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Getting red ink on your fave white tee is a bummer, but don't toss that top yet -- quick action and the right stain removers will get your shirt good as new. Lots of inks, such as ballpoint pen ink, contain both an oily or waxy ingredient and a dye, so you need a two-step plan to rescue your stained shirt. Just make sure you take action before tossing your shirt in the washer and dryer, because the heat of the dryer sets nearly all stains.
1.
Spray a dry-cleaning solvent, like perchloroethylene or tetrachloroethylene (sometimes sold as PERC), on the ink stain. Dry-cleaning solvents can be toxic, so open a window and avoid inhaling the solvent.
2.
Rub liquid detergent on the stain and let it sit for an hour. Make sure your detergent doesn't contain soap (read the ingredients if you aren't sure), because soap will make ink and other tannin stains tough to remove.
3.
Rinse the stain thoroughly in cold water.
4.
Dilute liquid chlorine bleach according to the package instructions. (Undiluted bleach won't be any more effective.) Soak your shirt in the diluted bleach for 15 minutes. Don't be tempted to keep it in longer -- bleach can damage the fabric of the shirt.
5.
Wash the shirt in hot water with liquid detergent.
Things You'll Need
1.Dry-cleaning solvent
3.Liquid chlorine bleach
2.Liquid detergent
Tips & Tricks
Don't use milk or hairspray to get out ink -- you'll end up with more residue on top of the ink.
Take dry-clean-only tops to the dry cleaners for stain removal.
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References
Ohio State University: Quick 'n Easy Stain Removal
New York City Department of Health: Tetrachloroethylene (Perchloroethylene -- "PERC") Fact Sheet
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