Ink stains are really tough and unfortunately, our darlings all end up coming home from school with one of them one day or another. And let’s not mention the clumsy office workers who have a knack for getting into trouble with a note written in the diary and those who adventurously put them in their pocket with the results we know. How to clean and how to remove an ink stain? Is there a very effective stain remover that we have in our cupboards? Grandma gives you some useful tips and household products to carry out this task here!
No need for bleach to remove a stain from a ballpoint pen or felt-tip pen! You risk damaging it. Start by using absorbent paper to remove the majority of the stain, then use one of the solutions suggested below.
1) When the ink is erasable
Wipe the eraser over the stained area. (Be sure to test on the reverse side first to ensure you can do so safely.) Then finish removing the stain using soapy water (Marseille soap or black soap) or baking soda and a little of water. Head to washing in the washing machine to remove stain residue.
2) Remove stubborn ink stains with lemon juice
On a stain where the ink has not had time to dry, sprinkle with coarse salt and cover with lemon juice (or white vinegar). Then, leave it to act for a few minutes and put it all in the washing machine. If the ink is dry, all is not lost! Prepare a basin of lemon water to soak the stain for 10 minutes. Then pour pure lemon juice over it and give it a few minutes to work. You can also just dab the stain with lemon juice. This is perfect for jeans and fragile or synthetic fabrics. For cotton, leather or wool, you can prefer dabbing with a cloth soaked in a solution based on one part 90° alcohol and two parts water.
3) Hairspray
When we presented our article on 12 surprising ways to use hairspray, you were surprised to learn that hairspray could be used on ink stains! Several times in a row until the stain disappears, you can spray it on the stain and dab with a clean cloth. Rinse and put everything in the machine. You can also spray hairspray on the stain and add antibacterial hand gel. Then put it all in the machine.
4) Best for last: hot milk
Among the many uses of milk, cleaning ink is worth knowing, because it is extremely effective! To do this, you can use lukewarm or hot milk (without being boiling). Here two methods: dab the stain with a clean cloth soaked in the liquid or bathe the ink in a bowl of milk, changing it when it has taken on the color of the ink. Then put it all in the machine and voila!