How To Get Rid Of Pen Ink Stains?
Most of us have had the frustrating, sometimes expensive, experience of getting an ink-pen stain on our clothing or on furniture. Some people react by just throwing the clothing away – at least they did in the past. But it’s no longer necessary to make this expensive choice. All you have to do is grab your can of hairspray or another product that has some alcohol content.
For example, if you have an ink spot on fabric that is rather large, soak the item in methyl alcohol for about half an hour then wash it according to directions. Bleach will help, but make sure the fabric you are cleaning will stand up to bleach. *Some types of fabric, such as rayon or Celanese, should not be soaked in alcohol! If the item is leather or vinyl, use a cloth soaked in the wood alcohol.
Hairspray?
At the beginning of this article, we mentioned hairspray. According to most stain-removal guidelines the reason hairspray takes away ink is that the product contains alcohol. This spray method can be used on clothing, but it works rather well on ink-stained carpet or furniture too. You will have to spray a lot onto the stain – saturation is the key. If you put some paper towels or cloth under the item of clothing you can dab at the spot with paper towels or a clean cloth.
Some of the ink will be drawn out of the clothing and onto your paper towel or cleaning cloth. You may have to repeat the process several times until you get most or all of the ink out. Persistent ink stains might be eliminated more easily with the right kind of nail polish remover. If there is still evidence of the ink stain, soak the item as instructed above and wash it according to directions. As with many stains, it is important not to put the clothing or fabric in the dryer before all of the stain is removed. *Some people have found that soaking the item in milk after treating it with hairspray or alcohol will give you good results.
Other Surfaces
Harder surfaces require a slightly different ink-stain removal method. You will probably find that your regular cleaning products don’t do the trick. If your local store has an ink-removal product, use that. If not, try soap, water and some ammonia. You may have to scrub a bit, but this should take away most, if not all, of the stain.
It may be best to avoid using alcohol or some sort of paint-removal product. These can damage counter tops, wood and other surfaces. Ink stains can be particularly stubborn, so you will have to use the right removal tools and products. It is important not to rush into this process without having the correct stuff on hand. In addition, you should avoid using strong ink removal products on sensitive fabrics and clothing items. It may be best to try a small spot first or talk to a professional before you ruin something valuable.
Category: Cleaning, Home & Garden