There are stains that we never want to see on our clothes. When one of them appears on our favorite clothes, on many occasions we think that it is irremediable and we give up that garment that has been damaged.
One of those stains is ink, which is one of the most common, because on a daily basis we use pens and we can easily stain our clothes without being able to avoid it. But fear not too much, there are some tricks to remove ink stains.
How to remove ink stains? 4 Tricks That Work
Removing an ink stain from a white or colored fabric is possible. The faster we act, the easier it will be to remove the ink stain in its entirety. If the stain stays on the fabric for too long, then it may not be so easy to achieve.
When the ink spills on the clothes, take a napkin or cotton and press lightly on the stain so that it absorbs as much ink as possible. Afterwards, you can apply any of the following tricks to eliminate it completely
one. Milk
Milk is a powerful stain remover useful for some types of ink. The first thing to do is press lightly with a cotton ball or napkin to absorb as much ink as possible, then dip the garment in milk.
Heat some warm milk in a bowl and submerge the garment, taking it out from time to time to carve it and reintroduce it. If the milk is also stained with the ink, then it must be replaced, but it is important that it be warm milk.
You have to be careful not to worsen the stain and spread it further into the fabric. For example, you only have to immerse the part of the fabric where the stain is and when removing it to carve, it should be carved gently and without extending beyond the stain.
This trick works well for white and colored fabrics. If the fabric is cotton, it is very likely that this will be enough to remove the stain. If the fabric is white, then it can be submerged in bleach afterwards to ensure that it washes out completely without staining the rest of the garment.
This milk trick also works great for wool and silk textiles, even when the ink is red, which is sometimes the most difficult to remove. However, in the case of wool, it must be done with cold milk so as not to damage the fabric.
2. Alcohol-Based Lacquer
Alcohol-based lacquer can be used for fresh ink stains. If the ink stain is several hours old on the garment, then using an alcohol-based hairspray may be the most efficient ink stain removal trick.
This type of lacquer can be found at paint stores or wherever carpentry supplies are sold. It can be used on pretty much any fabric, although with white fabric another trick combined with bleach at the end could always be more useful.
The first thing to do is test the lacquer in some area of the garment that can be hidden, this in order to make sure that it does not stain or damage the clothes. Once it has been verified that it will not damage the garment, it can be applied to the stain.
You have to spray the lacquer, which is generally an aerosol, approximately 30 cm from the garment. Immediately afterwards, press with a cotton pad to absorb as much ink as possible.
You have to do it immediately and do not let the lacquer dry on the garment, because what this trick does is soften and remove the stain but also spread it slightly, so if it is left to dry, it will end up stain a larger area.
3. Nail polish remover
Nail polish remover is a useful solvent for removing stains. This trick is especially effective for removing indelible ink, although keep in mind that these inks are specially made so they don't come off easily.
However, it may work depending on the type of fabric. A nail polish remover or other solvent product can remove the ink stain from almost any fabric. However, in the case of suede or leather, it is not a good idea to use this trick.
To remove ink stains from clothes with nail polish remover or thinner, dip a cotton ball in the nail polish remover and then dab lightly on the garment, taking care not to rub to avoid spreading the stain.
While this trick can be very effective for permanent ink, it can also be used for regular ballpoint ink. Remember that it is best to do a test on a hidden area of the garment to ensure that it will not damage the fabric.
Nail polish remover or other solvents can be very aggressive for some types of fabric such as silk, so it is better to use other tricks with delicate fabrics to avoid irreparably damaging the fabric and making it unusable plus that garment.
4. Sodium bicarbonate
Baking soda can remove ink stains from denim This trick is effective for almost any type of fabric, because it does not mistreat textiles easily. But it can be even more useful for removing ink stains from jeans.
To use baking soda as an ink remover, make a paste by mixing two tablespoons of baking soda with a little water and mix until you achieve a smooth but pasty texture.
This mixture is applied with a cotton ball on the stain and lightly pressed on the stain to gradually remove the ink. The advantage of baking soda is that it does not leave traces or damage fabrics, making it a very safe trick.
If it is a white garment, then it is convenient to try to remove all the excess ink by applying baking soda and then wash normally but adding bleach. If they are colored fabrics or even denim, then you should try to remove them completely with baking soda.
If the fabric is thick then you can first apply a little alcohol on a cotton pad and put it under the stain while the bicarbonate is applied on the other side. The goal is for the alcohol to help remove the stain and make it easier to remove.