Found an ink stain on your clothing? Don’t worry, you can get it out. Follow these steps to remove ink stains from fabric, even old stains that have gone through the dryer.
The best method to get ink stains out of clothes depends on the type of ink you’re dealing with. Some inks are water-based. It’s easy to get those stains out. Others are oil-based and may take a bit more effort.
So, start by identifying the type that caused the stain. Then follow the steps below to get the stain out of your clothes.
What Kind of Ink Stained Your Clothes?
If you aren’t sure what type of ink your pen uses, find it on the list below.
Water-based Inks:
- Rollerball pens
- Gel pens
- Fountain pens
- Drawing (dip) pens
- Kids’ washable markers
Oil-based Inks:
- Ballpoint pens
- Permanent markers (Sharpies)
- Dry-erase markers
- Highlighter pens
- Felt-tip pens
If you still have the pen that caused the problem, it’s easy to figure out what type of ink you’re dealing with. But what if it’s an old stain, maybe one that’s been through the dryer a few times? If it’s lasted through the wash, it’s probably an oil-based ink stain.
How to Get Ink Stains out of Clothes
Equipment
- Paper towels
- Plastic cling film
- Shallow bowl (for large stains)
Materials
- Liquid laundry detergent
- Color-safe bleach – (Oxyclean is one)
- White vinegar – for water-based stains
- Rubbing alcohol – for oil-based stains
Instructions
- To remove fresh water-based ink stains: use a clean paper towel to blot the ink. Dab but don't rub – you don't want to spread the ink. Rotate the towel as needed, so you're always dabbing the stain with a clean spot.Then, hold the fabric under cold running water with the ink facing down. Doing it this way lets the water pull away more of the stain as it falls into your sink. Finally, launder the clothing or wash it by hand. Use the hottest water permitted on the item's care label. After washing, let it air dry then check to make sure the stain is completely gone.
- To remove older water-based ink stains from clothes, you may need an overnight soak. For larger spots, position the item so the stained area rests in a shallow bowl. For smaller stains, spread a sheet of plastic cling film on your counter and top it with a stack of paper towels. Place your clothing stain-side up on the paper towels.First, dab a small amount of liquid laundry detergent on both sides of the stain with a paper towel. Let that sit for 5 to 10 minutes.Then, combine 2 tablespoons each warm water and white vinegar. Saturate a folded paper towel with this mixture and place it on the stain. Spread a sheet of plastic cling film over this to prevent evaporation, and let it soak overnight. (For larger stains, mix equal parts water and vinegar and pour it over the item in the bowl.)Finally, rinse the item under running water. Use the hottest temperature permitted on the item's care label. Check to make sure the stain is completely gone, then immediately launder the entire item.
- To remove fresh oil-based ink stains, fold a paper towel several times and use it to blot the stain. Dab, but don't rub — you don't want to spread the ink. Refold the towel as needed, so you're always working with a clean spot. Then follow the steps below to remove the remaining ink from your clothes.
- To get older oil-based ink stains out, lay a piece of cling film on your counter and top it with a stack of paper towels. Place the item inky-side up on the paper towels. (For larger stains, skip the paper towels and put a shallow bowl on top of the cling wrap. Then, position the item so the stain is in the bottom of the bowl.)First, fold a paper towel several times and get it damp with rubbing alcohol. Use this to dab the stain. Refold the towel as needed, so you're always dabbing with a clean spot. The ink may bleed through the back of the thing you're cleaning. To keep the stain from spreading, reposition the item onto a clean spot every few minutes. Continue until the ink is gone. (For larger stains, pour the rubbing alcohol over the stain in the bowl and let it soak 15 minutes.)Then, once you've got the ink stain out of your clothing, dab a small amount of liquid laundry detergent on the spot. Let this sit 5 to 10 minutes and then rinse the fabric under running water. Use the hottest temperature permitted by the item's care label.Finally, let the item air dry and check to make sure the ink stain is completely gone. If so, immediately launder it. If there's any ink remaining, repeat the steps above or use one of the alternative methods covered in the article below.
Other Ways to Get Ink out of Clothing
If you don’t have the equipment or supplies needed to use the methods above to remove ink stains, don’t give up hope. Here are a few alternative laundry hacks to get ink out of clothes. Remember, no matter the method you use, launder the item once you can’t see the stain. Then check again before you put it in the dryer, to make sure the stain hasn’t reappeared.
Hand Sanitizer
Out of rubbing alcohol? You can use hand sanitizer to get rid of oil-based ink stains on fabrics. Be sure the one you’re using is free of dyes, fragrance, and moisturizers — all can cause new stains on your clothes. Then follow the steps above to get the ink stain out. (Related: Surprising Uses for Hand Sanitizer.)
Milk
Grandma’s secret to getting ink out of clothes: an overnight milk soak. This method works best with water-based inks. It’s as easy as filling a shallow bowl with enough milk to cover the fabric’s stained part. Some people add an equal part of white vinegar to the milk or use buttermilk if you have any in the fridge.
Nail Polish Remover
You can often get permanent marker stains out of clothes with nail polish remover. This method can also damage clothing too. So, be sure to do a spot test with a small amount of nail polish remover on a cotton swab in a hidden spot. (The inside of the bottom seam is one such place.) If the item is color-fast, use nail polish remover instead of rubbing alcohol in the method above.
Vegetable Glycerin
Chemically, glycerin is a type of alcohol which makes it an excellent stain remover. To get out ink stains with it, mix a tablespoon each of glycerin and powdered oxygenated bleach. Stir in a few drops of liquid dish detergent, and dab this onto both sides of the ink stain. Wait for 5 to 10 minutes, then rinse the item using the hottest temperature permitted by the care label. Air dry and check to make sure stain is gone, then launder as usual.
Why Not Just Use Hairspray?
It used to be that a generous spritz of hairspray could remove ink stains from clothing. That’s because older hairspray formulas contained a lot of alcohol. These days, we know that dries out hair, so modern formulas use a much lower amount. So, if you tried hairspray and it didn’t work, use one of the methods above to get ink stains out of your clothing. They work!
More Laundry Tips:
Regina L. L. Wells says
Absolutely love these tips! Thank you! I just got black pen ink on a pair of cream/gold threaded pants in court yesterday and almost cursed out loud. I will be trying these…your post is right on time.
Katie Berry says
Hope they helped, Regina!
Twana says
I can do all of the steps above except for hottest water due to I have colored shirts & they will shrink in hot water, so will this work with cold water?
Katie Berry says
The idea is to use the hottest setting the fabric can handle, so if yours needs to be washed in cold water then use that. 🙂
Kimberlee says
Thanks for this info and the tips on removing ink stains. I have a son that is a waiter and sometimes leaves a pen in his pants pocket – what a mess. I read in my stain book about the alcohol and that did work some but didn’t know about using hairspray or the other stain mix you mentioned. Pinned the info so I can refer back if I need it again.
Katie Berry says
Thanks for Pinning it, Kimberlee. I hope it helps!
Savy says
I have this ridiculous habit of crossing my arms while holding a pen at work. You wouldn’t believe how many times I’ve come home with ink on my clothes. Thanks for the tips.
Katie Berry says
You’re welcome!
Beverly says
I need to try this. My husband is great for getting ink stains on his shirts. I can’t tell you how many shirts I have thrown away.
Bev
Katie Berry says
I used to throw out too many, too, Bev. Hope you find this useful!
Nikki says
Life saving! My boyfriend has a huge habit of leaving pens in his pocket and washing them. I’ve been able to save every article of clothing that was affected!!!
Katie Berry says
Glad to hear it!
Tori says
I am a cook and i have to have a pen with me at all times. Today I left my pen in my arm pocket and washed my WHITE chefs coat. Thank you for this tip you might have just saved my job or me a lot of money!!!!! ????????????
Katie Berry says
It’s hard enough keeping a chef’s coat white! Glad to have helped with the ink stain.
Alison says
Great tips – gave me an idea to use nail polish remover as a solvent – similar ingredient to rubbing alcohol – acetone rather than ethanol – worked brilliantly ????
Katie Berry says
Glad to know you found a solution that works!
Rhonda Monroe says
Oh gosh thanks. I have a very detailed embroidery piece that I have invested at least 12-15 hours worth of work into already and came back only to find that my toddler had taken a pen and marked right across the fabric. It was so disheartening! I’m going to try your tips (though laundering will be quite tricky as it’s a delicate piece of work). Thank you!
Katie Berry says
Oh my goodness, that must have been heartbreaking!
Kim says
My husband leaves pens in his clothes ALL . THE . TIME !!! I tell him it’s not my job to check his pockets … I do a million other jobs besides laundry – I refuse to check pockets too.
The ball points don’t hurt, but the Uniballs? UGH. THAT just wiped out a whole load of lights. I’ll be trying at least one, if not all of your suggestions.
Thanks so much.
Jill says
This is a great idea for old stains! Going to try on 6 BIG old INK stains on my hubby’s work shorts, as have already tried so many other options x
Katie Berry says
Go get ’em, Jill!