How To Remove Pen Ink From Clothes After Drying?

Last Updated on December 3, 2022

It does not matter what kind of job you do. Whether you are a professional worker or a student, you must have encountered this situation more often, that bright stain of pen ink. Or If you have small artists at your place who love to draw when they get their hands on pens. The next thing you know, there is an addition to the laundry pile. If you are wearing a white or bright-colored shirt, these stains make your whole look awful There are different ways to treat such mishaps. But first, you will need to know what will work for which type of ink.

Firstly, let us discuss a few things you should do when you get pen ink on your clothes. 

Whatever method you will use, Ensure to rinse the garment with clean water immediately after getting the stain. It will remove excess ink and makes it easy to come off afterward. Make sure that you do not want to set in the splatter by putting it in the dryer.

The treatment will be different for different ink types. Whether you have ballpoint pen ink or felt tip pen ink, you have to use a different technique. Let’s explain them one by one.

Lifting set in an old pen stain might be difficult but not impossible. There are various tried and tested methods for dried-out ink situations. Surprisingly, almost all the things are present at your home right now to do the job.

Fortunately, it is easy to clean freshly stained garments. But you can use this method for old ink stains too. The garment has to be washable to get the results. 

Prepare the garment by layering the stained area on a paper towel. 

With the help of an eyedropper, soak the fabric with rubbing alcohol.

Let it rest for 15 minutes. So the ink can leave the fabric.

Use blotting motion continues until the fabric is ink-free. For this purpose, you can use a clean cloth, cotton ball, or sponge.

Rinse the garment with cold water to remove the rubbing alcohol.

It is now time to rinse the stained area to get the spotless garment. If the garment is white or bleach safe, use bleach with hot water and wash it.

Dry it in the air before use.

It will be hard and time-consuming to remove dried pen ink from clothes, but it will be worth it. Merely follow the steps described below to get the best results.

After cleaning the stain with clean water, fill the sink with hot water and pour in liquid detergent. Make sure it is bleach-free. For guaranteed results, you can use a splash of ammonia.

Mix everything well and dip in the fabric. Gently rub the area using your fingers.

You can keep it in the mixture for about 30 minutes or so. The soaking time depends on the stain. If it is fresh and the ink is easy to come off, go for 30 to 60 minutes. But if the spot is stubborn and old, you can leave it in there for a night.

You can remove the fabric if the stain is faded away even before time. Now wash the garment. 

Take a small amount of detergent and wash until the water is clean.

Air-dry the clean and stain-free fabric. 

IT may sound weird to use such products for stain removal. But it is known to show results due to the amount of alcohol present in hairspray. Less expensive hairsprays are the best option for this purpose, as they contain a higher alcohol level.

Directly put the fabric on a flat surface with a paper towel underneath it. 

Soak the area with hairspray until it is fully covered. Dab it continuously with a cloth to make it leave a stain. Do it until the ink fade away.

You can even let it rest for some time if it is stubborn.

Rinse it with water to remove hairspray. Wash with detergent and air dry it. 

You may have never heard before that you can use milk to remove ink from clothes. Yet it is very much doable, and the outcome will be surprising.

Fill a container with just as much milk as needed solely for the stained area. Make sure the fabric is completely soaked in. 

Let it be there for a night or so. The next day, take it out and gently rub the stain until it fades out.

Rinse and wash as per preference.

Nail polish remover is also another way to remove inks, but it can be harmful to some fabric types. Therefore make sure to patch test it on the hidden side of the garment. 

Soak a cotton ball with nail polish remover and start dabbing on the spot. It will initiate dispersing the ink right away. 

When the stain is covered in nail polish remover, take a clean wet cloth to absorb the lifted ink. Never leave it on the fabric for an extended time. Or it may ruin your garment.

Rinse it with clean water until the smell of remover is gone.

Wash it with bleach-free laundry detergent and air dry.

Vinegar also has acidic properties, which will aid in lifting stains. 

Pour in vinegar in the required area. And prepare things to make a thick paste.

For a paste, Use three parts of cornstarch and two parts of vinegar. Mix it until well combined.

Apply this paste to the garment. Carefully cover the whole stain and let it dry.

Wash out the dried paste with water and check the stain if it is gone.

Wash the cloth with detergent and air dry it.

If you somehow forgot the stain on your shirt and now it is settled in. Try the above methods to pull it out. The results may differ according to the fabric type and the technique you are using to remove it. Therefore, always patch test before trying any new things on your clothes. So you do not end up with another mess. Hopefully, it will remove the dried-out pen ink stain.