How to Remove Ink Stains from Clothing and Other Surfaces

If you just spilled ink on your favorite shirt, there's no time to waste! Click here to jump straight to our instructions for cleaning ink stains from fabric. Otherwise, take a breath, relax, and read on to learn our recommendations for getting stains out of clothing and off of other surfaces.

Table of Contents

Removing Ink Stains from Fabric

How to remove ink stains from fabric.

Cleaning ink stains from clothing, tablecloths, and other fabric items is challenging. Results will depend heavily on the types of ink and fabric involved. It often isn't possible to fully remove the stain, but you may at least be able to reduce it.

Instructions

Step 1

Don't wait. The longer the stain sits, the harder it will be to remove.

Step 2

Place the stained item on a non-porous, easy-to-clean surface where it won't stain anything else or pick up any more stains.

Step 3

Gather your available cleaning supplies.

Gather as many of the following cleaning supplies as you can:

Paper towels
Stain remover (Amodex, OxyClean, Shout, etc.)
Liquid laundry detergent
Color-safe non-chlorine bleach
Ammonia
Isopropyl alcohol
A small bowl or mixing container

Step 4

Place paper towels under the stain to help absorb the ink and minimize spreading. Check the paper towels periodically during the following steps and replace them as necessary.

Step 5

Daub the stain to remove as much ink as possible before the stain dries.

If the stain is still wet, dab it with clean paper towels to remove as much of the ink as you can.

Step 6

Check for instructions on your cleaning supplies.

If you have a stain remover like Amodex or Oxyclean, follow the instructions provided for it. If you don't have a dedicated stain remover on hand, use the following instructions instead.

Step 7

You can prepare a homemade cleaning solution with laundry detergent and color-safe bleach.

Prepare a homemade stain-removing solution by mixing equal parts detergent and color-safe non-chlorine bleach. If you do not have color-safe non-chlorine bleach on hand, use detergent alone.

Step 8

Apply the cleaning solution to the stain.

Carefully pour a small amount of the homemade solution over the stain. Use just enough to dampen the stained portion of the fabric without spreading the stain to the surrounding fabric. For larger stains, try to work inward from the edges of the stain to minimize spreading.

Step 9

Daub the stain again to remove ink dissolved by the cleaning solution.

Resume dabbing the stain with clean paper towels. Add more of the solution as necessary to keep the fabric from drying out.

Step 10

Massage the cleaning solution into the stained fabric, then give it time to dissolve more of the ink.

When you are no longer able to pick up any ink with the paper towels, massage some of the solution into the stained fabric using your fingertips or a soft toothbrush, then let sit for 5–10 minutes.

Step 11

Machine wash the stained item.

Machine wash the stained item with laundry detergent and color-safe bleach, using the warmest and most vigorous settings that are safe to use with the item being treated.

Step 12

Inspect the results of the machine washing.

Inspect the stain. If it has been removed to your satisfaction, the item can be dried and put away. Do not dry the item until you are done trying to remove the stain. Once the stain dries, it will be much harder to clean.

Step 13 (Optional)

If necessary, you can create a stronger cleaning solution using alcohol and ammonia.

If the stain has not been removed to your satisfaction, you can repeat steps 7–12 using a mixture of equal parts ammonia and isopropyl alcohol. This solution is harsher and not safe for all fabrics, but it can also be more effective on stubborn ink stains. We recommend testing this solution on an inconspicuous spot before applying it to the stain.

Removing Ink Stains from Hard Surfaces

How to remove ink stains from hard surfaces.

Most inks are easy to remove from hard, nonporous surfaces using nothing more than a damp paper towel and a gentle cleaning agent like Windex.

For stubborn stains, you can use a stronger cleaning agent like ammonia, hydrogen peroxide, or chlorine bleach. Use only one of these agents at a time, clean the surface thoroughly before trying a different agent, and test each agent on an inconspicuous location first to make sure it won't discolor the material. Never mix chlorine bleach with other cleaning agents.

Different inks will respond differently to different cleaning agents, so if the first one you try doesn't work, keep trying with other cleaning agents.

With porous materials like unfinished wood or stone, it can be impossible to remove ink once it is absorbed into the material. We recommend staying safely away from such materials when engaging in any risky inktivities.

Removing Ink Stains from Skin

How to remove ink stains from skin.

We have a lot of experience with inky fingers here at JetPens, and we've found that the key to getting ink off of your hands is to use a mild abrasive cleaner. Pumice soaps like Lava are a good choice, or you can use dish soap with an exfoliating washcloth.

Tips for Avoiding Ink Stains

Be extra careful with retractable pens.

An extended pen tip can stain the inside of your pocket.

One of the most common causes of ink stains is a pen tip extending accidentally in the owner's pocket. Double-check your pens before you pocket them, and consider using a capped pen for pocket carry.

Be extra careful when uncapping pens after travel or pocket carry.

Capped pens can hide messy surprises.

Jostling, temperature changes, and pressure changes can all cause a bit of ink to leak out into the cap. This is especially true for rollerball and fountain pens that use liquid ink. If you fear that some ink may have leaked into the cap, uncap the pen over a sink with the cap end pointing down.

Don't leave pens in your pockets at home.

A forgotten pocket pen is a washing machine mishap waiting to happen.

We've all forgotten to double-check every pocket before doing a load of laundry, and accidentally washing a pocket pen is an easy way to ruin all of your favorite clothes at once. It's best not to invite the opportunity.

Don't leave open ink bottles or refills lying around.

Don't leave open ink bottles or pen refills lying around.

When you aren't actively using them, keep your ink bottles capped and your refills safely stowed in their original packaging or any other suitable container.

Use inks that are easy to clean.

Some inks are much easier to clean than others.

We've found that ordinary ballpoint ink is often the easiest type of ink to get out, at least from cotton fabric. Gel and ballpoint inks with advanced waterproof or fraud-resistant characteristics are much harder to clean.

With fountain pens, the easiest inks to remove from fabric are the so-called "washable blues," including Waterman Serenity Blue, Pelikan 4001 Royal Blue, and LAMY Blue. These blue inks are specifically formulated to be easy to clean from clothing and other surfaces, making them the preferred choice for younger schoolchildren across Europe.

For a wider variety of fountain pen inks that should be relatively easy to clean—though not quite as easy as washable blue inks—check out our guide to the best water-soluble fountain pen inks.

How We Approach Research & Testing

Our writers draw on their personal expertise, consult our in-house subject matter experts, and do extensive research to make our guides as accurate and comprehensive as possible. We then test every finding that makes it through the research stage. Only the techniques and tools whose performance we personally confirm make it into our guides as recommendations.

Final Thoughts

Ink stains happen to the best of us, and the unfortunate truth is that they often can't be fully removed. After all, leaving a mark on the world is what pens are for. But with preparation, speed, and a little luck, you can at least minimize the damage.

Do you have any stories about trying to remove an ink stain—successfully or otherwise? We'd love to hear them in the comments below!

How to Remove Ink Stains from Clothing and Other Surfaces

How to Remove Ink Stains from Clothing and Other Surfaces

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