Remove Ink from Clothes

Removing ink stains caused by biros, fountain pens and artist's ink from clothing is not an easy task but it is doable. There are a few ways to remove the stains, and a few products that can help you to do it easily. Here are some suggestions to remove the ink from washable clothing, preferably sooner rather than later.

Steps

 * 1) Treat very fresh ink stains as soon as possible. Acting fast is important because ink stains are very stubborn and hard to remove once they've set. If the ink stain has just happened, get a paper towel and press it against the fabric very firmly for several seconds. Do not "blot" as some people recommend, and never rub. Blotting and rubbing can spread the ink. The paper towel, on the other hand, will absorb the still-wet ink out of the fabric somewhat, making the stain less obvious, and easier to remove.
 * 2) Use rubbing alcohol or methylated spirits. Rubbing alcohol or methylated spirits (denatured alcohol) from the drug store or hardware store are ideal to remove ink stains, as long as the stains have not set. The alcohol neutralizes the pigment in the ink so it disappears. Either soak a washable garment in rubbing alcohol or methylated spirits, then wash as normal, or use the following process:
 * 3) *Dip a clean cotton swab into rubbing alcohol.
 * 4) *Dab at the soaked up ink mark with the cotton swab (bud) or small sponge.
 * 5) *Repeat this each time with a fresh cotton swab or sponge, as many times as needed.
 * 6) *Dip another fresh cotton swab or sponge into cold water and dab the area to remove the alcohol from the fabric.
 * 7) *Allow the area to dry. Wash the garment as normal.
 * 8) Try ammonia for non-synthetic garments. Make a mixture from 2 parts of methylated spirits (denatured alcohol) to 1 part cloudy ammonia. Soak, then add vinegar to neutralize the ammonia. Wash as usual.
 * 9) Put a paper towel under the stain first then apply hairspray to the stain. Hairspray will cause the ink to dissolve, making it easier to wash the ink out of the material. Spray liberally until the stain is saturated with hairspray, then blot with a damp cloth (do not rub). Repeat application and blotting until the stain lifts, then wash. Be sure that you have gotten all the ink out before you dry the washed garment in a dryer, because the heat of a dryer will set the stain.
 * 10)  Try milk. There are several different possible methods for using milk to remove ink stains, as follows:
 * 11) *Use cold milk. After dabbing up the fresh ink with paper towels as outlined in step one, soak the stain in milk for half an hour. Wash as usual.
 * 12) *Use warm milk. Heat milk to lukewarm. Pour into a suitable container and soak the stained part of the garment in the warm milk as soon as possible. Rinse after soaking and wash as usual.
 * 13) *Use rotten milk solids. Put milk into a container and put it into the sunshine to rot. When it turns lumpy and smelly, it's ready to use; use a wide-mouthed container to speed up the rotting process. Using your fingers, grab some of the lumpy pieces and apply these direct to the ink stain. Once you see the ink bleeding into the lump, shake the lumps off the fabric. Dip a cake of bathroom soap into cold water and rub the stain. Once the stain has disappeared, rinse off with cold water to remove the soap residue. Wash as normal.
 * 14) Use glycerin. Warm the glycerin slightly to lukewarm temperature. Apply to the stain, then flush with water. Add a few drops of ammonia.
 * 15) Proceed to stronger methods for difficult or older stains. Commercial stain removers are usually a good choice for more stubborn stains. Some choices include:
 * 16) *Put Dry-Erase whiteboard cleaner or water-based "Goof Off 2" on the ink stain. These make a good pre-wash to quickly loosen the ink. Follow the instructions and wash off as usual.
 * 17) *Apply OXY-CLEAN to really serious ink stains. Permanent marker can also be removed from clothes that have already been laundered with this product.
 * 18) *Take the garment to the dry cleaner if you've tried and failed, or if you've been too scared to even try! Any ink-stained clothing that cannot be washed should be taken to the dry cleaner immediately.
 * 19) Ask the dry cleaner if they have experience removing this type of stain. Most dry cleaners have a spotting board with high pressure steam and vacuum, plus a selection of much stronger chemicals than is available to the public specifically for removing these stains.  Most blue inks can be removed, most black inks cannot be removed.  Throw away (or put up) all your black pens.
 * 20) Sometimes "home remedies" make stains much harder to remove. All stains can be removed, some stains require scissors.

Tips

 * If none of this will work, you can also remove it with nail-polish remover. It usually works for pen stains.
 * Never rub the stain; it will spread.
 * For whites, dip a cotton swab lightly in bleach, and lightly dab the ink or other spots. Wash. Make sure the cotton swab is barely wet, do not make it very wet.
 * A mild solution of hydrogen peroxide can work with lighter colored clothing.
 * If removing ballpoint pen ink from a leather jacket or other clothing item, wipe the stain with glycerin. This will reconstitute the stain, making it easier to remove using rubbing alcohol.
 * Cheesecloth can also be used to dab up ink when using rubbing alcohol.

Warnings

 * OXY-CLEAN™ may not be safe for all colors.
 * Never get anything such as Ammonia or any other chemical near your mouth.

Things You'll Need

 * Paper towels or cheesecloth
 * Cotton swabs (buds), balls or pads
 * Isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol or methylated spirits
 * Milk
 * Ammonia
 * Glycerin
 * Hairspray
 * Commercial products

Related

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 * How to Remove Beer Stains from Fabric
 * How to Remove Banana Stains from Fabric
 * How to Remove Sticky Substances from Fabric
 * How to Remove Perfume Stains from Fabric