Effective Ways to Remove Ink Stains from Clothes
Inks on clothes are not just stains but a spot that ruins the formal look. It gets worse if you find ink stains on your shirt a day before an important occasion. Surely, washing your shirt overnight to remove ink stains from clothes would not work. You can seek advice from expert cleaners like Love2laundry for your ink-stained outfits.
We provide comprehensive cleaning that keeps your fabric fresh by washing with proper instructions. Our pickup and delivery system will return your clothes on time, and in emergencies, the same-day washing service we offer would be helpful.
Our expertise to remove stains from clothes protects delicate fibers from sustaining damage. You can get in touch with us if washing clothes at home still leaves ink stains.
Here are some tips and measures to take the ink out of clothes.
Understanding Different Types of Ink Stains
Multiple types of ink stains could appear on your shirt, and they require different washing processes. Each ink stain has a different washing procedure, whether its water-based, oil-based, or a dried stain. Here are some different types of ink stains that could appear on your clothes.
Water-Based Ink Stains
Water-based ink stains are easier to remove from fabrics than oil-based and permanent ink stains. However, as they can spread quickly, here are some guidelines to remember.
- Place a cloth underneath the fabric.
- Apply rubbing alcohol on the stain and rub it with a cotton ball.
- Rinse the fabric with cold water and wash as usual to remove ink from clothes.
Oil-Based Ink Stains
Oil-based stains are pigments and dyes that provide colour and are mostly used in ballpoint pens. You can remove them by rubbing alcohol with a cotton ball. Alternatively, you can also use shaving cream to remove this ink stain from clothes.
Permanent Ink Stains
Permanent ink stains are challenging to remove, leaving traces behind even after the wash. You can pretreat permanent ink stains by rubbing alcohol with a cotton swab for fabrics. If the stain remains, nail polish can remove ink stains from permanent clothes.
Immediate Steps to Take When You Notice an InkStain
When ink stains suddenly appear on your clothes, immediate action is necessary. It’ll prevent the stain from spreading deep into the fabric and protect it from damage. Here are some tips that’ll remove ink stains from clothes immediately.
Blot Instead of Rubbing
Rubbing fresh ink stains on clothes can further ruin the situation by spreading the ink deep into the fibers. The damaged fibres underneath could even tear your outfit. So, make sure to gently blot the stain with a clean towel.
It’ll slowly absorb the stain and protect the fibers of your garments from getting out of shape.
Use a Barrier
Maintaining a barrier while pretreating the ink stain prevents it from spreading. For instance, place a cloth underneath your fabric when applying the stain remover to get ink stains out of clothes.
Preventing the risk of fabric damage makes your outfit durable and long-lasting. If you still find some ink stains, you can look for the best laundry service in your area to get your garments washed properly.
Home Remedies to Remove Ink Stains from Clothes
Home remedies to remove ink stains from clothes could be easier for you in emergencies. Pretreating an ink stain that suddenly appears on your shirt could save you time and effort. So, let’s have a look at the remedies you can use at home.
Using Rubbing Alcohol:
Using rubbing alcohol to remove ink stains from clothes at home is easy. Apply it directly on the stain, rub it gently with a clean cloth, and then rinse the fabric with cold water to remove the stain.
Applying Vinegar and Baking Soda:
You can also use vinegar and baking soda to remove ink stains from clothes as a home remedy. Start by blotting the stain with a clean cloth, then apply vinegar or baking soda. Remember to leave vinegar for 5 minutes and baking soda for 15 to 30 minutes.
Lemon Juice and Salt for Light Fabrics:
Pretreating ink stains with lemon juice and salt is a great home remedy to remove ink from a dress. Apply a small amount of salt or lemon on your garment and let the solution sit for some time, then rinse it with cold water.
Commercial Products for Ink Stain Removal
Using commercial products to remove stains from white clothes of ink makes your fabric fresh and durable. It’ll even help you in removing permanent ink stains from your outfits. Here are some stain removers for ink that you can use.
Ink Removers:
Ink or pen stain removers are the most suitable products to protect your clothes. There are multiple ink removers for different ink stains. Here are some of them.
Amodex Ink and Stain Remover – Apply it to the ink stain and rub it with a brush. Leave it for at least 10 minutes, then rinse with cold water.
OxyClean Max Force Gel Stick – Use it when the fabric is dry, and leave it for 10 minutes before rinsing with cold water to get pen ink out of clothes.
Multi-Purpose Stain Removers:
Multi-purpose stain removers like Fels-Naptha Laundry Bar and Carbona Stain Devils work on all fabrics. To remove tea stains from white clothes, follow the instructions for stain removers. Here are the fabrics you can use multi-purpose stain removers on.
- Cotton and Linen
- Silk fabrics
- Leather
Removing Ink Stains from Different Types of Fabric
Ink stains on different fabrics require different washing procedures to keep the clothes safe from sustaining damage. Here are the cleaning methods for the commonly used fabrics:
Cotton & Linen
- Blot the stain with a clean cloth.
- Pretreat with rubbing alcohol.
- Apply a stain remover and rub it with a toothbrush.
- Wash as per the instructions for laundry detergent.
Silk & Delicate Fabrics
- Blot the stain instead of rubbing it.
- Opt for a stain remover or a liquid detergent and let it sit for 15 minutes.
- Rinse with cold water thoroughly.
- Air dry clothes if necessary.
Synthetic Fabrics
- Pretreat synthetic fibers with rubbing alcohol.
- Rinse with cold water and apply a liquid laundry detergent.
- Soak your clothes in warm water.
- Wash your clothes as usual.
Removing Ink from Leather
- Blot the ink stains with a clean cloth to remove the excess ink.
- Apply Isopropyl alcohol and dab it gently to remove ink stains from clothes at home.
- Treat the fabric with a leather cleaner on the fabric.
- Apply cornstarch and leave it for a few hours before brushing it off.
Machine Wash or Dry Clean: What’s best afterTreatment?
Machine Washing
Machine-washing fabrics like cotton and linen are great as they are durable. You can blot the stains first and then rinse this fabric with cold water. Check the stains before drying your clothes in hot water with a laundry detergent.
Dry Clean
For delicate fabrics, dry cleaning is a safe process to keep the fibers of such delicate outfits safe. That’s because dry cleaning uses solvents instead of detergents, which offer a gentle effect.
Preventing Future Ink Stains
You can prevent ink stains from appearing on your clothes in the future by taking some measures:
- Putting pen caps on while placing them in your pockets.
- Storing pens separately to prevent the risk of accidents.
FAQs – How to Get Ink Out of Clothes
What is the best way to remove permanent ink from clothes?
The best way to remove permanent ink from clothes is to act quickly, place a cloth under the fabric while pretreating the stain, and rinse the fabric with cold water.
What is the best stain remover for dried ink?
The best stain remover for dried ink depends on the fabric and ink type, but you can use an alcohol or a nail polish remover to remove dried ink stains.
Does vinegar remove ink from clothes?
Vinegar’s mild nature makes it effective for removing most fresh ink stains. However, it is not effective for all fabrics and ink types.
Does Vanish remove ink stains?
Vanish with an Oxi Action formula is the most effective stain remover for ink. It would be suitable for pretreating fresh stains as per the instructions.
Wrap Up!
Now that you know everything required to remove ink stains from clothes, you can keep your outfits clean and fresh. The types of ink stains that damage your garments won’t be a problem. You can add some tips to your washing procedure, like using a commercial stain remover and taking quick action by blotting the ink stain.
