Ink Stain Removal
Ink is one of the hardest things to remove from clothing and is one of the most common stains. There are some that are easier to remove than others, such as water based ink stains. It is the ink from permanent markers that pose a greater challenge. The processes involved in the different types of ink stain removal are:
Water based ink stains:
Lay the article of clothing containing the ink stain on top of a clean towel. Wet the stained area and blot it dry using another dry towel or paper towel. As you blot you remove some of the stain. Then wet the stained area with liquid laundry detergent or a spray designed for removing stains from clothing. Let the articles sit there for about 5 minutes so that the detergent can soak into the material. Then you can proceed to wash the clothing in the washing machine using the warmest water allowed for the material. Before you transfer it to the dryer, check to see if the stain is completely gone. If it isn’t you need to repeat the procedure.
Permanent Ink Stains:
If the fabric containing the ink stain from permanent ink, it will be virtually impossible to remove it. The best thing to use if you can bleach the fabric is to rub it with rubbing alcohol. Test the fabric first before you do this to make sure that the alcohol will not take out the color. Lay the fabric on a clean towel and wet it. Blot it repeatedly to take out the ink. The ink will soak through to the towel beneath so you need to make sure this is not something you don’t want to have stained. Once you have the stain out, remove the fabric to another area.
Other ways of removing an ink stain include:
- Fingernail polish remover
- Hair spray
- The fluid used in old-fashioned copy machines, although this may be hard to get today.
- A mixture of baking soda and water rubbed into the stain