Removing Ink From Clothing: Home Remedies & Tips You Can Use

by Taylor @Stain-Removal-101.com

Removing ink from clothing can be difficult. This is compounded by the fact that how you remove these stains depends on what ingredients are in the ink which caused the stain, and typically it is hard to tell what kind of ink got all over your clothes.

Therefore, it may take some trial and error to determine what will get ink out of clothes, and a wide variety of materials may be needed.

Below I've gathered several videos showing alternate ways to remove these stains. I would suggest trying the most conservative methods first, and then going to the harsher techniques only if needed, so there is less chance of harming the fabric.

In addition, I suggest always testing any homemade or commercial stain removers in an inconspicuous area of the garment first, just to make sure it does not discolor or otherwise harm the clothes before trying it on the stained area.

Photo by Yandle

Get Ink Out Of Clothes With Hairspray

The video below gives a very common suggestion for how to get ink out of clothes -- use hairspray.

Basically, the directions are to saturate the ink stain with hairspray, and then blot at the stain.

Then, wash the items immediately with laundry detergent and color safe bleach (or chlorine bleach if it's a white item).

Finally, make sure the stain is completely gone before you place the clothing in the dryer, to make sure you don't set the stain if some is still left after washing.

Here's the video:

Has anyone had luck with removing ink from clothing with hairspray? If so, I would love to hear type of ink you removed, and with what type of hairspray. You can share your tips and experience here.



I generally advise people not to use hairspray for stain removal, just because it has so much glue and other additives in it that these ingredients may cause harm to your clothes. It is not quite as big of a deal to use hairspray on clothing though, so if you want to try it I don't think it would be a horrible idea. I really don't like it for for upholstery or carpet, because at least with fabric you can wash it and remove the hairspray residue, but you can't on these other surfaces.

An alternative to hair spray that I typically suggest is rubbing alcohol. I suggest this anytime hairspray is called for, just because typically the active ingredient used for stain removal in such a situation is the alcohol in the hairspray.

That is also why cheaper hairsprays actually work better for stain removal than more expensive ones -- the cheaper ones have more alcohol in them typically.

Below are even more videos and alternates you can try for removing ink from clothing.

Tips For Removing Ink Stains From Clothes

The video below gives tips for removing ink stains from clothes.

Basically, the approach to stain removal within this video is to throw everything at this stain, and something should work.

The ideas suggested in the video include the following:

• Wipe with a baby wipe


• Blot with water


• Soak with hairspray (see above)


• Blot with a solution of warm water and dishwashing liquid


• Soak in milk for an hour


• Coat with a paste made from vinegar and cornstarch


• Blot with isopropyl or denatured alcohol (also known as methylated spirits)


• Launder

I had heard of all these methods before, except making a paste of vinegar and corn starch.

Here is the video:



My personal recommendation, from research and from my own experience, is that if the ink is oil based rubbing alcohol is what will work best to remove it.

If the ink is water based than water and dishwashing soap will work quite well to get it out of your clothes.

Do you have your own tip for removing ink stains from washable fabric? If so, submit your tips for removing ink stains from clothing here, or read other tips already submitted.

Photo by RougeSun Media

Remove Ink From Clothes With Natural Ingredients

I watched a video on You Tube about how to remove ink from clothes with only natural ingredients. (The video has since been removed, so I've summarized it below.)

Frankly, I have no idea if this works, but it may be worth a try if you're wanting to try only natural stain removers. In addition, except for the borax which many people don't just typically stock in their homes (unless you make lots of homemade cleaning products), you most likely have the rest of these ingredients in your kitchen right now.

The stain removal mixture she creates has the following ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon borax


• 1 teaspoon lemon juice


• 1 tablespoon milk


• 1 tablespoon vinegar

After creating the mixture lay your stained garment flat and pour the mixture onto the ink stain. Let it sit for several hours, or overnight and then wash as normal.

I'd love to hear from anyone who tries this to say how it works for them, telling me (if known) what type of ink you were trying to remove.

How To Remove Ink Stains From Clothes With Denatured Alcohol

Below is a video showing how to remove ink stains from clothes with denatured alcohol.

This method works best on oil-based inks, instead of water based inks.

In addition, it should only be used on washable fabrics, not those that need to be dry cleaned.

When you get an ink stain on your clothes you need to treat it as quickly as possible before the ink has a chance to set.

Get a cotton ball or cloth dipped in denatured alcohol and blot the ink stained cloth with it.

You will see that ink transfers from the cloth to the cotton ball. Keep blotting with the denatured alcohol until no more ink transfers.

Hint: As you continue to blot you will want to occasionally switch to a fresh cotton ball or clean part of the cloth which does not have any ink on it to avoid re-transferring the ink back onto the fabric.

If this is an oil-based ink this will most likely remove most or all of the ink. If not, you may need to continue on with some additional steps.

The other techniques that the video suggests for removing ink stains include rinsing with soapy water, if it is a water-based ink stain, and soaking in milk overnight.

You can watch the video for full details.

As you can see there are a lot of tips for removing ink from clothing.

Ink stains are known to be pretty tough to remove, but hopefully one of these suggestions will work for you.

Do you have a tip for how to remove ink stains from fabric or clothing? If so, submit your tips for removing ink stains from clothing here, or read additional tips that have already been submitted.

In addition, you can share your methylated spirits (a.k.a. denatured alcohol) uses here, or read other uses already submitted.

Related Links At Stain-Removal-101.com

Submit A Stain Removal Tip Or Read Over 200 Others

Stain Remover Reviews

Stain Removal Clothes Tips

Go From Removing Ink From Clothing: Home Remedies & Tips To Stain-Removal-101.com Home Page