Dye family: alcohol or a long oxygen soak
How to get pen through the wash out
A pen in a pocket spots the whole load, sometimes the dryer too.
Do this first
Check every item before drying
Fresh stain
- Check every item before drying
- Alcohol on each spot over a paper towel
- Detergent
- Rewash
Dried or old
- Stop using the dryer and follow the dryer manufacturer's drum-cleaning directions. Do not use a flammable solvent in the drum.
- Fabric care
- Wipe drum before next load.
- Time
- 1 to 2 h
- How to tell
- Look: blue or black dots on several items; Feel: none; Smell: none
Where this fix comes from
- Household folk practice, checked against the guides above
- University of Illinois Extension, Stain Solutions
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.