Tips for Removing Ballpoint Pen Stain
Accidental ink deposits on the skin, clothing, walls, or objects are never safe. More than any other stain, a permanent ink ballpoint pen stain must be removed with the right detergent. A misjudgment could result in a longer cleaning time, and ink spread over a larger area.
To remove pen ink stains, we mainly use: rubbing alcohol, methylated spirits, ammonia, or acetone.
More natural detergents like lemon, hot milk, or vinegar can be used.
Cleaning a ballpoint pen stain on leather
To remove a pen ink stain on leather:
Surface stains:
Prepare the following solution: ¼ of water and ¾ of rubbing alcohol.
Apply to the stain.
Stubborn stains:
Apply a small amount of hair spray.
Remove the diluted ink with a clean cloth.
On suede
To get rid of a ballpoint pen stain on suede:
Rub the stain with a tissue dipped in rubbing alcohol.
Wipe with a damp cloth to remove the detergent.
Other effective detergents: lemon juice, acetone, and methylated spirits.
On nubuck
To get rid of a permanent ink stain on nubuck clothing:
Apply a cloth soaked in rubbing alcohol to the garment.
Dab the treated area with a damp cotton ball.
Other effective detergents include rubbing alcohol, acetone, and methylated spirits.
Removing ballpoint pen and permanent ink stains from fabric and clothing
On a synthetic textile
To remove ballpoint pen stains from synthetic fabric:
Smear the stain with a cloth soaked in warm milk.
Remove the milk with a little water.
Other effective detergents: vinegar with methylated spirits, and hair spray.
On cotton
To remove a pen stain from cotton:
Rub the stain with a sponge moistened with lemon water if the cotton is white.
If the cotton is colored:
Rub the stain with rubbing alcohol.
Rinse.
Other effective detergents: methylated spirits, and acetone.
On jeans
To remove a permanent ink stain from jeans:
Smear the stain with a sponge dipped in a mixture of vinegar and methylated spirits.
Dip the garment in water.
Other effective detergents: milk, and hair spray.
On linen
To remove a pen stain from linen:
Rub the stain with a cotton ball moistened with warm milk.
Rinse with a damp cloth.
Other effective detergents: hairspray, vinegar, with rubbing alcohol.
On silk
To get rid of an ink stain on a silk fabric:
Apply a cloth soaked in hair spray to the stain.
Rub with a damp cloth to remove the residue.
Other effective detergents: hot milk, vinegar with rubbing alcohol, rubbing alcohol.
On satin
To remove a pen stain from a satin cloth:
Prepare a solution containing vinegar and rubbing alcohol.
Rub the stain with a cloth soaked in the mixture.
Sponge.
Other effective detergents: hair spray, and hot milk.
On velvet
To remove an ink stain from velvet:
Rub the stain with a cloth soaked in warm milk.
Wash with clear water.
Other effective detergents: hair spray, and vinegar with methylated spirits.
On wool
To clean a permanent ink stain on wool:
Spray the stain with acetone (air out the room).
Wash with clean water.
Other effective detergents: methylated spirits: rubbing alcohol: and lemon juice.
On goat or sheep hair or skin
To erase a ballpoint pen stain on goat skin:
Rub the stain with a cotton ball soaked in rubbing alcohol.
Squeeze a paper towel to remove the residue.
Other effective detergents: acetone: rubbing alcohol: and lemon juice.
On natural fur
To erase an ink stain on animal fur:
Gently apply a cotton swab moistened with rubbing alcohol.
Sponge.
Other effective detergents: methylated spirits, acetone, and lemon juice.
On synthetic fur
To remove a pen stain from artificial fur:
Rub the stain with warm milk on a cloth.
Dab on a damp sponge.
Other effective detergents: methylated spirits mixed with vinegar.
On waxed canvas
To clean an ink stain on waxed canvas:
Rub the stain with a vinegar sponge.
Wash the sponge and remove the vinegar.
Wipe clean.
Other effective detergents: lemon, and rubbing alcohol.
Cleaning a ballpoint pen and permanent ink stain on wood
On white wood
To remove a pen mark from raw wood: dab the stain with a cloth soaked in rubbing alcohol.
Another effective detergent: pumice stone (gently).
For stubborn stains: rub the stain with a solution of hydrogen peroxide and ammonia.
Another effective detergent: lemon.
On waxed wood
To remove pen ink from waxed wood:
Apply to the stain with a cloth soaked in lemon and salt.
Rub the remaining stain with a tissue soaked in rubbing alcohol.
Wax again.
Another effective detergent is sandpaper.
On painted wood
To remove an ink stain from painted wood:
Gently sand the wood with a square of sandpaper.
Restore its shine with a little linseed oil.
Another effective detergent is rubbing alcohol at 90°.
On teak
To remove pen marks from teak:
Gently rub a sheet of sandpaper to remove the stain.
To make it shine again, use teak oil.
Removing ballpoint pen and permanent ink stains from a floor or wall
On natural fibers (sea rush, jute, coir)
To remove an ink stain from sea rush:
Rub the stain with rubbing alcohol on a cotton ball.
Squeeze a clean cotton ball to remove the residue.
Other effective detergents: methylated spirits, acetone, lemon juice, and dry carpet stain remover.
On sisal
To get rid of a permanent ink stain on sisal:
Rub the stain with a cloth soaked in lemon juice.
Place a sheet of paper towel to remove the lemon.
Other effective detergents: methylated spirits, acetone, rubbing alcohol, and dry carpet stain remover.
On carpet
To get rid of a permanent ink stain on carpet:
Blot the stain.
Wipe with a cotton ball soaked in lemon juice.
Other effective detergents: white spirit, hairspray, white vinegar, rubbing alcohol, and a stain remover powder for carpets and rugs.
On lino
To remove a stubborn permanent ink stain from a linoleum floor, wipe the stained area with a cloth soaked in turpentine.
On tiles
To remove a pen ink stain on tiles:
Dilute bleach in water.
Mop the floor with the detergent.
Rinse the mop and rinse the floor with clean water.
Wipe with a clean cloth.
On cement or concrete
To get rid of a ballpoint pen mark on concrete, scrub it vigorously with a hard brush dipped in oxalic acid (10%).
On brick
To clean a pen stain on a brick wall, for example:
Dilute a little bleach in water.
Clean the stain with a sponge and gloves.
Rinse with clear water.
On wallpaper
To get rid of a pen mark on paper:
Dab the stain with lemon juice on a cloth.
Remove the juice with a cotton ball.
Other effective detergent: rubbing alcohol.
Note: on non-washable wallpaper, you can reduce the stain with breadcrumb or a clean eraser.
Removing ballpoint pen and permanent ink stains from smooth surfaces
On plastic or rubber
Permanent ink stains on rubber can be easily removed with a cotton ball soaked in rubbing alcohol.
On glass or crystal
To remove a ballpoint pen stain from a window, dab the stain with a cotton ball soaked in rubbing alcohol.
Other effective detergents: acetone, methylated spirits, and lemon.
On ceramic, earthenware, or porcelain
To remove a ballpoint pen stain from ceramic, rub the stain with lemon juice.
Other effective detergents: acetone, rubbing alcohol, and methylated spirits.
On enamel
To clean a ballpoint pen stain on enamel, rub the stain with a cloth soaked in rubbing alcohol.
Other effective detergents: acetone, rubbing alcohol, and lemon.
Cleaning a ballpoint pen and permanent ink stain on metal
On stainless steel
To remove a permanent ink stain on stainless steel, polish the stain with a cloth containing methylated spirits.
Other effective detergents: acetone, rubbing alcohol, and lemon.
On copper
To remove a pen stain from copper, rub the stain vigorously with a cloth lightly dipped in acetone.
On brass
To remove a pen stain from leather, polish the stain with a square of paper towel dampened with lemon juice.
Removing ballpoint pen stains and permanent ink from stone
To remove a ballpoint pen stain from stone:
Run a damp cloth over the stain.
Rub with a cloth soaked in bleach.
Place modeling plaster on the stain.
Make a hole in the middle.
Let it soak in.
Pour Spanish white into the hole.
Wait a few minutes.
Remove detergents with an abrasive sponge.
On marble
To recover marble stained by pen ink:
Mix a little ammonia with hydrogen peroxide.
Apply to the stain with a clean cloth.
Sponge to rinse.
Wipe with a clean cloth.
On stoneware
To remove a permanent ink stain from stoneware tiles:
Rub the stain with a cloth containing bleach.
Rinse.
On granite
To remove a pen stain from granite flooring:
If the granite is white: dab the stain with a cloth dipped in bleach.
If the granite is colored: rub it with a cotton cloth moistened with hydrogen peroxide.
Another effective detergent is polishing powder.
Removing ballpoint pen and permanent ink stains from skin
A ballpoint pen or permanent ink stain on the skin can be removed by rubbing the exposed skin for a few minutes with soap, shower gel, or diluted baby milk.
Tip: To combine business with pleasure, take a nice bath. Without worrying about it, the ink will disappear on its own.
