The dryer signals that familiar buzz, the clothes are dry. You grab the laundry basket and head to the dryer to take the laundry out. As you begin to take the laundry out of the dryer, you notice something wrong, something that shouldn’t be there. Then you see it again and again. Your heart races as you begin to realize you are seeing it everywhere, on piece of laundry after piece of laundry. There is ink everywhere, a pen has gone through the laundry. Your heart sinks and you wonder how much of the laundry is ruined, or how much of the laundry can be saved. How do you get ink stains out of clothing?

I’m sure there are many of you who have had a moment like this. I have had a couple of moments like this, in fact I am pretty sure I wrote that first paragraph straight from recent memory. No matter how we try, no matter how much we check the pockets of those jeans and shake out all of those pairs of pants, the dreaded ink pen still makes its way into the washer and dryer. If you are like me, you never catch it until you are pulling the laundry out of the dryer. Then you ask yourself, or anyone who will listen, “How do you get ink stains out of clothing?”

There are quite a few answers to the question, “How do you get ink stains out of clothing?” There are all of the old wives tales that we’ve all heard and even a few new ones. Two super important points, remember to test the fabric for colorfastness and dab at the ink stain, never rub. Here are just a few of the ways to get ink stains out of clothing:

Laundry soap
This old standby is a favorite for many people who are trying to get out ink stains. Dab at the stain using a small amount of laundry soap. This is the ink stain removal method I have personally had little success with but there are others who really like it.

Hair spray
Another favorite for people trying to get ink stains out of clothing is hairspray. Spray hairspray onto the stain and let it dry before putting in the washing machine. The chemicals in the spray will help to break down the ink, which will make it easier to dissolve in the wash.

Rubbing Alcohol
Rubbing alcohol is another solution to try to get ink stains out of clothing. Dab a small amount of rubbing alcohol onto the ink stain. Start blotting the stain with a clean cloth and continue until no ink stain remains. Rinse the clothing thoroughly when you are done.

Hand sanitizer
This ink stain remedy works just like rubbing alcohol because it contains alcohol. Follow the same steps as you would with rubbing alcohol.

Nail polish remover
This ink stain remedy makes me a little nervous. I would try it only on strong fabrics, and as a last resort. Remember to test it on an inconspicuous part of the fabric.

Have another tip to get ink stains out of clothing? Let us know – we love to hear from you!