Remove Ink Stains from a Purse Lining
If you keep a pen in your purse, it's likely to eventually leak or mark the inside of your bag. Using some common household items, you can remove ink stains from your purse lining without needing to get it professionally cleaned. Here are some suggestions on how to get the ink stain out yourself.
Contents
Steps
Hairspray Method
This method would work best if most of the affecting lining of your purse can be pulled out, in order to ensure that the surrounding inner area will remain free of the hairspray. If the material of your purse is leather, be careful not to get the hairspray on the purse exterior, as it might damage the finish of your purse.
- Turn the lining out of the purse as much as you can.
- Place several layers of paper towels or a clean cloth under the part of the lining with the spot.
- Spray some hairspray directly on the ink spot. If the lining does not pull out of the purse so much, or if you are concerned about getting hairspray on other parts of the purse, you can also spray the hairspray on a Q-tip and rub the stain with it.
- Dab at the treated spot with a dry cloth or paper towels.
- Dab at the spot with a sponge, Q-tip or cloth dipped in clean water.
- Repeat the process until the ink stain disappears. You may have to do the process several times in order to get the stain off completely.
- Let the purse lining air dry.
Rubbing Alcohol Method
Rubbing alcohol is a common household product that can be used for ink stain removal.
- Turn the lining out of the purse as much as you can.
- Dip a cotton ball in rubbing alcohol.
- Rub the cotton ball gently over the stain. If the ink stain is a bit stubborn, you can also saturate it directly in alcohol for about 30 minutes.
- Blot the spot with a sponge, paper towel or cloth dampened with clean water.
- Repeat the process until the ink stain disappears.
- Let the purse lining air dry.
Dishwashing Liquid Method
This method will be most effective if you can pull out most of the inner lining of your purse, as it might be more difficult to blot off detergent if the lining remains inside the bag.
- Turn the lining out of the purse as much as you can.
- Pour a small amount of mild dish washing liquid or laundry detergent into a dish.
- Dab the detergent at the ink stain with a clean cloth.
- After, blot the spot with another cloth dipped in clean water.
- Repeat the process until the ink stain disappears.
- Let the purse lining air dry.
Tips
- If you are concerned about potentially damaging your purse with the ink removal methods, especially if your purse is designer and on the pricier end, contact your purse retailer to ask about possible stain removal solutions, or after-sales stain removal services that they might offer.
- Hairspray works because it has alcohol in it, so if the ink dissolves in alcohol, either product should work equally well. Use whichever is on hand, inexpensive, or easily handled. There's no need to use both.
- Soapy water will work best if the ink happens to dissolve in water.
- Acetone, the main ingredient in most nail polish removers, may dissolve some inks that water or alcohol may not, but it's a stronger chemical and may also dissolve paints and soften some kinds of plastics and rubber, so use with care.
- If you know which pen was the culprit, you could try getting some of its ink out of a scrap of fabric (such as a rag) to see what dissolves it best, before going after a mark in your purse.
- If you're concerned about a high-cost purse, or your attempts to solve the problem didn't work, take it to a dry cleaner and ask whether they can remove the stain.
Warnings
- Always make sure to test out the cleaning solution on a small spot of your purse, to make sure that it does not ruin the material. This is especially important if the outside material of your purse is leather.
Things You’ll Need
- Hairspray or nail polish remover
- Rubbing alcohol
- Dish washing liquid or laundry detergent
- Clean cloth or paper towels
- Sponge
- Cotton balls
