Fight Impossible Ink Stains at Home with Steamatic
If you've ever had to deal with an ink stain from a pen or marker, then you personally know how difficult and impossible removing these stains may seem. Although it may seem like all hope for the damaged garment is lost, there are ways to restore it to it's pre-stain beauty! Here is the Steamatic guide to removing ink blots and stains from clothing and other items!
Solvent Cleaners
Solvent cleaners are a great first attack against non-water based ink stains. A stain from a ballpoint ink pen, or a permanent ink stain, can be remedied with 1 of these solutions:
- Alcohol
- Hairspray
- Turpentine
- Nail polish remover
Use a terry cloth to blot up the stained area. Once the stain has been removed, you can wash the item as you normally would. You may need to repeat this step several times, and if that does not suffice, you can continue on to the next tip.
Shampoo
if the previous method did not fully remove your stain, then shampoo would be your next method of attach. Make sure you have a heavy duty shampoo for this- look for “clarifying shampoo” if you’re buying a new bottle. Tale a paper towel and place it on your stain. Soak up the area with a bit of shampoo and allow it to rest for 10 minutes minimum. Now, blot the stain and you will notice it getting lighter and lighter. Use a clean cloth to continue washing the area. Then, wash the item as you normally would.
Dish-washing Liquid
Lastly, another method uses dish-washing liquid, and is especially effective against ink stains that have already dried. Mix 2 parts detergent with 1 part alcohol. Soak your ink stain for at least 10 minutes and then rinse with hot water. Most importantly, make sure to wash your garment right after this cleaning!
