Ink Stain Removal
Ink stains don’t have to become a permanent part of your clothing. Even if you’ve already washed and dried it, or you didn’t notice it for weeks. You can still get the stain out with these three easy steps.
1 – Alcohol-Based Products
Using alcohol-based products on an ink stain works well because they are similar in chemistry to ink. Rubbing alcohol works best because it will evaporate and leave behind the least residue. However, if you don’t have any on hand, hair spray or hand sanitizer will suffice.
You will want to test this on the inside of your clothing in an inconspicuous area first. Usually, along the hem is where you can test for color safety. Apply the rubbing alcohol to a paper towel and place another paper towel under the shirt, but between the layers to prevent bleeding. Next, saturate the area with alcohol. Rub gently to transfer the ink onto the paper towel, and repeat as necessary.
2- Rinse the Ink Stain
Once you have removed most of the ink, you will either want to machine wash the garment using a quality detergent or hand wash it to remove any remaining residue or alcohol.
Spot treat any remaining stain with a stain remover. I used dawn dish soap for this example below. Then wash in warm water to help open up the fabric and release the stain. Don’t use hot water, or you may help to set the stain. Also, avoid using fabric softener until you are sure the stain is 100% gone.
3 – Dry
As with any stain removal process, you don’t want to toss the garment into the dryer. If you do this, and the stain isn’t entirely gone, you will only make it harder to remove. First air air-dry the material and then check the stain under natural lighting.