Whether you inadvertently grazed your sleeve while jotting down a message or your pen-obsessed toddler got to your laundry pile before you did, don’t fret. Carolyn Forte, director of the Good Housekeeping Institute Cleaning Lab, says depending on the type of pen mark your shirt or pants suffered, getting ink out of clothes can be solved with one of these two methods.
For ballpoint pen ink
Place a paper towel under the stain and sponge it with rubbing alcohol. Use an eyedropper to apply alcohol directly onto the stain or, for a larger spot, pour the alcohol into a small dish, immerse the stained area and soak for 15 minutes. The ink should begin to dissolve almost immediately. Continue sponging and blotting the stain until no further ink is released from the fabric. Rinse under cool water, apply a pre-wash stain remover, and wash the garment in hot water. Check that the ink is completely removed before tossing the item in the dryer.
For felt-tip pen ink
Removing felt-tip ink is a bit more time consuming — but not impossible. First, rinse the stain under cold water to flush out as much of the ink as you can. Then fill a basin with hot water and pour in a bleach-free, liquid laundry detergent. The amount you’d used to hand wash a blouse should do, plus a couple splashes of ammonia. Stir the solution and immerse the garment. Give the stain a rub with your fingers, and let it soak for 30 minutes to an hour.
If it’s a stubborn stain, let it soak overnight, giving it a rub every so often. Soon you’ll see it starting to fade. To help it along, mix up a fresh solution or add a bit more ammonia. When the stain is gone, rinse the garment, rub in a bit more liquid laundry detergent and wash as usual. As with any stain, air dry the garment until you are certain the stain is completely removed.
How to get ink out of leather
If your pen cap fell off in your purse (again!), don’t worry. Just dip a cotton swab in rubbing alcohol and lightly rub the stain to wipe away the marks. If your purse has a shiny patina or a glossy surface, it’s probably been coated and will be easier to treat. Use a commercial product designed specifically for this purpose. If that doesn’t work, take your stained item to a dry cleaner that specializes in treating leather.
What about hairspray?
Over the years, this product has earned a reputation for removing ink stains, because of the alcohol in its formula. However, many of today’s sprays contain less alcohol, so they aren’t as effective on ink stains as older formulas were. If you really want to tackle ink, stick with the above options. For everything else, try these stain-busting tricks.
