How to {Quickly} Remove Ink from Furniture

+J.M.J.+

My toddler Philomena has brought today’s post to you courtesy of a frenzied streak down the very visible back of our couch with a pen as I was coming across the room to take it from her.

I knew just how to handle it… because this wasn’t our first rodeo with a pen.

It’s actually quite easy to remove the ink. Here’s what I do:

Step 1 – Mourn the Mark and Vow to Banish All Pens Forever (hah!)

Step 2 – Grab a Bottle of Hand Sanitizer and a Dry Rag

(Note, I don’t use hand sanitizer in general outside of a natural spray one when flying on planes because I think they are usually unnecessary, harmful to our immune systems, and some say even contributing to our growing problem of antibiotic resistance. I just keep this around for removing ink!)

Step 3 – Pump the Hand Sanitizer Generously on Ink

Step 4 – STAY WITH ME

When you pump that hand sanitizer on and start rubbing IT IS GOING TO MAKE THE INK BLEED and look worse. You’re going to think you have positively ruined the fabric and you shouldn’t have ever done what that crazy gal online said. BUT…

Step 5 – Rub Vigorously With the Rag

You will want to keep adding pumps of the hand sanitizer and make like Dory and just keep rubbing rubbing rubbing. I probably did twenty pumps for this. (Hey, it’s a $0.99 bottle of hand sanitizer from Aldi… far cheaper than a couch!)

Step 6 – Wet the Rag with Cold Water and Keep Going

Once the marks are really fading I wet the rag with cold water and keep rubbing and adding an occasional pump of sanitizer. (Make sure to use cold water. Heat sets in stains, cold water washes out).

Step 7 – Breathe a Sigh of Relief

Here is the ottoman for our glider chair. Once she COVERED this in black ink pen scribbles but three rags and half a bottle of hand sanitizer later and voila!

Now go hide those pens.