My son wears a uniform to work, and because his job has him using pens throughout the day, he is always forgetting to take them out of his pockets before doing the laundry. And you can probably guess what happens next—ink stains on his uniforms!
After dealing with this more times than I care to count, I had to come up with a few ways to get ink out of clothes without giving up on a perfectly good uniform.
In this article, I’m sharing five methods I use to remove both wet and dried ink stains. Some of these ink stain removal methods are a little unconventional and old-fashioned, but they can work surprisingly well depending on the type of fabric and whether the stain is fresh or already dry.
So, with no further ado, let’s dive into how to remove ink from clothes.
5 Best Methods to Get Ink Out of Clothes (Wet and Dried)
What You’ll Need
You won’t need everything on this list. What you use will depend on the method you choose.
- Milk
- Nail polish remover containing acetone
- Household ammonia
- Rubbing alcohol
- Lemon juice
- White vinegar
- Clean white cloths or paper towels
- Cotton balls or cotton pads
- An old toothbrush or soft cleaning brush
- Laundry detergent
- A small bowl
- Cold water
- An old towel
Before you start: Always check the care label on your clothing and test your chosen solution on a small hidden area first. Some fabrics and dyes are more delicate than others. Also, never put ink-stained clothing in the dryer until you’re satisfied that the stain is gone. Heat can make an ink stain much harder to remove.
1. How to Remove Ink From Clothes With Milk
Yes, good old milk! This is one of those old-fashioned laundry tricks that sounds a little strange until you try it.
Milk is a gentle option that I like for treating ink stains when I don’t want to immediately reach for a stronger product.
How to Use Milk on an Ink Stain
- Pour enough milk into a small bowl to completely cover the stained portion of the clothing.
- Place the ink-stained section of the fabric into the milk.
- Let it soak for several hours. For a stubborn or dried stain, you can leave it soaking overnight.
- Check the stain and gently rub the stained fabric together to help loosen the remaining ink.
- Rinse thoroughly with cold water.
- Wash the clothing according to its care instructions.
- Check the stained area before putting the garment into the dryer.
If the stain hasn’t completely disappeared, repeat the process before drying.
This method can be especially handy when you’re trying to get ink out of fabric without starting with a harsher solvent.
2. How to Remove Ink From Clothes With Nail Polish Remover
Nail polish remover can be useful for stubborn ink because many nail polish removers contain acetone, which acts as a solvent.
However, this is one method where you definitely want to do a spot test first. Acetone can damage certain synthetic fabrics, including acetate and triacetate, and it may affect some fabric dyes.
How to Use Nail Polish Remover on Ink
- Place an old white towel or several paper towels underneath the ink stain.
- Test a tiny amount of nail polish remover on a hidden part of the garment.
- If the fabric reacts well, put a small amount of nail polish remover onto a cotton ball or clean white cloth.
- Gently blot the ink stain. Don’t aggressively rub it, because rubbing can spread the ink farther into the fabric.
- As the ink transfers onto your cloth or cotton ball, switch to a clean section.
- Continue blotting until very little ink is transferring.
- Rinse the area thoroughly with cold water.
- Apply a small amount of laundry detergent and wash the garment according to the care label.
- Air-dry or check the stain carefully before machine drying.
This method may help with tougher ink stains out of clothes after drying, but don’t use acetone-based nail polish remover on fabrics that aren’t compatible with it.
3. How to Get Ink Out of Clothes With Ammonia
Household ammonia is another old-school laundry product that can come in handy for certain stubborn stains.
I would reserve this method for washable, colorfast clothing rather than delicate fabrics.
How to Use Ammonia to Remove Ink
- Check the garment’s care label and test the ammonia solution on a hidden area first.
- Mix 1 tablespoon of clear household ammonia with 1 cup of water.
- Place an old towel underneath the stained area.
- Dip a clean white cloth into the diluted ammonia solution.
- Gently blot the ink stain, working from the outside toward the center.
- Continue blotting as the ink begins transferring onto the cloth.
- Rinse the treated area very thoroughly with cold water.
- Apply your normal laundry detergent.
- Wash according to the garment’s care instructions.
- Check the stain before drying.
Important: Never mix ammonia with chlorine bleach or any cleaning product containing bleach. That combination can create dangerous toxic gases.
4. How to Remove Ink From Clothes With Rubbing Alcohol
If you’re dealing with a pen stain, rubbing alcohol is one of the first methods I would try, especially on a washable garment.
The trick here is to blot and transfer the ink rather than scrub it all over the fabric.
How to Get Ink Out With Rubbing Alcohol
- Put a clean white towel or several layers of paper towel underneath the stained area.
- Pour a small amount of rubbing alcohol onto a clean white cloth or cotton ball.
- Blot the ink stain gently.
- You should begin seeing some of the ink transfer from the clothing onto the cloth underneath or onto your cotton ball.
- Replace the paper towel or move to a clean part of your cloth as it becomes stained with ink.
- Continue blotting until you’re no longer getting much ink transfer.
- Rinse the area thoroughly with cold water.
- Rub a little liquid laundry detergent into the remaining stain.
- Wash the clothing according to its care label.
- Check the stain before drying.
This can also be a useful method if you’re trying to get ink out of jeans. Denim is usually fairly sturdy, but because jeans can fade, especially dark denim, test the alcohol somewhere hidden first.
5. How to Remove Ink From Clothes With Lemon Juice and Vinegar
If you enjoy using simple household ingredients for laundry, you can also try lemon juice and white vinegar on a small ink stain.
This is one of the gentler DIY methods I like to keep in mind before giving up on a stained piece of clothing.
How to Use Lemon Juice and Vinegar
- Mix equal parts lemon juice and white vinegar in a small bowl.
- Place an old towel underneath the stained portion of the garment.
- Test the mixture on an inconspicuous area first, especially on colored clothing.
- Apply a small amount of the mixture directly to the ink stain.
- Allow it to sit for about 10–15 minutes.
- Gently blot the area with a clean white cloth.
- Rinse thoroughly with cold water.
- Apply a small amount of laundry detergent to the stain.
- Wash the clothing according to its care instructions.
- Check to make sure the stain is gone before putting it in the dryer.
For a stubborn stain, you may need to repeat the treatment rather than using more solution all at once.
A Few Tips Before Trying to Get Ink Out of Clothes
Ink stains can be stubborn, so don’t panic if the stain doesn’t disappear immediately.
Fresh ink is generally easier to deal with, so treat the stain as soon as you notice it. Try not to rub fresh ink because you may spread it into a larger area.
For a dried ink stain, you may need to repeat your chosen method several times.
And whatever you do, don’t automatically throw the clothing into the dryer after washing it. Check that stain first! If some ink remains, treat it again before exposing it to more heat.
Does Dish Soap Get Ink Out of Clothes?
Dish soap can help with some stains, particularly oily stains, but I wouldn’t depend on dish soap alone for a stubborn pen ink stain.
You can, however, use a little dish soap or liquid laundry detergent after treating the ink with another method. This can help wash away whatever residue remains before laundering the clothing.
Can You Get Ink Out of Clothes After Drying?
Yes, you can sometimes get ink out of clothes after drying, so don’t automatically throw away that shirt, pair of jeans, or uniform just because it has already been through the dryer.
Dried ink is usually more difficult to remove than fresh ink, and you may have to repeat the treatment several times. Rubbing alcohol is one method worth trying on a dried ballpoint pen stain, provided it is safe for the fabric.
Treat the stain, blot away as much ink as possible, rinse, wash, and then check it again before drying.
Does Rubbing Alcohol Damage Clothes?
Rubbing alcohol is safe for many washable fabrics when used carefully, but it can affect certain dyes and materials.
Always perform a spot test somewhere inconspicuous first. If you see the color transferring, fading, or changing, don’t continue using the alcohol on that garment.
For delicate, vintage, dry-clean-only, or expensive clothing, I would skip experimenting and take the garment to a professional cleaner instead.
Can You Use Other DIY Methods to Get Ink Out of Clothes?
Yes. There are plenty of old-fashioned and DIY ink stain removal methods, and you’ll hear everything from hairspray to baking soda suggested.
The problem is that not every trick works equally well on every type of ink or fabric. Even hairspray isn’t quite the laundry trick it used to be because many modern formulas contain much less alcohol than older hairsprays did.
That’s why I prefer to start with a method that makes sense for the fabric and the type of stain, test it first, and work slowly rather than throwing several different products onto the stain at once.
Final Thoughts
And there you have it—five simple ways to get ink out of clothes, whether you’re dealing with a fresh little pen mark or trying to tackle an ink stain you didn’t notice until after laundry day.
If you have someone in your house who loves leaving pens in their pockets as my son does, you might want to save a few of these tricks. Trust me, eventually you’re going to need one of them!
I hope these DIY ink removal methods come in handy someday and help you save a shirt, uniform, pair of jeans, or another favorite piece of clothing from the trash.
Happy stain removal!
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