How to Remove Dried-on Ink Stains From Chino Pants

eHow may earn compensation through affiliate links in this story. Learn more about our affiliate and product review process here.

Things You'll Need

  • Cotton swab

  • Rubbing alcohol

  • Clean cloths

  • Dry-cleaning solvent

  • White towel

  • Heavy-duty laundry detergent

  • Bucket

  • 1/4 cup all-fabric bleach

Business casual dress often includes chinos.

Chinos are pants made of a strong cotton fiber imported from China. Cotton fabrics must always be treated carefully when removing stains so they don't shrink. A dried ink stain on your favorite pair of chinos can be a bit of a nightmare. Even though the ink is dry you can still remove it using supplies found in the home. Removing an ink stain from your pants must be done carefully to ensure the stain doesn't spread further into the cotton.

Advertisement

Step 1

Cotton swabs give you the precision you need when dealing with ink stains.

Dip a cotton swab in rubbing alcohol. Draw a circle around the dried ink stain on your chinos using the rubbing alcohol. Use enough rubbing alcohol to form a moist circle to keep the ink from spreading once it is moistened.

Video of the Day

Step 2

Use white towels for ink stain removal so you can see how much ink is transferred.

Wet a clean cloth with dry-cleaning solvent. Place your ink-stained chinos on top of a white towel with the ink stain facing down on the towel. Blot the ink stain from the backside with the dry-cleaning solvent, moving the white towel to a clean spot as ink is transferred.

Advertisement

Step 3

Rub heavy-duty laundry detergent into the remaining ink stain. Let the detergent sit on the stain for 15 minutes. Flush the area with cool water to remove the detergent and more ink.

Step 4

Mix up a solution made from 1 gallon warm water and 1/4 cup all-fabric bleach. Soak your chinos in the diluted bleach mixture for 20 minutes to remove any remaining ink from the dried ink stain.

Advertisement

Step 5

Launder your chinos as normal. Check to make sure the stain is fully removed before drying them. Repeat these steps if any ink remains on your pants.

Tip

Rubbing alcohol can also be used to remove the ink stain from your chinos.

Purchase dry-cleaning solvent at the hardware store or from your dry cleaner.

Warning

Avoid using chlorine bleach. It can bleach your chinos and cause the ink stain to change colors, rather than removing it.

Advertisement

Video of the Day

references