# ink on clothing

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ink-on-clothing/135365>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 5, 2002, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ink-on-clothing/135365 "2002-11-05T14:33:23Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![vanilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f19dbf/32.png) [@vanilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vanilla)\
**Post date:** [November 5, 2002, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ink-on-clothing/135365/1 "2002-11-05T14:33:23Z")

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Twice my son has come home from school with pen marks all over his tops.  
I washed one, it didn’t come out.  
How do I get it out of this top?(before I wash it I want to know)

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**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\
**Post date:** [November 5, 2002, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ink-on-clothing/135365/2 "2002-11-05T15:19:02Z")

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Try hairspray on the ink mark - saturate the spot, let it soak in a little, then wash. I’ve read that in spot removing guides before, and had good results the few times I’ve needed to use it.

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**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\
**Post date:** [November 5, 2002, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ink-on-clothing/135365/3 "2002-11-05T15:54:16Z")

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Carbonara makes a series of specialized stain removers, including one for ink. I’ve had reasonable luck with it (although it is not perfect).

Jo-Ann Fabrics usually carries the Carbonara line.

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**Author:** ![Pandora](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/eada6e/32.png) [@Pandora](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pandora)\
**Post date:** [November 5, 2002, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ink-on-clothing/135365/4 "2002-11-05T17:31:17Z")

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Many types of ink are alcohol soluble. (That’s what’s in hairspray that makes it remove ink). If you don’t keep hairspray around, you can use rubbing alcohol. Put paper towels, or something absorbant under the stain and saturate with alcohol. This should remove much of the ink stain… what remains will probably come out in the wash. The sooner you do this after the ink gets on the clothes, the better, although IME even old ink stains can be improved/lightened

Be careful if you do use hairspray, some brands will discolor your fabric, leaving you with yet another stain to get out.

Also the alcohol/hairspray will not remove perment ink.

You may want to invest in some pens with washable ink for your son, if he is required to have pens for school.

-Pandora

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**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\
**Post date:** [November 5, 2002, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ink-on-clothing/135365/5 "2002-11-05T17:51:44Z")

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Have you tried Zout? Seems to work on tough stuff…

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**Author:** ![vanilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f19dbf/32.png) [@vanilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vanilla)\
**Post date:** [November 5, 2002, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ink-on-clothing/135365/6 "2002-11-05T17:59:37Z")

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What a great idea.  
It had not occured to me to get washable pens (I didn’t know they had them).  
Thanks.