Our Tips for Removing a Ballpoint Pen Stain

Various situations can lead you to find a ballpoint pen mark on your furniture or textiles. Here are several practical solutions for removing these stains.

On which surfaces can you remove a ballpoint pen stain?

An accidental mark or a leaking ballpoint pen can cause stains. You may want to remove a ballpoint pen stain from:

• a leather or fabric sofa
• a fabric or leather armchair
• a wooden piece of furniture
• curtains
• cushions
• a wall
• the floor

For all these items, you may need to remove:

• a clean line
• a small stain
• a large stain
• a dry stain
• a fresh stain

What do you need to remove an ink stain?

To remove a ballpoint pen stain from a wooden table, a sofa, cushions, and more, you can use:

• methylated spirits
• acetone
• 90% alcohol
• ammonia

More natural ingredients can also be useful, such as:

• lemon juice
• warm milk
• vinegar

To use these products, you will need:

• a sponge
• a cloth
• a protective mask
• protective eyewear
• newspaper to protect the surrounding area
  
  

Removing a pen stain from a sofa

To remove a ballpoint pen stain from a sofa, you must first identify the material. It can be made of:

• leather
• synthetic textile
• fabric (cotton or polycotton)
• suede
• nubuck
• velvet

Here is how to do it:

• For leather, apply a mixture of 1/4 water and 3/4 90% alcohol to the stain.
• For synthetic textile, use a mixture of vinegar and methylated spirits.
• For colored cotton, methylated spirits or acetone work well.
• On a white fabric sofa, rub with a little lemon water.
• For suede, 90% alcohol is ideal.
• An ink stain on nubuck is cleaned with methylated spirits.
• For a velvet sofa, warm milk is very effective.

Removing a ballpoint pen stain from furniture

To remove a ballpoint pen stain from a piece of furniture:

• Use 90% alcohol on white or painted wood.
• Apply lemon and salt, then 90% alcohol on waxed wood.
• On teak, use sandpaper before applying teak oil.

Ballpoint pen marks come off easily on wooden furniture. If you need to sand slightly with sandpaper or a pumice stone, remember to repaint or re-varnish the piece afterward.

Removing a ballpoint pen stain from clothing

To remove a ballpoint pen stain from clothing:

• Place a paper towel under the stain.
• Dab with rubbing alcohol. Use a dropper if necessary.
• If the stain is large, soak the stained area in a small dish of alcohol and let it sit for 15 minutes.
• Continue dabbing until the stain disappears.
• Rinse with cold water, then apply a pre-wash stain remover.
• Wash the garment in warm water. Verify that the ink is gone before putting it in the dryer.

Removing a pen stain from walls and floors

Toothpaste is effective and inexpensive against a ballpoint pen stain on the floor or wall. It contains mild abrasives that help remove ink without damaging paint, panels, or wallpaper. Apply white toothpaste (paste, not gel) to the ink stain. This solution works on any type of wall surface. Cover the area well and let it sit for ten minutes. Then, wipe away the toothpaste with a slightly damp cloth by dabbing. Avoid scrubbing so as not to spread the stain. If the toothpaste does not work, rubbing alcohol should do the trick. This product can also clean a leather armchair or wooden furniture.