How to get ink out of fabric
If you use ink pens on a daily basis, you've probably discovered they can sometimes leak or burst, staining any fabric that gets in the way. Ballpoint ink contains solvents and pigments that become embedded in fabric. Since these solvents and pigments become more troublesome to get out of fabric the longer they sit, you should treat ballpoint ink stains immediately. Ink stains not treated in time may become permanent. Fortunately, basic cleaning agents can get ballpoint ink out of fabric. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Absorbent cotton balls
- Denatured alcohol
- White paper towels
- Heavy-duty laundry detergent
- Washing machine
- 2-oz. color-safe (non-chlorine) bleach
Instructions
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1
Moisten an absorbent cotton ball with denatured alcohol, and blot the area surrounding the ink stain to prevent the ink from bleeding and spreading.
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2
Stack several fresh paper towels on a smooth, flat surface. Lay the ink-stained portion of the fabric face-down on the paper towels.
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3
Dampen a fresh, absorbent cotton ball with denatured alcohol, and blot the underside of the stained fabric to transfer the ballpoint ink onto the paper towels.
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4
Continue blotting the underside of the ballpoint ink stain until you have transferred as much ink onto paper towels as possible. Replace ink-stained cotton balls and paper towels with fresh cotton balls and paper towels.
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5
Pre-treat any remaining ink with heavy-duty laundry detergent. Rub the detergent directly into the ink-stained fabric.
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6
Launder the pretreated fabric with 2-oz. color-safe bleach and the hottest water the fabric can endure. Refer to the fabric's care tag instructions.
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7
Lay the laundered fabric flat to air-dry.
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Tips & Warnings
You can substitute dry-cleaning solvent fluid for denatured alcohol.
Spot-test the denatured alcohol and heavy-duty laundry detergent on the fabric's underside to prevent discoloration.
References
- Photo Credit Hemera Technologies/PhotoObjects.net/Getty Images
