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Mon 15 Sep, 2003 02:17 am
how can I remove ink stains from cotton clothing?
any tip would be appreciated
Welcome to Able2Know! What kind of ink is it?
pen blue ink ran on my laundry
Don't dry the clothes. Keep them soaking. If you put them in the dryer already you probably fixed the ink.
You will need to use some commerical product to remove the stains. I do not know of one to recommend but hopegully when America wakes up someone will help.
Here is a Google search for in removal products:
Removing ink stains
Use hair spray. It really works, but test it on an area of the clothing which isn't seen (e. g. the bottom of a hem that you tuck in, or the underside of a cuff or the inside of a button placket). You want to make sure that the clothing dye won't run and you won't further stain the fabric (I know this is cotton but of course silk is another matter entirely and you'd need to see your dry cleaner about that).
If the clothes' dye is colorfast (that is, it doesn't run), spray on hair spray and rub in using your fingernail. The ink will lighten as it becomes diluted by the hair spray. Once the ink is so diluted that you can no longer see it, treat with a pretreater (like Shout!) and wash and dry as usual.
Rubbing alcohol also works. Just put some folded up paper towels under the fabric and pour it on little by little.
what if the stained cloth is washed? ( and still stained of course)
can I still use alcohol or hair spray on it?
Sure, but every time the cloth is washed (and, more importantly, every time it's dried in the machine), the stain will set in more and more and it'll become more difficult to get the stain out. It's not impossible, but it's definitely harder to do.
I read also that nail polish remouver can help
but not on acetate fabrics