How to remove ink from a pen in a washing machine

How to remove ink from a pen in a washing machine Ink on a white shirt and other light-colored clothing is a real headache for any mother whose child has started school. Often they try to wash the handle from clothes in a washing machine using a stain remover, for which the clothes are immediately placed in the drum along with other things. You shouldn’t do this, because there is a high chance that the stain will not disappear and will penetrate deeper into the fabric, and even spread to other things. In such a situation, even professional dry cleaning will no longer be able to help, so you should look for other cleaning methods. We'll tell you in detail which ones.

We remove ink professionally

Ink from pens, prints and stamps is usually created on a water-glycerin basis, or a dispersed medium with a solvent, plus alcohol. Due to the fact that the ink contains a powerful colored pigment, it quickly penetrates a variety of surfaces, where it remains for a long time. Therefore, ordinary soap, washing powder or washing gel are not able to remove such stains - you will need a more powerful product that can dissolve the pigment with the base. Most often, ink is produced with a water-soluble base, which is why, upon contact with a liquid, it dissolves very quickly and spreads over the entire surface. Therefore, instead of immediately getting your clothes wet, you need to strictly follow the rules developed by professionals.

First of all, sprinkle the pen ink with starch, crushed chalk, or talcum powder. This action will not allow the pigment to spread further throughout the clothing, plus the powder will partially absorb some of the ink.
It is much easier to remove ink if you try to remove it immediately after the stain has formed, because stubborn blots are much more difficult to remove.
It is easier to clean clothes from the edge to the center of the stain to avoid ink stains.

You can prevent streaks from occurring during manual cleaning by using talcum powder or starch, which should first be applied along the edges of the stain.

Be sure to place a napkin or rag under the ink stain on your clothing so that a blot imprint does not appear on the other side of the item. This is especially true for cleaning trousers and sleeves.
If you are not sure about your cleaning product, you can test it on an inconspicuous element of the item - if the powder does not change the color or structure of the fabric, then it is suitable for removing ink from a pen.
There is no need to wait after applying the cleaning agent to the blot - you can immediately begin removing the stain without waiting for the product to dry.
When using aggressive household chemicals, you need to use a respirator and thick gloves, open all the windows in the house and ask children with allergies to leave the room for a while.

The list of rules is quite extensive, but following all the points will allow you to reliably get rid of ink stains from clothes without the risk of damaging the item even more.

What to do before putting things in the washing machine?

If clothes are stained with ink, you can still put them in the washer, but follow certain rules. First, you need to prepare the item for washing by pre-treating the stain so that it partially goes away during preparation, and then completely disappears during washing. To do this, you also need to follow the instructions.

Prepare a bottle of 90% ethyl alcohol, purchased from a pharmacy, not a grocery store.
Using cotton swabs soaked in alcohol, gently scrub the stain from the clothing, but be careful not to smear it.
Carefully remove the successfully dissolved ink with a cotton pad.

This is how you can slowly not only soften the ink from your pen, but also remove even old stubborn blots. If the stain after the procedure has become lighter or has almost completely disappeared from the item, you can wash it with peace of mind.

How to properly wash an item in a machine?

So, the stain has been found and partially removed with ethyl alcohol, all that remains is to completely remove it in the washing machine. For this procedure, you will need a stain remover from the Vanish brand or similar. Add two capfuls of product to the “home assistant” dispenser intended for the main washing step.

Buy household chemicals for clothes carefully, because stain remover for colored clothes is not suitable for white clothes and vice versa.

After that, all that remains is to put the laundry in the drum, select a working cycle with a temperature, suitable fabric and start washing. After completion of the work, things should be crystal clean, free of any stains.