How to Remove Ink from Clothes Dryer
If a ballpoint pen has snuck into your dryer and left a stain, the cleaning pros have plenty of advice on removing it. Much advice for cleaning any stain from a clothes dryer involves using highly flammable materials like acetone and rubbing alcohol. Before resorting to these aggressive measures, test to see if you can remove the spot with simple soap and water.
Jump Ahead
- Simple Soap and Water Method
- All-Purpose Cleaner
- Laundry Pre-Soak Spray
- Rubbing Alcohol
- Non-Acetone Nail Polish Remover
- Resources
Simple Soap and Water Method
You must first unplug the dryer when working with an electric appliance and liquids. Dip your clean cloth into warm, sudsy water instead of spraying a solution directly into the dryer. Wring the cloth out thoroughly so that it is just damp. Scrub at the spot until you can get as much off as possible. In many cases, this simple solution will do the trick.
All-Purpose Cleaner
Martha Stewart’s book, “The Essential Guide to Caring for Everything in Your Home,” suggests using an all-purpose cleaner to remove felt tip or ballpoint ink from your dryer drum. She suggests applying the all-purpose cleaner to a cloth first, then wiping down the stain until it is gone. Finish by rinsing with clean, damp cloths. She reminds us to leave the dryer door open and not use it for several hours to allow the fumes to evaporate. [1]
Laundry Pre-Soak Spray
According to “Ask the Handy-man” by Reader’s Digest, when you first notice the stain, clean as much as possible with a clean cloth. Next, spray the stain with a laundry pre-soak product, then wipe it clean with a damp, clean cloth. Run a load of damp old rags or towels for 30 minutes. Any stain left over will be set into the drum’s finish and will not be set on your clothes. [2]
Rubbing Alcohol
Linda Cobb, author of “The Queen of Clean’s Complete Cleaning Guide: Banish Dirt from Your Castle Forever with 2,047 Queen-tested Tips.” suggests using rubbing alcohol or Ink Away by the makers of Goo Gone. She advises turning off the dryer and blotting a paper towel with the products mentioned above, then wiping out the dryer until all the mess is gone. Follow this up by washing the dryer with warm water and dishwashing liquid, then tossing in a load of old wet rags and drying them. [3]
Non-Acetone Nail Polish Remover
Joey Green, the author of “Joey Green’s Cleaning Magic: 2,336 Ingenious Cleanups Using Brand-Name Products,” suggests using Cutex non-acetone nail polish remover to gently remove an ink stain from the dryer. Then, wash the nail polish residue with soapy water and dry with a soft, clean cloth. [4]
Follow Up
Whichever removal method worked for you, be sure to run a load of wet rags through the first time so that oversight will result in stained rags, not ruined clothing.
Resources
- [1] Stewart, Martha. “Martha Stewart’s Homekeeping Handbook: The Essential Guide to Caring for Everything in Your Home.” United States, Clarkson Potter Publishers, 2006.
- [2] “Ask the Family Handy-man.” United States, Reader’s Digest, 1999.
- [3] Cobb, Linda. “The Queen of Clean’s Complete Cleaning Guide: Banish Dirt from Your Castle Forever with 2,047 Queen-tested Tips.” United States, Rodale, 2002.
- [4] Green, Joey. “Joey Green’s Cleaning Magic: 2,336 Ingenious Cleanups Using Brand-Name Products.” United States, Rodale, 2010.
