Every online seller has come across an ink pen stain on their inventory at least once during their career. Here’s your removal options:

First, if the item is high end material, such as silk, it’s probably an expensive item and therefore it makes the most sense to have it professionally cleaned. If the item is not any kind of exotic fabric then here you go:

Just like with permanent marker stains, the short answer is ALCOHOL and a new, clean toothbrush. If you are looking for a seriously AMAZING toothbrush for scrubbing, the Dr. Perfect “extra big toothbrushes” are phenomenal.

My family personally uses these and they are genuinely the best toothbrushes we have ever owned. If you are going to buy Dr. Perfect or any extra firm toothbrush, AVOID BUYING “Charcoal Toothbrushes”. Instead just go with the 100% white bristle brush.

The type of alcohol you use is up to you but the higher the alcohol content is, the easier it will be to remove the ink. Here’s the most popular choices of alcohol:

• Actual alcohol - Gin, Vodka, White Rum.
• Rubbing Alcohol
• Cheap Hairspray - Yes, only the cheap ones.
• Nail Polish Remover
• Hand Sanitizer - Again, make sure it is CLEAR. Avoid the colored ones and absolutely avoid anything with glitter in it.
• White Vinegar - I’ve heard endlessly that this works. Personally I would be too concerned that my garment would end up smelling like Vinegar… yuck.

Here’s an awesome video that demonstrates a guy removing ink using hand sanitizer:

Since the ink on your inventory has likely sat for a while you should expect it may take 4-10 minutes of scrubbing to remove; so it’s a good task to do while you’re drinking a glass of wine and watching your favorite show.

If you don’t want to go the alcohol route you can instead purchase a product that is specifically designed to remove ink, such as Goof Off. Goof Off is only $3 - $7 on Amazon depending which size bottle you get:

If the stain is still not coming out you have 2 more solutions:

1. Sell it As-Is 

2. Customize it to hide the stain.  There's tons of ways to customize it!  Check out our blog section called Store Returns to learn all about fixing issues like this.