wash your clothes as per usual afterwards.[1]
  3. Give your stain a misting of hair spray. One of the main ingredients in hair spray? You guessed it - alcohol. Use any kind of hair spray and spritz the stain until it is damp. The ink stain may lift immediately, but will likely require a trip through the washing machine as well.[1]
  4. Wash with dish soap. The detergent you use for the dirtiest of pots and pans may actually work to get ink out of your clothes. Make a solution of ½ a teaspoon of dish detergent, 1 tablespoon of white vinegar, and 1 quart of warm water. Let your clothes soak in this for thirty minutes before throwing them in a regular wash cycle.
  5. Dab on some ammonia. Grab some plain ammonia and dab it directly onto the ink stain. Let it sit for a few minutes before scrubbing at it with a damp rag. For added effect, put a little dish or laundry detergent on your rag. Do this until most of the stain has been lifted, and then follow up with a regular wash. [2]
  6. Spread on some toothpaste. Although this method may not work for all fabrics, toothpaste (non-gel kind) will work to scrub out your ink stains. Spread some directly onto your stain with your finger, and rub it in a bit. Then wash your clothing in a regular wash cycle. You should remove your clothes stain-free and fresh!

Natural Methods for Removing Stains

  1. Pour on vinegar. White vinegar has numerous household cleaning properties, with one of which being ink stain removal. Pour some white vinegar over your stain, and then create a paste of white vinegar and cornstarch. Spread this over the stain and allow it to set for a few hours before throwing your clothes in the washing machine.[3]
  2. Soak your clothes in milk. Support your local dairy farmers, and soak your clothing in some fresh milk. Fill a bowl up and let your clothes soak in it overnight. To keep from harboring bad smells, keep the milk and clothes in the fridge. Then, put your clothes through a regular wash and dry. Your ink stains should disappear!
  3. Use some cornstarch. Also great for removing oil-based stains, cornstarch may work to get rid of your ink stains as well. Mix a bit of cornstarch with some milk to create a thin paste and apply it to the stain. Let it set for a couple of hours before putting your clothing into the washing machine.



Tips

  • For wide-spread ink stains, take your clothes to a dry cleaners for the best results.
  • Do not put in the dryer until the stain is out.
  • If you got ink on suede, use a fine grit sandpaper to buff out the ink.

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Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 http://www.alittletipsy.com/2009/06/laundry-lessons-get-pen-ink-out-of.html
  2. ↑ http://home.howstuffworks.com/how-to-remove-stamp-pad-ballpoint-pen-ink-stains2.htm
  3. ↑ http://www.rd.com/home/10-ink-stain-solutions/

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