Dye family: alcohol or a long oxygen soak
How to get gel and fountain pen ink out
Water-based inks. Flush with water first, then detergent; alcohol helps some gel inks.
Do this first
Flush cold
Fresh stain
- Flush cold
- Gently work in detergent
- Soak in oxygen bleach
- Alcohol if a mark is left
- Wash
Dried or old
- Overnight oxygen soak
- Fabric care
- Test colours.
- Time
- 20 min
- How to tell
- Look: thin dark lines; Feel: none; Smell: none
Where this fix comes from
We check every fix against these published guides. We do not run a test lab of our own.
Before you start
- Test on a hidden seam first.
- Never mix cleaners.
- Keep it out of the dryer until the stain is gone.