Whether it’s your child getting over-excited with a permanent marker or you’ve let a pen fall down the back of the sofa, it’s surprisingly easy to get pen marks on furniture. Just like knowing how to remove ink stains from clothes, however, once you’ve got a few handy tips up your sleeve, those pesky pen stains will prove no match to your awesome powers of cleaning. And luckily for you, we’ve got those handy tips right here. Read on for some top tips on how to get ink stains out of all types of different materials and never worry about falling asleep with a biro on the sofa again!
Removing ink stains from wood
There are numerous unfortunate ways of accidentally getting a pen mark on your wooden furniture, but luckily, there are also some pretty straight-forward methods of getting it out. One technique often recommended by experts is to use baking soda. This kitchen ingredient has natural eroding qualities that make it great for getting rid of stains. Add one teaspoon to half a cup of water and mix well. The powder should dissolve into a thin paste. Spread this over the stain and wait for around 15 seconds. Remove the solution with a soft, clean cloth and the ink should come away, too.
Haven’t got any baking soda in the house? Try washing-up liquid instead. This requires half a teaspoon of the soap to one third of a cup of water that should be slightly warm. Mix up the solution until you have lots of bubbles – it’s these rather than the liquid itself that has the impressive stain removal powers. Take some of the bubbles with a soft cloth and apply to the stain. Use a damp cloth to remove and then voilà: pen-free furniture!
Removing ink stains from your sofa
If you want to remove ink from a sofa, start by blotting the stain with lukewarm water. Avoid rubbing it as this can push the stain in further. Next, apply rubbing alcohol. This is pretty potent stuff so make sure to do a patch test first somewhere you can’t see, just to check it will not adversely affect your sofa’s material. Assuming it’s all fine, put the rubbing alcohol – sometimes also known as isopropyl alcohol – onto a clean cloth and apply with gentle dabs. The ink stain should come away on the cloth. Let the sofa dry naturally after.
Removing ink stains from painted surfaces
If you or your little one has got ink stains on painted surfaces, there are a few different tricks you can try. Many people swear by insect repellent. These sprays often contain powerful chemicals that will banish both bugs and ink stains. Again, make sure to do a patch test first and no one wants to make things worse, then apply liberally to the affected areas, wait for a few seconds and remove. If you don’t have insect repellent to hand another option is hair spray. Sometimes less potent, this can still be pretty effective in getting ink stains gone. Because of the contents of the insect spray, you’re best off doing this when you don’t have any children around.
Just like when you want to remove ink stains from clothes, there are lots of options when it comes to removing them from furniture. Depending on the surface affected, try some of the above techniques and see which works for you. If in doubt, consult some of our other useful tips and tricks online.
Haus Maids are domestic house cleaners with offices in Farnham, Alton, Winchester, Bishops Stortford, Sawbridgeworth, Guildford and Godalming.
