Removing Dry Ink Stains

Ink security tags provide a cost-effective way for retailers to have some type of security at their store. However, an ink tag does not connect to an alarm; they are stand-alone security mechanisms. The purpose of the device is to deter shoplifting rather than catch a shoplifter after the fact.

If you have a stubborn ink stain from an exploded pen or a leaky marker, washing the article of clothing over and over may get you nowhere. Thankfully, an overnight soak in a bowl of milk and vinegar may just do the trick to break down the ink and save your clothes.

1. Apply alcohol-based hand sanitizer to the stain and let it soak in for a few minutes.
2. Wash in the hottest water allowed (check the care label) with detergent and ½ cup Clorox® Regular Bleach2. Allow the item to air dry and check for success.

Whether you’ve got pen marks on the couch or pen marks on the carpet, ink stains don’t have to be permanent. With the right cleaning process, ink stains can actually be removed from most household surfaces. Remember to always do a spot removal test on a portion of carpet or upholstery that is normally not visible.

Baking soda and water combo are also effective in removing the ink stains from almost any kind of fabric. Take two parts of baking soda and one part of water and mix nicely to make a paste. Take a cotton ball, soak it into the baking soda and water paste and dab it on the ink stain until the stain fades away.

The Cleaning Process

1. Mix a one-to-one solution of water and baking soda. Make sure it has a goopy texture.
2. Use a soft bristled brush to get deep in the surface as this is what will remove the stain.
3. Let sit for a couple minutes and then rinse the area thoroughly with water.
4. Let dry.

How to Remove Ballpoint Pen Ink

1. Place a paper towel under the stain and sponge it with rubbing alcohol.
2. Use an eyedropper to apply alcohol directly onto the stain or, for a larger spot, pour the alcohol into a small dish, immerse the stained area and soak for 15 minutes.

Dried Stains Once a stain has been dried it’s very hard to remove, but it is possible. If you’ve already used a stain remover, try using it again. More than likely you’ll need to soak the stain or use a more aggressive stain remover.

Acetone, most widely used, is a highly volatile organic solvent used mainly as a hand-wipe solvent in cleaning applications. It is also a good drying agent for wet parts. But it will erase most inks from a stolen check without any noticeable effect.

First, rubbing alcohol is not pure isopropyl alcohol; it contains other ingredients, including dye, which can leave a dye stain on fabric. The other way that rubbing alcohol can leave stains is that it acts as a mild bleach, as do other forms of alcohol such as vodka or isopropyl alcohol.

Because the main ingredient in most hand sanitizers is alcohol, you can use it to treat anything that rubbing alcohol can typically tackle. That means you can trust it to get rid of pen marks, hot sauce stains, grease, grass stains and makeup of almost every kind—including lipstick.