Cruel pen! I need to remove an ink stain!

August 12, 2005 7:49 AM

How do I remove a Pilot G2 ink stain from my pants?

After washing and drying my pants, I saw a big, huge black ink stain by the back pocket of my pants. It was caused by me stupidly putting a retractable pen in my pocket - the ink soaked into the fabric. I tried "Zout!" (a stain remover) and it didn't get it all out. Actually, it removed a lot of the color from the surrounding area! Before I dye my pants brown again, I'd like to get as much ink out as I can. Please don't recommend that I bleach the area since I'm going to dye it anyway (although I'd like to know if bleach works for white clothing items). I want to know how to get rid of ink stains in the future as well. Also - does soaking an ink stain in milk really work? Does Oxy-Clean do ink? What can I do?

posted by redteam to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (12 answers total)

I've had luck removing black pen ink with acetone (you can use nail polish remover, but wash well with water before letting it dry). Note: don't use acetone on a synthetic fabric.

As amazing as oxyclean normally is, it didn't do anything to pen ink.
posted by rxrfrx at 8:08 AM on August 12, 2005

Methyl alcohol sometimes works.
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 8:15 AM on August 12, 2005

Try WD40. It has all kinds of penetrating agents in it.
posted by KRS at 8:34 AM on August 12, 2005

Hairspray. Works on jeans, at least. (The alcohol does the trick.) Yesterday I set out to remove a two-year-old huge ink stain and, unbelievably, it worked. Just don't be afraid of putting too much hairspray on the stain. Let it soak for a bit, then rinse it in cold water. And make sure to blot it with a paper towel or a rag because the ink has to go somewhere.

Still, I'm not sure about brown pants. There's probably lots of Googleable info on this.
posted by quarked at 9:18 AM on August 12, 2005

Rubbing alcohol should work. I've used it to remove ink from a blue shirt--ink went, fabric dye stayed.
posted by LionIndex at 9:29 AM on August 12, 2005

Second the rubbing alcohol.

Wouldn't WD40 stain?
posted by Specklet at 9:35 AM on August 12, 2005

Seconding hairspray.
posted by deborah at 9:42 AM on August 12, 2005

Response by poster: I could swear I tried rubbing alcohol on an ink stain once and it didn't do much. Maybe the alcohol in hair spray is different? Maybe it's this methyl alcohol that weapons-grade pandemonium mentioned? I will try all of these things.

Also, what kind of ink did you guys try these things on? The Pilot G2 is one of those "gel" pens, not a regular ballpoint. The ink is very liquid, not gooey like the ink in a Bic pen.

Please, keep the suggestions coming!
posted by redteam at 9:43 AM on August 12, 2005

I second hairspray. I've used it to take ink stains out, learned about it in Home Economics in high school . . . DON'T LAUGH!
posted by 6:1 at 9:44 AM on August 12, 2005

Rubbing Alcohol (70%), Acetone, Turpentine or Varsol. In that order. After wiping the area thouroughly with water between chemicals.

Test it out someone obscured first, it might eat a hole in the pants. The rubbing alcohol is probably safe. The rest not so much. But if it's the last choice... well...
posted by shepd at 10:53 AM on August 12, 2005

(although I'd like to know if bleach works for white clothing items)
Bleach can yellow fabrics. Try soaking mostly cotton fabrics in white vinegar for a couple of days. This works pretty well, especially on sweat stains. Also, try the Rit Dye brand whitener. This works really really well. I can't remember the exact name of it, but I typically find it on the same shelf as the other dyes.
posted by brighteyes at 2:24 PM on August 12, 2005

Hairspray works on these Pilot inks, I am sure of it. However, if you have already run the thing through a wash and dry cycle, I don't have much hope for your pants.
posted by ikkyu2 at 5:41 PM on August 12, 2005