Looking down at your school uniform, you notice a patch of blue stain in the pocket of your skirt or trousers – especially if it’s white or any of those other light colours! -. “Golly Gosh!” you say to yourself. “That flaming pen must have overflowed!!” “If only I had just put it in my bag after Biology class”, you berate yourself. “How could I have been so forgetful?” you blame yourself further. “Now my school uniform is ruined forever!!!” you finish with drama.
But there is good news yet. Your school uniform doesn’t have to be ruined forever, not if you follow these genius tricks to salvage it. Consider three types of ink stains and their remedies.
1. Ballpoint Ink
Ballpoint ink stains can strike everything from shirts to skirts. However, they can be removed with alcohol-based solvents. One method is to:
- Place the stained clothing item over a dry white towel
- Apply some rubbing alcohol (methylated spirit) over the stain and blot stain with another clean towel until the stain begins to fade
- Rinse the garment with clean water to remove all traces of the methylated spirit
- Apply liquid detergent to formerly stained area and allow it to absorb for about five minutes
- Wash garment in warm water
Another way to remove ballpoint pen ink stains from clothing is to dose the stain with alcohol-based hair spray, and then dab at it with a clean towel until the ink begins to lift. The alcohol should help loosen the ink molecules. Once the ink begins to fade, launder the garment as usual.
2. Permanent Ink
Ink from permanent markers is extremely difficult to remove from clothing. However, if you act quickly, there is a very good chance that you can salvage a shirt stained with permanent ink.
- Place the stained side of the garment on absorbent towels and saturate the stained area with methylated spirit.
- Once the stain is wet, blot it with clean towels being careful not to spread the stain to rest of the fabric. Continue blotting until the towels won’t absorb any more of the ink.
- Let the clothing item dry and then carefully sponge the permanent ink stain with a dry-cleaning solvent. The solvent should lift the remainder of the stain.
- Once it does, rub the area with liquid detergent and rinse thoroughly.
3. Water-Based Ink
Water-based ink is found in gel and fountain pens. However, unlike ballpoint pen ink, which is oil-based and very thick; gel ink is water based and much thinner. Given the make-up of gel ink stains, you will have more success in removing the unwanted marks by using water-based cleaning agents rather than alcohol-based ones.To remove water-based ink stains from clothing:
- Place the stained garment on top of a clean white towel
- Apply water and blot using another clean white towel
- When the stain starts to fade, apply liquid detergent to the fabric and let sit for about five minutes
- Wash the stained fabric in warm water
- If the stain is not completely gone, repeat the first two steps a few more times until the ink stain disappears.
Simple Ink Removal Tips
An easy way to prevent ink from spreading to more of the fabric is to begin the cleaning process as fast as possible. Regardless of the type of ink, quick action is required. If you are away from home when ink stains strike, look around for ink absorbents such as talcum powder. Pouring baby powder on wet ink stain will help reduce the extent to which it spreads. Even blotting paper can be used to soak up ink from a garment in a pinch.
So, worry no more, we got you covered.
