Laundry emergency - Please help!!

[lmj]

I was washing ALL my husbands white button down uniform shirts for work tomorrow and I missed a pen in one of the pockets. All the shirts have ink on them and he needs to be in work at 3:30 am. What do I do? I am soaking them in oxi-clean right now. Any other suggestions? He is going to kill me when he wakes up. I think it may be an all nighter for me tonight.

 

[KathyTX]

I've heard that hairspray can help remove ink.

Here's what Heloise says to do for ballpoint ink on fabric:

Place stain face-down on paper towels. Treat from the back with cleaning fluid or dry-cleaning solvent. Move towels frequently so there's always a clean area under the stain to absorb ink. Let dry, then re-treat if needed. Last resort: dab on 70 percent isopropyl rubbing alcohol. Once dry, launder as usual.

What a mess that must be!!!

 

[kinlaw6450]

My sister-in-law is the queen of stains...LOL She said to try peroxide.

Sorry this happened

 

[KathyTX]

From Better Homes and Gardens' web site:

Ink (Ballpoint)

Clothes

Washables: For some stains, one solution is to spray with hair spray and rinse with water. As an alternative, blot with a cotton ball dipped in rubbing alcohol. If colors might bleed or if fabric is acetate, dilute the alcohol in two parts water. Rinse thoroughly. Then wash in the hottest water safe for the fabric. If the stain persists, try a solution of 1/4 teaspoon dishwashing detergent, several drops of ammonia, and 1/2 cup warm water. Rinse completely. (Note: Ammonia and chlorine react to create noxious fumes. Make sure all ammonia is rinsed completely before using bleach.) If the garment is white or colorfast, bleach with a 10-to-1 solution of water and chlorine bleach. If that fails, try a 4-to-1 solution. For large stains, try a commercial stain remover, such as Carbona Stain Devils, following directions carefully.

Nonwashables: Apply glycerin to the stain. Let stand 15 to 20 minutes. Blot with dishwashing detergent and water. Then dab with cool water. Dry flat. Caution: Test all solutions on an inconspicuous part of the fabric first.

Note: Ink is a very stubborn stain. Sometimes all you can do is minimize the mark.

 

[KathyTX]

From Shaeffer Pens:

Question: I need help! Do you have any advice on removing ink stains?
Answer: For ballpoint ink we recommend an alcohol-based hair spray. The alcohol content in the hair spray will break up the ink. If the ink is on clothing, saturate the item with hair spray. Be sure to place an absorbent paper towel or rag under the stain to catch the excess ink. You then need to blot the stain with a rag. Repeat this process until the stain is removed, then launder as usual. If the ink is on anything other than clothing, spray the hair spray directly on the stain and then wipe off with a clean paper towel or rag. You might need to do this a few times depending on the size of the stain. A word of caution before trying any of the methods suggested: some surfaces and fabrics may be damaged by the hair spray solution. If in doubt, test on a "hidden" area first.

 

[WebmasterAlex]

hair spray works... I have done this many times.. but white is tough...

 

[lmj]

Thank you so much for the quick responses. I knew I could count on you. I tried the hairspray ( I don't think I have inhaled that many aerosol fumes since 7th grade) but it didn't help at all. The rubbing alcohol and the peroxide were also no help. I am back to soaking in oxiclean. It doesn't seem to help the ink much but the shirts are now blindingly white otherwise! My husband is going to kill me. He will have to wear his little sweater vest that he hates and of course it will be sunny and warm for the first time all week tomorrow. I wonder how much 5 new TSA shirts will cost. He is one of the airport baggage screeners by the way.

 

[Chuck S]

Depending on the ink, there are different oil based sprays to try. Black Flag Ant & Roach spray works on some inks, the aerosol Spray & Wash can also work. It depends on which petroleum distillate the ink is based. A little nail polish remover may also do the trick, but don't use it on a synthetic blend garment. If not, by the time you've finished trying all these, you'll be so high you won't care anymore

If it was a "permanent marker" type pen, you may be out of luck

 

[dandave]

lmj, You poor thing! I'm pretty useless as far as getting out the stains, but I do hope you can get them out.

 

[KathyTX]

Oh, LMJ, I am so sorry about the mess. If DH is angry, just remind him that it was HIS pen, in HIS pocket, that caused the problem

 

[Bunchkin]

I agree with KathyTX, it was his pen.

The only thing I would have sugested would have been the Oxyclean too.

That and if you think your DH is really going to be upset......
run, run away and never come back.

 

[lmj]

I think I used half the container of oxiclean and half a bottle of bleach (not at the same time of course). His shirts are certainly whiter than they ever have been and amazingly most of the ink did come off. There are still some small spots where the ink is very dark but overall I was surprised at how much actually came off. I didn't hear any grumbling at 2:30 this morning so I guess he was too tired to notice his new polka dots. I wonder if he has noticed yet.

 

[deirdrefitch]

Don't you just LOVE the things you find in the washer and dryer!
I know it doesn't feel very funny now, but you will see the humor in this someday. My son left a black gel pen in his pant pocket.
Naturally the little demon did not show itself until it reached the dryer. Imagine my surprise to find $60.00 Hilfiger pants and a brand new dryer covered in black ink. To set the mood, picture the white drum inside the dryer spotted like a Dalmation puppy.
I spent the next two hours with my head inside the dryer scrubbing with the Orange Glo Foam Cleaner. This is the only thing I could find to take the ink off. Many fumes and layers of skin later, my dryer smelled sooooo gooooood! I hope to never put my head inside of the dryer again!