Whether one is an office going executive, college going youngster or a school going kid – a thing that is experienced by all of us at some point of time or other are unpleasant stains of ink on the clothing. The fiber of the garment absorbs the dye of the ink, and thus a stain is caused. These stains are known to last for quite a long time and in many situations, they seem to never come out entirely. Removing ballpoint pen ink stains from fabric may be difficult, but if you have lots of determination and patience, you can easily remove it. Supplies that are found in all households are all that is required to successfully remove the ballpoint pen ink stains.

1) First of all, you need to ensure that ink stain does not dry up. Using a cotton ball and water, sponge the affected area to remove as much stain as possible. At least some of the ink is assured to come out through this method. Allow the stained area to dry.

2) Place paper towels or a clean cloth below the stained fabric and spray the back side of the stain with hairspray. Assure that the hairspray you use does not contain any oils or conditioners but one that has high alcohol content. You may also use nail polish remover or alcohol. Blot the hairspray so that the paper towels absorb the stain.

3) As an additional step or other alternative in case the ink stains are not absorbed by the alcohol products, you can try rubbing the stain with a mixture of white vinegar or water or a paste of water and baking soda. Allow the fabric to absorb the mixture and then rub with a toothbrush. Rinse after five minutes.

4) If the stain does not go away with alcohol based products and other pastes then try rubbing the area with shaving cream.

5) Apart from these home supplies, you may even use ink solvents or dissolvers available in the market. However, assure that you follow the instructions mentioned by the manufacturer, and it is always better to firstly try these products on old fabrics before you use them on the stained fabric as most of these products are strong, concentrated and harsh.