Gardening.ie

I bought a new car just three days ago. I was very careful to not let my eighteen month old child eat in there but unfortunately she got hold of a blue ballpoint pen and emptied all of the ink onto my dark grey upholstery. I have tried washing it off with washing liquid and Vanish to no avail. Can you Help?

Ballpoint inks, especially blue, consists of so many, various "ink recipes" that it is impossible to know what solvents, resins, and oils are in them. With patience and persistence, most of these inks are removable through experimenting with different solvents. Others are indelible, and your situation may be hopeless leaving permanent stains. However, the methods below will either remove or lighten these ink stains. I have tried solutions of vinegar and baking powder but they seem to be ineffective. I am sorry then that I have to resort to solvents.

Treat a thickly folded absorbent white cloth or towel with Hair Spray, dab the affected area with the cloth, and blot with a dry towel simultaneously. I don’t like this method myself, as I would be worried that the glue in the hairspray might stick the fabric together. Test on a small area first.

Treat a thickly folded absorbent white cloth or towel with Isopropyl Rubbing Alcohol, dab the affected area with cloth, and blot with dry towel simultaneously.

Treat a thickly folded absorbent white cloth or towel with Nail Polish Remover or Acetone, dab the affected area with cloth, and blot with dry towel simultaneously

Treat a thickly folded absorbent white cloth or towel with Spirits of Turpentine, (not the substitute that you can buy) dab the affected area with cloth, and blot with dry towel simultaneously

If one solvent cleaner does not adequately solve the problem, move down to the next in the order these cleaners are given.

NEVER apply solvents directly onto surface. Put them onto the cloth first




Note: Always test an inconspicuous area for colourfastness, etc. before treating the exposed area. Also note that certain stains are permanent.