Particulate family: dry, brush, then wash
How to get pencil and graphite out
Graphite is carbon particles bound with clay. An eraser takes off a lot before any liquid.
Do this first
Gently erase with a clean white eraser
Fresh stain
- Gently erase with a clean white eraser
- Gently work in detergent
- Wash
Dried or old
- Dab rubbing alcohol
- Detergent
- Wash
- Fabric care
- Don't erase hard on knits.
- Time
- 5 min
- How to tell
- Look: grey shiny smudge; Feel: smooth; Smell: none
Where this fix comes from
- University of Illinois Extension, Stain Solutions
- Household folk practice, checked against the guides above
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.