Ballpoint pens break easily or leak ink, leaving ink everywhere. Ink stains are difficult to remove, and they become even more difficult over time. Acting quickly is key to having a chance of saving your clothing, carpet, or furniture from permanent stains. Many products can remove stains, including household products like hairspray, rubbing alcohol, commercial cleaning products, and even natural products like butter.
Using Household Products Containing Alcohol on Fabrics
Pre-test cleaning products for effectiveness. Find an inconspicuous spot on the fabric and apply a small amount of cleaning product. Wash the fabric, let it dry, and see how it looks.
Place a towel under the fabric. Do not let the ink stain touch other areas of the fabric. Place a towel under the area you want to clean to prevent ink from penetrating the fabric and staining more areas.
Apply an alcohol-based household product to the stain. Household products such as hand sanitizer, rubbing alcohol (isopropyl alcohol), and cheap hairspray all contain alcohol and are good choices. Apply enough product to cover the stain.
- Wait 10 minutes. Allow sufficient time for household items to soak into the stain.
- Do not use alcoholic beverages on fabrics. This type of alcohol cannot treat stains.
- Although nail polish remover does not contain alcohol, it is also effective in removing ink stains.
Apply laundry detergent to the stain. After saturating the stain with a household product of your choice, add a few drops of colorless laundry detergent. Rub it in with your fingers or a cloth.
Wash the fabric in the washing machine. Pour in the same amount of laundry detergent as usual and wash with hot water. Do not wash it with other items of clothing as they may also get ink stains.
Before drying the fabric, inspect it. See if the stain has disappeared. If some traces remain, apply an alcohol-based household product again and wash the fabric again. Once the stain is gone, dry the fabric as normal.
Use Butter on Fabric
Place the towel under the fabric. Do not let the ink stain touch other areas of the fabric. Place a towel under the area you want to clean to prevent the ink from soaking into the fabric and staining more areas.
Apply butter to the stain. Use your fingers or a cloth to spread enough salted butter to completely cover the stain. Rub the stain in a circular motion, turning the rag frequently to prevent the stain from spreading or contaminating other areas.
Place the fabric in the sun to dry. Find a place where you won’t be disturbed or exposed to rain, preferably outdoors with direct sunlight. Leave to dry for a few days. The butter will soften and break down the stain. The salt in the butter combined with sunlight can help stains come off.
- Wash the fabric in the washing machine. Pour in the same amount of laundry detergent as usual and wash with hot water. Do not wash them with other items of clothing to avoid ink stains on them.
- If it’s a non-washable fabric, like vinyl, wipe the butter off with a clean, damp cloth. Use a damp cloth with a small amount of mild laundry detergent to help wipe away the butter.
Before drying the fabric, inspect it. See if the stain has disappeared. If some marks remain, apply some more butter and wash the fabric again. Once the stain is gone, dry the fabric as normal.
Use Commercial Stain Removers on Fabrics
Buy stain remover. Stain removal products such as OxiClean and Mr. Clean Magic Cleansing Sponge are available in grocery stores and pharmacies. They are specially formulated to remove tough stains like ink stains, dirt, and other stains.
- Be sure to use these products according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Pre-test cleaning products for effectiveness. Find an inconspicuous spot on the fabric and apply a small amount of cleaning product. Wash the fabric, let it dry, and see how it looks.
Place a towel under the fabric. Do not let the ink stain touch other areas of the fabric. Place a towel under the area you want to clean to prevent ink from penetrating the fabric and staining more areas.
Apply enough detergent to cover the stain. Follow the directions on the detergent package and apply them to the stain. Wait 1 to 5 minutes for the cleaner to penetrate the fabric and dissolve the ink.
- If you are using OxiClean, mix less powder with water to form a paste. Follow the instructions on the package and mix in the appropriate proportions.
Blot the stain with a white towel or cloth. Use a cloth that you don’t mind getting stained, as the ink will be absorbed into the cloth. Press the cloth against the stain and gently blot the ink. Do not rub or wipe to avoid spreading stains.
- Keep turning the towel or rag over to use the clean side to absorb the ink so it doesn’t stain back onto the fabric.
Rinse with water and dry. Rinse the fabric with lukewarm water. You may need to rinse several times. Let the fabric dry.
Using Household Products Containing Alcohol on Carpets
Pre-test cleaning products for effectiveness. Find an inconspicuous spot on the carpet and apply a small amount of an alcohol-based cleaning product, such as a cheap hairspray or rubbing alcohol. Wipe it clean and let it dry to see how it works.
Apply an alcohol-based household product to cover the stain. Use enough hairspray or other alcohol-based cleanser to make sure the stain is completely covered. If you use hairspray, it’s best to use cheaper products, which will have a higher alcohol content than more expensive hairsprays. Especially if the stain is just a thin line, you can use a cotton swab to apply hairspray or other household products.
Blot the stain with a white towel or cloth. Choose a cloth that you don’t mind getting stained, as the ink will be drawn to this cloth. Press the cloth against the stain and gently blot the ink. Do not rub or wipe to avoid spreading stains.
- Keep turning the rag over and using the clean side to absorb the ink to avoid staining the ink back onto the carpet.
Rinse well with water and let dry. Rinse the carpet with lukewarm water. Soak an old clean cloth in a bowl of water and wring out any excess water. Gently rub the area where the stain was removed to help rinse the carpet clean.
- You may need to repeat this rinse process several times to completely remove the hairspray.
After the carpet is dry, vacuum it again. Let sit overnight to allow the carpet to dry. Turning on the heat in the room can speed up the drying process. Use a vacuum cleaner to remove any remaining cleaning supplies.
Use Stain Remover on Carpet
Buy stain remover. Stain removal products such as OxiClean and Mr. Clean Magic Cleansing Sponge are available in grocery stores and pharmacies. They are specially formulated to remove tough stains like ink stains, dirt, and other stains.
- Be sure to use these products according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Try to absorb as much stain as possible. Use an old towel or cloth to absorb excess ink. Wipe gently and try to remove the ink. Keep turning the rag over and using the clean side to absorb the ink to prevent it from staining back into the carpet.
Pre-test cleaning products for effectiveness. Find an inconspicuous spot on the carpet, apply a small amount of cleaning product, rinse, and let dry to see the effect.
- As long as the carpet doesn’t fade, you should have no problem using carpet cleaning products. If your carpet is fading, these cleaning products may also strip color from the carpet fibers.
Apply enough detergent to cover the stain. Follow the directions on the detergent package and apply them to the stain. Wait 1 to 5 minutes for the cleaner to soak into the carpet and dissolve the ink.
- If you are using OxiClean, mix less powder with water to form a paste. Follow the instructions on the package and mix in the appropriate proportions.
Blot dry with a white towel or cloth. Choose a cloth that you don’t mind getting stained, as the ink will be drawn to this cloth. Press the cloth against the stain and gently blot the ink. Do not rub or wipe to avoid spreading stains.
- Keep turning the rag over and using the clean side to absorb the ink so it doesn’t stain back onto the carpet.
Rinse with water and dry. Rinse the carpet with lukewarm water. Soak an old clean cloth in a bowl of water and wring out any excess water. Gently rub the area where the stain was removed to help rinse the carpet clean.
- You may need to repeat this rinsing process several times to completely remove the stain remover.
After the carpet is dry, vacuum it again. Let sit overnight to allow the carpet to dry. Turning on the heat in the room can speed up the drying process. Use a vacuum cleaner to remove any remaining cleaning supplies.
Using Alcohol-Based Cleaners on Wooden Furniture
Pre-test cleaning products for effectiveness. Find an inconspicuous spot on the board, apply a small amount of cleaning product, wipe it clean and let it dry to see the effect.
Apply an alcohol-based household product to cover the stain. Use enough hairspray, rubbing alcohol, or hand sanitizer to make sure the stain is completely covered. Especially if the ink stain is just a thin line, you can use a cotton swab to apply these household items.
- Nail polish removers should not be used on wood as they may strip the wood’s coating.
Wipe the stain with a white towel or cloth. Gently rub the stained area in a circular motion to remove the ink stain. Keep turning the rag over and using the clean side to soak up the ink to prevent the ink from staining back onto the board.
Wipe the stained area with a damp cloth. Wipe hand sanitizer or other household products off furniture with a clean, damp cloth. This removes residual hand sanitizer and ink. Wipe slowly and carefully, turning the damp cloth around frequently to make sure no ink remains or is transferred to other parts of the furniture.
Polish the wood surface. Repair the wood finish with natural oil or a commercial furniture polish like Pledge. Vitamin E oil and olive oil are good natural alternatives. Pour a small amount of oil onto a cloth and wipe the wood. Finally, let it dry completely.
Tips
Do not use flammable materials or liquids, such as lighter fluid, gasoline, etc., to remove ink stains from fabrics, carpets, or furniture.