Use a Rubbing-Alcohol Dab for This Stain

Use a Rubbing-Alcohol Dab for This Stain

Ink is pigment or dye carried in a solvent, and many ballpoint and marker inks dissolve in alcohol far better than in water. That is why a rinse or a soak often leaves an ink mark just as it was. Cornell Cooperative Extension's stain guide uses the same approach: apply alcohol with an absorbent pad, cover the stain with a pad, and change the pad as it picks up stain. Check first whether the ink is water-based, washable or a permanent marker, since results vary a lot between them.

Technique matters more than strength. Lay the item with the stain face down on a stack of clean white paper towels or a folded cloth, a common way to push ink out of the fabric instead of deeper in. Apply rubbing alcohol (typically 70% isopropyl) with a cotton ball or clean cloth, dabbing rather than rubbing, so ink moves out into the towel and not sideways into clean fabric. Replace the towel as it picks up color, and keep going until it stops transferring, then wash normally with detergent. On carpet, the Carpet and Rug Institute says not to pour rubbing alcohol directly onto spots but to apply solutions to a cloth or paper towel.

Always test a hidden area for color change, and use small amounts on upholstery, where too much liquid soaks the padding. Keep the item away from the dryer until the ink is gone, since the Soap and Detergent Association says heat can set a stain. Alcohol can damage some finishes, such as certain varnished or coated surfaces, so avoid it on those and check the care tag. Repeat with fresh towel sections if traces remain.

Rubbing alcohol is flammable, so keep it away from open flames, candles and cigarettes, and work with the window open; the CDC notes alcohols are flammable and evaporate rapidly. Never mix it with bleach, since Transport Canada's CANUTEC warns that alcohol-based cleaners mixed with bleach can create chloroform, and do not combine it with other cleaners. Rinse the area before using another product. If a cleaning product was mixed by accident, or someone breathes fumes or swallows some, move to fresh air, open windows and call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 (America's Poison Centers, US). Call 911 for trouble breathing, chest pain or collapse.

Source: Cornell Cooperative Extension, Removing Stains at Home; Carpet and Rug Institute, Simple Stain Removal Tips and Tricks; CDC, Chemical Disinfectants (Guideline for Disinfection and Sterilization in Healthcare Facilities); Transport Canada CANUTEC, Improper mixing of common household cleaning products; Soap and Detergent Association, Removing Stains from Washable Fabrics (as hosted by Texas A&M AgriLife Extension). Note: ink types vary, so results differ by ink and fabric.

General household-cleaning guidance, not medical or professional advice. The label on your product always wins; never mix cleaning products. For a poisoning emergency call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 (US), or 911 if someone has trouble breathing.

How Rubbing-alcohol dab for ink compares

* Illustrative starting amounts and notes, rounded -- use the calculators below for your exact numbers, and always check your product label.