How to remove ink from clothes: 8 simple and effective ways

What you need to know before you start washing

The easiest and most effective way to get rid of an ink stain is to take the stained item to the dry cleaner. This will not be cheap, so this option is only justified in the case of clothes made from delicate and expensive materials.
Don't delay washing. The fresher the stain, the easier it is to get rid of it. If the ink has ingrained itself into the fabric, not only home methods, but also professional methods using chemical reagents may be powerless.
If possible, use store-bought cleaners that say on the label that they may remove ink. Such preparations have a specially selected chemical composition that is most effective against marks from a ballpoint pen.
Before applying the product to a stain, test it on an inconspicuous area of the garment - for example, around the seams or under the armpit on the inside of the garment. This will ensure that the color and structure of the fabric are not affected.
If the method you chose does not work, move on to the next one.

How to remove ink with milk

What you will need

Milk.
Cotton pad.
Water at room temperature.
Small basin.
Washing powder.

What to do

Using a cotton pad, apply milk generously onto the ballpoint pen mark. Leave for 20-30 minutes. For greater effect, some housewives recommend soaking stains in milk for several hours, or even overnight.

If the ink has not completely disappeared, you can lightly rub the fabric. Then machine wash the clothes with the powder.

The good news is that ink stains can be washed off!

How to remove ballpoint pen ink from clothes using home remedies?
This is a pressing question both for parents of schoolchildren and for office workers who write with a ballpoint pen at work. It happens that the pen runs and ink drips onto a white blouse. It seems that the ink blot cannot be washed off. But don't rush to throw away your clothes! We have collected useful recipes for such occasions.

Some office workers like to carry a pen in their shirt pocket. The pen becomes warm due to body temperature and the ink may flow. Sometimes even a cap doesn't help.

If you carry a ballpoint pen in your pocket, place it in your pocket with the writing edge facing up, remembering to put on the cap.

But if it so happens that ink stains have formed on your clothes, we suggest using useful tips on how to remove ink from clothes. All or almost all the ingredients for removing ink from clothes can be found in every home.

How to remove ink using citric acid

What you will need

Fresh lemon juice or food grade citric acid.
Water at room temperature.
Small basin.
Cotton pads.
Vinegar.

What to do

Rinse the area of clothing stained with a ballpoint pen in water. Then soak a cotton pad in lemon juice or citric acid solution (half a teaspoon of crystals in half a glass of warm water, stir thoroughly) and lightly apply to the damp cloth.

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Rinse off the acid with water, wipe the treated area with vinegar and rinse thoroughly again.

How to remove ink using mustard powder

If you want to try this method, be aware that mustard may stain the fabric. Therefore, do not experiment with snow-white clothes or linen - it is better to choose another cleaning option for them.

What you will need

Mustard powder.
Water.
A small container, such as a deep plate.
Old toothbrush.

What to do

Stir mustard powder in a small amount of water until it becomes a paste.

Using a toothbrush, apply the mixture generously onto the ballpoint mark. Don't rub!

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Leave the mustard for 15 minutes. Then scrub with a toothbrush for about a minute and rinse the cloth thoroughly. Even large stains disappear completely after this treatment.

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How to get rid of ink stains on clothes made from different types of fabric

Not all types of fabric can be removed with equal success. Different means are used for them, different methods work. To remove the stain you need to follow the recommendations.

How to Remove Ink Stains from Silk and Wool Clothes

To remove paste from wool and silk, it is better to use sour milk:

Yogurt or kefir is heated.
Wet the stain.
Process for 2-3 hours.
Then the clothes are washed.

Mild products include baking soda. To remove a stain:

It is dissolved in warm water to a thin paste.
Apply to the stain.
Treatment is carried out for 20 minutes.
The solution is washed off with cold water.
Turpentine, which is applied pointwise to the problem area of the fabric, will help to consolidate the cleaning result.
Then they wash the clothes.

How to Remove Ballpoint Pen Ink from Cotton Clothes

An alcohol solution works well for cleaning cotton fabrics. You need to saturate the stain with it and wait until it begins to lighten. This is a signal for immediate washing. You can remove a stain on a men's cotton shirt:

Mix hydrogen peroxide with ammonia in equal parts.
Dilute 1 tbsp. solution.
Pour the mixture into a glass of warm water.
Pour the stain generously.

After 3-5 minutes, wash the shirt.

How to remove printer ink from synthetic clothing

It is not advisable to expose synthetic products to aggressive chemicals. You can remove a stain from a printer or ballpoint pen in a simple way by soaking it in warm kefir. Clean with a cotton swab dipped in turpentine.

How to remove ballpoint pen ink from multi-colored and white fabric

Removing stains from different types of fabrics can be done using different cleaning agents and methods. If one method works well for one type of fabric, another may ruin it.

Removing stains from colored fabrics

This type of fabric is considered delicate. And if a cleanser matches one color flawlessly, another color may simply fade. How to remove ink from clothes made of colored fabric? There are not many methods for fabric.

You can remove stains from dyed and colored clothes with glycerin:

Moisten the stain with a cotton pad.
Leave it for an hour.
Wash clothes.
Add salt when rinsing.

To remove a stain on colored linen or cotton clothing, you need to use ammonia:

Pour ammonia (in the amount of 1 teaspoon) into a glass of water.
Apply a cotton pad to the stain for 2 minutes.
Rinse clothes.
A solution heated to +50°C will improve the final result.

How to remove ink stains from white fabrics

The stain is depressing, especially if it is ink and the clothes are white. It is more difficult to erase ink from clothes than from any other, but if you successfully find a product, you can remove stains from white clothes. There are many similar methods. It is only important to take into account the type of fabric when removing a stain:

To remove stains from wool and silk: milk, glycerin and lemon juice with salt.
For linen and cotton, it is acceptable to use many cleaning agents (citric and acetic acid, milk, gasoline, acetone, baking soda, hydrogen peroxide, ethyl and ammonia, as well as laundry soap).
Old stains on them are removed with chlorine-containing bleaches (“Belizna” and “Domestos”), as well as oxygen stain removers.

After treating the clothes with homemade or special stain removers, rinse them in cold water and wash them.

Removing ink from clothes is not an easy and responsible task. Before starting it, it is better to carefully weigh all actions so as not to completely ruin the thing. If you have the knowledge and skills to remove ink stains, you can hope for success. It is more difficult to remove old stains. As for fresh ones, promptness will help restore the item 100%.

You may be interested in: How to remove hair dye from the skin of your hands, face, and neck.

How to remove ink with soda and vinegar

What you will need

Baking soda.
Vinegar.
Hot water.
Toothbrush.
Laundry soap.

What to do

Prepare a cleaning solution: add a couple of drops of vinegar and a teaspoon of soda to half a glass of water and mix. Apply the sizzling mixture to the stained area.

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Leave for 15 minutes. Then scrub the stain thoroughly with a toothbrush and rinse the cloth in clean water.

If the mark from the fountain pen is still noticeable, wash it additionally with laundry soap.

Top 4 inexpensive special products

There are chemical products available that can replace professional stain removers.

Medical alcohol

Ethyl alcohol or ethanol is sold in pharmacies and costs from 15 to 45 rubles per 50 ml. To remove the stain you will need one teaspoon of alcohol. Ethanol is applied to the stain and left for 5 minutes , then the fabric is washed.

Hydrogen peroxide and ammonia

The ingredients are sold at the pharmacy. Hydrogen peroxide costs from 30 rubles per 100 ml, ammonia (or ammonia) - from 15 rubles.

To prepare the solution you need to prepare:

2 tbsp. spoons of hydrogen peroxide;
2 tbsp. spoons of ammonia;
12 tbsp. spoons of warm water.

Soak the stain in the mixture for a couple of hours, then rinse and wash in warm water as usual. You can add bleach.

Alcohol and soda

The cost of this product will not exceed 50 rubles: baking soda is sold in a grocery store (price about 30 rubles), alcohol - in a pharmacy.

A thick paste is created from two ingredients (for 1 spoon of alcohol you need to take 2 spoons of soda) . Place a paper towel folded in half under the stain. The paste is applied to the ink mark for 5 minutes, then soaked with a napkin and washed off with water.

Hydroperite, vinegar and potassium permanganate

There is an interesting recipe for making a cleanser from:

hydroperite,
vinegar,
potassium permanganate and water.

The cost will be about 120 rubles.
You need to prepare the mixture wearing gloves in a well-ventilated area. The mixture must be applied in two stages, as shown in the video below .
The result will be visible immediately, but after using the “chemical eraser”, clothes should be rinsed well with water. Video instructions for removing pen marks from fabric:

How to remove ink with glycerin

What you will need

Pharmacy glycerin.
Toothbrush.
Warm water.
Washing powder.
Small basin.

What to do

Using a toothbrush, apply glycerin to the ink stain. Once it's absorbed, place the fabric in the cleaning solution (a couple of liters of water per tablespoon of powder) and leave for 30 minutes. The stain will not disappear, but will become pale.

Then wash the clothes in the same detergent solution and rinse thoroughly in clean water.

How to remove fresh ink marks

There are several express ways to output fresh ink:

Milk. It should be heated on the stove (no need to bring to a boil). It is necessary to use a product with minimal fat content or low fat. For its use it is recommended:
After thirty minutes, rub the stain from the handle well with a piece of clean cloth soaked in the same product.
Wash clothes using a detergent designed for the type of material from which they are made.
Serum. This method works due to the content of lactic acid in the product. The way to apply the method is as follows:
Wait 20 minutes.
Wash the item.
Table salt and lemon juice. These products are used to remove fresh stains from gel, ink or capillary pens. Salt absorbs the ink, and lemon juice helps dissolve it and whitens the fabric. To do this you need to perform the following series of actions:
Remove a handful of product with a dry cloth (it will absorb some of the ink).
Sprinkle salt on the stain again and squeeze lemon juice on top.
Leave for another 20 minutes.
Wash the item.
Glycerin. If you have this product on hand, you can use it as a stain remover for ballpoint pen stains. To do this you need:
Apply the product liberally to the dirty area (the paste from the handle will begin to drip).
Remove any remaining glycerin with a cloth or napkin.
Wash the item.
Hairspray. The method of using the product is as follows:
After a few seconds, remove the mark with a dry cloth or sponge.
Repeat the procedure until the ink stain is completely dissolved.
Send clothes to the wash immediately.

Photo gallery: products for quickly removing stains

Skim milk is great for getting rid of pen stains.

Thanks to lactic acid, the serum removes stains well

Salt absorbs ink, and lemon juice dissolves it and also whitens the fabric.

The glycerin dissolves the stain and begins to flow off, after which the residue can be removed with a dry cloth

After spraying the stain with varnish, you can remove it with a rag or sponge