Depends on the type of ink. Try rubbing alcohol. If that doesn’t work, the pen might use a type of ink that molecularly bonds with the textile fibre. If it’s that kind of ink, it’s permanent.

You can try rubbing alcohol...but often you need to really saturate/soak the item in alcohol.

Definitely try spot cleaning with rubbing alcohol, and if that doesn't work, you could try soaking items that you really want clean in a bucket or sink. It may not be cost effective to soak everything, considering how much rubbing alcohol you'll need.

Good luck!

Thank you for submitting a cleaning help request. In order to facilitate more accurate and helpful replies, please make sure to provide the following information in your post:

1. Type of material/surface being cleaned (to the best of your knowledge)
2. Type of dirt/stain to be removed (if known)
3. Any products or tools you've tried so far
4. Pictures are preferred

Our top recommendations are usually Bar Keepers Friend (great for kitchen surfaces), melamine foam (Magic Erasers), Murphy's Oil Soap (wood cleaner), and Nature's Miracle (enzyme cleaner). Make sure you use cleaners appropriate to the surfaces you are working with and follow all safety labels.

If you receive an answer that helps you, please flair your post as "Answered" so other users may find solutions as well. While you wait, why not browse the subreddit to see if you might be able to help someone else, or find similar situations that could help you? Happy cleaning!

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

Cheap Aerosol hairspray works well. Really soak the stain in hairspray (place the stained section of clothing into a cup and fill with hairspray for best results) then let it sit for an hour or more. After letting it sit rinse in hot water. Repeat entire process until ink is gone.

I had this issue the other day, used nail polish remover and it worked 100%. Just chuck the clothes into the wash straight after doing it.

While like another response said hand sanitizer can work, anything with a lot of alcohol will do this. I go straight to the source & use straight rubbing alcohol.

Hairspray

Not sure about ink, but I’ve had old oil stains on cargo pants completely lifted without any damage to the fabric by combining Dial’s grease cutting dish detergent (the blue kind) with baking soda and hydrogen peroxide, and letting the mixture sit on the stain for an hour (or more...overnight works, too) followed by a standard cold wash in the washing machine. No specific formula; I just make a paste utilizing the baking soda to control how thick or watery it is, and I swear this combo gets everything I throw at it out!

Back in the day we used hair spray to get ink out. I don’t know if it still works

Amodex or Carbona stain devils - you should be able to find at least one of these at the grocery store.

I’ve never had much luck with rubbing alcohol or hairspray.

Soak in 93% alcohol, blot, repeat. Just soaking and then washing won’t work. The other option is to outsource this to your friendly local professional dry cleaner. Solvent stain removers can do a lot.

Hair spray or hand sanitizer works great

a sharpie once exploded in a white coat pocket of mine. Stretched it over a bucket and dripped acetone over it until the stain dissolved away. ymmv with color/fabric though. good luck!

If its ink from a ballpoint pen, rubbing alcohol can do the trick. Submerge it for like 15 minutes. You can use a sponge on the ink to absorb the ink (don't scrub it, just gently touch it with the sponge to absorb it), then rinse with cold water, and to the washing machine. (Stain remover, or bleach safe for clothing).

If its a felt tip, I'm not sure, sorry

Oh boy that looks tough. I’d try to tie dye the whole thing for a brand new look.

Use black dye and dye the whole thing.

Try saturating with aerosol hair spray then rewash. Good luck!

Ammodex.

There’s a product called Amodex ink stain remover. Got blue pen ink out of my beige carpet and it is literally gone as if it never happened. You do need to do multiple treatments, but just follow the directions and be patient.

Try oxyclean. I had a large ink stain on a fabric footstool. I figured why not try it and mixed some oxyclean in water and blotted the stain. It disappeared before my eyes.

I don’t think the dry cleaners will fix it. Your best bet is hand sanitizer or rubbing alcohol

Straight out plain cows milk matey... dip cloth in it and dab on, you won't believe it disappearing before your very eyes! Been using this life Jack for 30 years, it Actual works!! Good luck!!

Spray hairspray on it, then wash

I had luck with oxyclean. Soak it overnight and it should come out.

Try some hand sanitizer. The gel helps it stay on the garment longer. But sort of take it in small steps many times.

I do a concoction of oxi clean and then I spray shout on top of it and make a paste - let it sit for a day. Wash and then repeat if needed. I’ve gotten some old stains out with that

Take them to a Dry Cleaners. They will have a better idea of what is salvageable.

Dilute the rubbing alcohol a little. Not heaps. Just enough to stop it evaporating before it can bring the ink up.

Windex glass cleaner also dissolves a lot of inks. It's often used in print shops to clean water based inks off surfaces.

Some clothes may be damaged by milk/windex etc. So try first on a part of the clothing item where any unintended discoloration is not visible when worn. Then if there is no damage, then go for the actual stained area.

Does this work if the ink stain has been there for a while now?

The hairspray method is best with the spray cheap kind (I don't know why) and definitely set up paper towels or rags underneath the stain and some to blot on top. Saturate the stain, blot and repeat. Let dry and treat again before washing and drying normally. Don't wash with anything else that can get ruined as the hairspray releases the ink somehow.

Hairspray has alcohol, but you already did straight alcohol. You need to use goof-off. Yellow can sold at home depot. It's like a turpentine. Put paper towels underneath the stain, pour it on, blot with more paper towels, rinse with cold water. It's okay to wash in your machine but do not use the dryer if the stain exists, it can set. Repeat if needed.

Hairspray has worked for me.

Have you tried Folex?

There is a product specifically for ink stains, and it works great!

It’s called Amodex. You can easily order it online.