How to remove ballpoint ink from cotton and lawn

Test first

Check the care label, then dab a little rubbing alcohol on an inside seam or the hem allowance with a cotton bud. Wait a minute and press a white tissue on it. If any colour comes off, or the fabric changes texture, do not use alcohol on the garment. Printed lawn is the usual worry: some digital and screen prints move with solvents, which is why the test matters. Our article on block, digital and screen print explains how prints sit on the cloth.

Step by step on washable cotton

Work at a table in good light, with the stain face down so the ink is pushed out of the fabric rather than deeper into it.

• Fold a few layers of kitchen paper or an old white cloth and slide it under the stain.
• Dampen a cotton bud or a corner of a white cloth with rubbing alcohol. Hand sanitiser with a high alcohol content works in a pinch, but choose one without colour or added moisturisers.
• Dab the back of the stain, starting at the outer edge and working inwards, so the ink does not spread outwards.
• Move the pad to a clean area every time ink shows on it. The ink is transferring, which means it is working.
• When no more ink lifts, rub a little liquid detergent into the area, leave it for a few minutes and rinse in cool water.
• Wash the garment as its label directs, then check the area before drying. Heat sets any ink that remains, so repeat the steps if a shadow is left.

When to stop and use a dry cleaner

Home treatment has limits, and an expensive outfit is not the place to push them.

• The fabric is silk, a silk blend, acetate or anything labelled dry clean only.
• The stain sits on embroidery, sequins or a printed border.
• The ink mark is large, or a pen has leaked through several layers.
• Your hidden-area test moved colour or left a ring.
• You have tried twice and the mark is no lighter.

Ink on white cotton, and old stains

On white cotton, any faint shadow left after alcohol and washing can often be lifted by an oxygen-based stain remover, used as the pack directs. An ink mark that has already been washed and dried is harder, but repeating the alcohol method several times often fades it noticeably.

Old remedies such as hairspray were popular when hairsprays contained more alcohol; modern ones often leave a sticky residue instead, so rubbing alcohol is the more reliable choice. Milk soaks are also often suggested, but they add a protein stain of their own if not rinsed thoroughly.

For pieces you wear to work or class, a dark or printed fabric hides the occasional mark far better than plain white. Our office-wear kurtas guide suggests fabrics for daily wear, our cambric guide covers one hard-wearing cotton, and you can order through custom stitching with a quote request.