“You are wearing your favorite
shirt to the office. Your friends or colleagues notice you enough in them. But
somewhere around that day, you get ink stains and it clearly destroys the
clarity and freshness of your shirt. You get to your home and try washing it
off, but the stain doesn’t get off. Now you are certain that the world is a bad
place“
We have all been there. Sometimes all it takes is a drop of stain to ruin your
pretty clothes. In this article, we will look at ways in which you can remove
ink stains from cotton fabrics
easily.
Before we begin. . .
Identify which type of ink is on
your fabric. Based on the type of ink, we have to choose different washing
methods. Basically, there are three types of pen inks.
1. Ballpoint
2. Rollerball/Fountain
pen
3. Gel
Why check the ink type?
Traditional ballpoint pens use fast-drying, oil-based ink that requires a solvent to remove. Rollerball pens use
water-based inks that are fairly easy to remove. Gel pens on the other hand
use a highly-pigmented type of ink that can be a bit more difficult to remove.
If you don’t know which type of
stain on your fabric, don’t worry, you can start by using the method for removing
ballpoint ink. If it doesn’t work, move on to rollerball then to the gel ink
method.
One more thing. . .
Read your fabric washing
instructions before setting out on our adventure. Only proceed further if your
fabric is machine washable. In most cases, cotton fabrics are. If not, please
visit your nearest dry cleaner.
1. For
Ballpoint stain (Oil-based)
Oil-based ink can be removed by
using many household products that contain ethanol. Like rubbing alcohol,
hairspray, or hand sanitizer.
Step 1: Place the stain on an
absorbent surface
Step 2: Apply alcohol-based solvent
on it and wait for 3-4 minutes.
Step 3: Use a clean and dry cloth
to blot the stain. Try and press the ink out of your fabric, into the blotting
cloth and the absorbent surface beneath
Step 4: Repeat until you have a
fresh fabric again.
Step 5: Once done, wash the piece
with a detergent before use.
2. For
Rollerball pen stain (Water-based)
Step 1: Soak the stained part of
your fabric in skim milk and wait for at least half an hour.
Step 2: Scrub the stain with a soft-bristled brush while rinsing with warm water.
Step 3: Apply color-safe bleach
powder in a thick paste form on the stain, wait for half an hour and scrub
gently again with a brush.
Step 4: Repeat step 3 until you get
a fresh fabric.
Step 5: Wash the fabric in
detergent before use.
3. For Gel pen
stain (Highly pigmented)
Due to its high pigmentation
property, it is better to treat the stain as quickly as possible.
Step 1: Treat it with normal
detergent in the beginning.
Step 2: Treat the stain with
alcohol and vinegar solution. Wait for 10 mins and scrub the stain with a soft
brush.
Step 3: Wash with normal detergent
before using.
I hope this helps you in getting
back to think the world is indeed a great place. If you have used any of the
methods, please comment below.
The article advised by Mr. K Palanivel,
MD & CEO Dinesh Exports
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