How to get pen marks off white uniforms

[leisa22]

Hello all. Im a new grad with a serious problem with exploding pens. I thought that clorox in hot water would do the trick but I still have terrible ink marks on ALL my white tops and pants. Please...anyone got a wonder trick to remedy this even after I have washed them???

Thanks

[naggytabby, BSN, RN]

well.... if you've washed and dried this may not work- but it has always worked for me on clothes i haven't thrown in the drier (even if i've already washed them, just not put in the drier). soak the spot with hair spray- and i mean old fashioned stuff like white rain. the less "super hold" or whatver the better.

good for future reference even if it doesn't work on the already dried clothes. :)

[begalli]

Hairspray. Yep, spray hairspray on the ink and rinse it out under cold water. Repeat until all gone.

This has worked for me in the past, but it might depend on how long the ink has been sitting in the fabric. If it's not fairly fresh, it might not work. You can still try though!!

[begalli]

Oh naggytabby! I thought I was the only one!!

[All_Smiles_RN]

I was about to suggest hairspray myself. Looks like it is a consensus here. :)

...Jennifer...

[leisa22]

thanks!! Do you think that will work with gel ink as well? +

[Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN]

Hairspray didn't always work for me. I bought a bottle of the Stain Devils ink remover (small yellow bottle, found in the laundry isle) and that worked very well.

[plumrn, BSN, RN]

There was a product called 'Zout' a few years ago that I used. Worked very well.

[Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN]

Zout IS good stuff, i just haven't seen it lately.

[Fun2, BSN, RN]

I like the hairspray idea, as it has worked for me several times as well. Although I'm not sure about already dried clothing...this sets the stain most of the time.

I have also relied on a bar of soap on many occasions to get stains out.

Just try hand washing with a bar of soap, and scrubbing with a scrub brush.

Good luck!

[stbernardclub]

Another one is liquid dishwasher detergent. Just squirt a little on the ink stain, rub in and wash as usual.

[helpinghands, BSN, RN]

Alcohol or alcohol pads. If it's a big stain this might not work, but for smaller ones this works great. Once I washed all my school uniforms (white ofcourse) with a black ink pen in one of the pockets (wondered what that clanging sound was in the dryer). I saved all of my clothes except for one pair pants, and thats mostly because by that time I was tired of scrubbing black smears!