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Ink Stains: A Quick Laundry Guide

LAUNDRY TIPS

It’s frustrating not to have a pen when you need one. It’s even more frustrating when you put a pen in your pocket to ensure that you have one, only to discover later that the ink leaked out all over your pocket. There are lots of ways to end up with ink stains on your clothes. But does that mean that those clothes are ruined for good, or is there a way to get the ink stains out? 

Good news! It is possible to remove ink stains and save clothes that have been damaged by ink. Take a look at some tips that will help you get those pesky ink stains out of your clothing or other fabrics. 

Colorfast Testing

Rubbing alcohol or other liquids containing alcohol, like hand sanitizer or hair spray, can act as a solvent to help get rid of ink stains. However, they can also cause some dyes in some fabrics to bleed. So, before you use alcohol as a solvent on ink stains, you’ll need to test the items for colorfastness. Don’t worry, it’s not a difficult test. 

Just choose a hidden or inconspicuous area of the garment and apply a little bit of the solvent, then blot it with a clean towel. If none of the colors from the garment come off on the towel, then you can go ahead and use the alcohol on the ink stain. 

Pretreating 

Your next step is to pretreat the stain. Blot the stain with a paper towel to remove any excess ink, then put the towel underneath the stained area and pour the alcohol directly onto it. Rinse the area with cold water. 

Then, apply some liquid laundry detergent or a commercial stain pre-treatment solution to the stain. Work the detergent or stain treatment into the fabric using a soft-bristled brush. Be gentle; you don’t want to damage the fabric or spread the stain to a wider area. When you’re finished, let the detergent soak into the fabric for at least five minutes. 

Washing

Finally, wash the item as you normally would, following the directions on the tag. Use the hottest water temperature that is indicated by the instructions on the label. Use a good laundry detergent, and use the amount of detergent that’s correct for the size of the load that you’re washing. Don’t use too much soap. 

When the load is finished washing, take out the item and inspect the stained area. Make sure that the stain is entirely gone before throwing it into the dryer. If there’s any stain left, don’t dry the item yet; instead, repeat the previous steps until the stain is gone. Drying the item before the stain is fully removed can cement the stain in place, making it impossible to remove.