Remove Ink Stains from Fabric

Finding ink on any fabric can be a frustration. You may be tempted to throw the garment out, but try these methods first -- they're safe on the fabric and effective. Even on ink!

Steps

With Rubbing Alcohol

  1. Quickly soak a cotton ball in rubbing alcohol. If your stain is large, you may want to soak a hand towel or washcloth in the solution. If you don't have rubbing alcohol, try hairspray or hand sanitizer -- both have high concentrations of alcohol in them.
  2. Place a paper towel underneath the ink stain. The paper towel is there to absorb the ink and alcohol so that it doesn't bleed more into the fabric.
  3. Rub the cotton ball over the area on which the ink stain has occurred. Be diligent -- the more thorough you are, the better the stain will come out. Be careful of your eyes or any scratches you have on your hands -- rubbing alcohol stings.
    • Apply the cotton ball with a gentle pressure at first, and then use as much pressure as needed (within reason) to remove the stain.
  4. Wipe the excess alcohol from the fabric. Then, wash the piece of clothing as you normally would. When you take it out of the washer, it should be completely stain-free.

With Milk & Vinegar

  1. Combine the milk and vinegar into a large bowl. You want just enough to cover your material, while still maintaining a 1:2 ratio of vinegar to milk. The smaller the stain, the less liquid you'll need.
  2. Soak the fabric in the mixture. Leave it in the kitchen, go watch some TV, and go to bed. Revisit it in the morning to give it adequate time for miracle-working. Keep it at room temperature and only cover it if you're concerned about a smell; it'll work either way.
  3. Remove from the bowl. Squeeze it out to avoid any mess. Hang the fabric dry and wash as normal. If you see a light silhouette of the stain, don't worry; it'll come out after a washing.

Things You'll Need

Method 1: With Rubbing Alcohol

  • Cotton ball/s
  • Rubbing alcohol (or hairspray or hand sanitizer)

Method 2: With Milk & Vinegar

  • Milk
  • Vinegar
  • Bowl

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