Ink Stain on Laundered Clothing

When I was doing laundry I discovered that my husband left an ink pen in his pocket. I have a knit top that I tried using Spray and Wash, Shout, and Oxiclean on and have washed 4 times, but nothing has worked. Is there anything that might work after all of this?

By Mary Beth from OH

Answers: Ink Stain on Laundered Clothing

Read answers for this question below.

By 06/06/2013

Saved! A twice laundered dark tan uniform shirt with large blue pen ink stain. I tried oxyclean, WD-40, stain stick, dish soap, hair spray, nail polish remover, and Goo Gone. Nothing touched it. Shirt can't be used with stain, so last ditch effort I dipped a Q-tip in bleach and dabbed it on the stain.

In seconds, the stain faded to nothing! I quickly slathered it with soap and ran a ton of water over it to remove bleach. Shirt is good as new! I thought bleach would remove all color and leave a white spot but it didn't. Bleach wasn't as scary of an idea as I thought it would be!.

By 04/21/2011

I'd use hairspray. Spray it, rinse it with cold water, continue until it all comes out. I've had tremendously good luck with this in the past! I've even had it work on something that's been washed and dried.

By 04/21/2011

Hairspray works best! Good luck.

By 04/19/2011

Try oven cleaner it will get nearly everything out of anything. I've used it on my kids uniforms for a variety of stains and it works well. Just don't spray a whole lot of it.

Ink Stain On Laundered Clothing

I need to know how to get out an ink stain from my pants. I want to use hairspray. I already washed them once. Can I still get stain out?

Jennifer

RE: Ink Stain On Laundered Clothing

When my boyfriend had a broken ink pen in his shirt he asked me if I can get the ink out. I put milk on the ink stain and scrubbed it a little with a old toothbrush and then threw it in the wash. It came out spotless. Good luck. (05/07/2005)

By Christine

RE: Ink Stain On Laundered Clothing

I found rubbing alcohol ( yes the kind you buy in the drug store) to work well. Place a clean white towel under spot apply the alcohol to the perimeter of the stain first and then work your way in to the center of the area. Then turn the fabric inside out and treat the inside of the stain the same way. It should disappear. Good luck! (07/28/2005)

By janet

RE: Ink Stain On Laundered Clothing

If you really really really want to salvage something, I recommend taking it to the dry cleaners before you do ANYTHING (I work at a dry cleaners). It's not guaranteed to come out, but it is definitely possible. If you are going to take it to a dry cleaners, and want the best possible chances of getting ink out, DO NOT TOUCH THE SPOT. Don't rinse it, don't put any sort of pre-soaker stuff on it. Just leave it alone. Worst case scenario, the ink stain won't come out at the dry cleaners, but you can try some other methods afterwards, since dry cleaning doesn't involve water, which sets stains. If it's not a huge ink stain, just go straight to these other methods and skip the cleaners. Good luck! (12/05/2005)

By happyjello

RE: Ink Stain On Laundered Clothing

I washed my jacket with the pen ink stain, but it didn't come out, I didn't dry it, then I tried the Dawn, and it worked perfectly. Thank you. (01/02/2006)

By Wendy

RE: Ink Stain On Laundered Clothing

I heard spraying hairspray on the stain and then washing it works (03/02/2006)

By wendy

RE: Ink Stain On Laundered Clothing

HAIRSPRAY! I just laughed a bit ago when someone told me to try it, but I did it and I was amazed! It took no more than 5 seconds for the stain to completely disappear from sight! Amazing! (04/30/2006)

By wldntulike2kno

RE: Ink Stain On Laundered Clothing

A bar of white soap (Ivory, Dove), is a wonder at stain removal. Wet the spot, rub in the soap, let set then wash as usual. I have removed everything from ink to lipstick (the lipstick item had been run through the dryer also). Try it you will be glad you did. (04/30/2006)

By Lynn

Ink Stain On Laundered Clothing

I left a gel ink pen in the laundry and dried a stain on a green polo cotton shirt. I tried the Oxi Clean solution and the ink stain is still there. What should I try next. I love that shirt.

Chris W. from Savannah, GA

RE: Ink Stain On Laundered Clothing

I just tried the rubbing alcohol suggestion, and it worked perfectly. Try it, it works. Don't waste your money on expensive stain removal products like I almost did today. Good luck. (07/11/2007)

By By Amy

RE: Ink Stain On Laundered Clothing

If your fabric isn't delicate use nail polish remover. Blot with a paper towel. I tried it on my son's camouflage denim shorts then soaked in Oxiclean. They are wearable again though you can still see a small dark spot where the most saturated ink spot was. (09/05/2007)

By Jennifer

RE: Ink Stain On Laundered Clothing

I had an blue ink spot on a polyester dress shirt. I used a bar of white soap (Dial) the stain came out. It worked wonders. (02/09/2008)

By Jennifer

RE: Ink Stain On Laundered Clothing

My husband left gel ink pens on his work uniform and then dried them with ink all over them. I tried hairspray, alcohol, OxiClean, nothing worked. Then I tried Goo Gone and put an old white towel underneath and I immediately began seeing it come out. (05/11/2008)

By Ashton T.

RE: Ink Stain On Laundered Clothing

I just tried the hairspray combined with the bar of soap on a shirt with a ink stain from a year ago, got it out without a hassle, it was incredible. Please give it a go. (11/28/2008)

By Matt

RE: Ink Stain On Laundered Clothing

My mom told my dad she's not going to try to get out any ink stains from his shirts anymore so now he brings them to me to do. Well, I can see now why my mom is through messing with it that's for sure. So far I have tried the following: powdered Tide, liquid Tide, Oxi powder, Oxi spray, Spray n Wash, Lift Off spray, WD40, hydrogen peroxide, 409, rubbing alcohol, nail polish remover, and hairspray. None got the stain completely out.

Depending on the stain the products would make the stain lighter to a degree, but nothing ever took the stain away completely. That is until today. I was looking in the cabinets for something new that I hadn't tried before and there it was. A gallon jug of distilled vinegar. I thought what the heck, I'll try it. I poured about a capful onto the stain and proceeded to scrub the stain with a toothbrush and you know what? I didn't have to even scrub that hard at all and the stain was completely gone.

Word to the wise: use distilled vinegar to get out ink stains. (02/23/2009)

By Gail

RE: Ink Stain On Laundered Clothing

Gel ink is easily removed in clothing with"Spot Shot" Instant Carpet Stain Remover sold in an orange and blue can. I had tried everything and it came out instantly. It also works incredibly on carpet stains. It is inexpensive and one of the best finds I have ever used next to Awesome grease cleaner. (04/30/2009)

By mssharonanne

Ink Stain on Laundered Clothing

I have a sweatshirt that went through the wash with a pen. There are about 5 pen stains on the sweatshirt. How do I remove them?

By Nadine S. from Endicott, NY

RE: Ink Stain on Laundered Clothing

Hairspray will work, any kind. Spray it on ink stain then blot it off with a old cotton cloth or towel. Good luck. (10/18/2009)

By elaine1

RE: Ink Stain on Laundered Clothing

You know, I used to use hairspray, but a couple of years ago it wasn't working, and I did some internet research. I found on the "Heloise" website (don't know if you're too young to remember Heloise) that rubbing alcohol works better on today's inks and fabrics. I have had good success with it. I put some on before washing, let it sit for a minute or so, then just throw it in with the other clothes. Check to see that the stain is entirely gone before putting in the dryer. Good luck. (10/19/2009)

By cindywaggoner

RE: Ink Stain on Laundered Clothing

If you are still looking, there is a product called Goo Gone you can get from any Wal-Mart that works really well on any stain. Just found that out today. (10/20/2009)

By latrtatr