The stubborn highlighter stains often leave an impression of permanence. Fortunately, there are some handy supplies that easily remove these stains. The simplest approach to get the highlighter out of clothes is to use rubbing alcohol, hand sanitizer, or specialized ink removers on the stain right away.
How Do I Get Highlighter Out of My Clothes?
Keeping clothes clean may be quite a chore if you have rambunctious children that want to run around frantically. You’ll likely end up cleaning a variety of different clothes with a variety of questionable stains.
However, even if that’s not the scenario around you, some stains are common enough to happen. The bright and apparent stains, such as highlighter ink, are quite frustrating to remove among these frequent stains.
Whether the stain was caused by an accident or your children felt it was a good plan to scribble on something they shouldn’t have, it’s critical to remain cool and make sure the stain doesn’t set in, especially if it’s a large one. Thankfully, erasing a highlighter stain is rather easy, as long as you get to it before it irreversibly dries into the fabric.
Why Is It a Matter of Concern?
A highlighter stain will fizzle in a routine washing machine cycle, but it will not be completely removed. A stain treatment will almost certainly be required to remove a neon highlighter blemish from clothing.
Never put clothing that has been discolored by a highlighter in the laundry until the stain has been completely removed. The heat may make it harder to remove the neon color in the future!
Many highlighter pens include water-soluble ink, which means that washing the discolored area of your clothing in water quickly will likely alleviate a lot of the color. The ink used in most highlighter pens is made up of a specific glycol solvent, water, and a little amount of fluorescent colorant.
The Handy Remedies
Before applying any of the methods, please keep in mind that certain products react differently on certain fabrics. For example, products containing alcohol are forbidden to be used on wool, silk, acetone, or rayon.
It is better to try a new cleaning product on a hidden portion of your cloth and let it sit for a few minutes before using it on the rest of it. If the product doesn’t harm the cloth, you’re ready to go. Some of the most efficient and convenient solutions are given below.
1. Alcohol
Alcohol is said to be the most effective element to remove any strong stain easily. If the product has higher alcohol content like isopropyl alcohol (70% alcohol) the effect will be better. However, ensure the work area is ventilated and wash your hands properly afterward to avoid any damage. These are steps to remove highlighter by using rubbing alcohol.
Step 1: Place Paper Towel
Underneath the stained area, place a pad of folded paper towels. As it soaks through the cloth, the alcohol and ink will be absorbed, stopping the ink from spreading throughout the remaining part of the garment.
Step 2: Apply Rubbing Alcohol
Soak a cotton ball in the alcohol to remove a minor stain. Gently dab the affected area. Scrubbing at the ink will most likely smear it onto portions of your clothing that aren’t damaged. So avoid it.
If you have a substantial highlighter stain to deal with, lay the clothing over a sink or pail and pour the alcohol directly on the affected region.
Step 3: Blot the Stain
Using clean paper towels, wipe the stain on both sides. On the white towel, there should be a lot of ink.
Step 4: Repeat Step 3
You might not always need this step. If the stain is removed properly after blotting it, there’s no need to apply alcohol again. However, in most cases, you need to repeat the processes to get a completely fresh result.
Step 5: Run Through the Washer
Run the clothing into the laundry with your regular detergent to complete the process. You might wish to start by pinning a safety pin to your garment to mark the stain’s position. This can assist you in locating the proper location to check to verify if all of the ink has been removed after washing.
Step 6: Put In the Dyer
Remove the wet clothing from the washing machine and check it thoroughly to ensure that all of the ink has been removed. If that’s the case, throw it in the dyer. If not, repeat the steps to get the desired result.
2. Baking Soda and Vinegar
Stains can also be easily removed using vinegar and either cornstarch or baking soda. Since you might need to let the vinegar and baking soda mixture soak overnight, this procedure may take a bit longer.
It is, however, cost-effective and simple. Vinegar is so effective in removing stains because many stains contain acid, and vinegar’s increased acidity allows it to break down the stain’s components. 3 tablespoons of baking soda and one tablespoon of vinegar create a thick paste that instantly starts to take out the stain.
3. Hand Sanitizer
One of the most available products nowadays is hand sanitizer. When you’re off from your laundry room, this allows you a quick and convenient option to cure stains.
Both ethyl and isopropyl alcohol are present at high percentages in most hand sanitizers. When used on a stain, hand sanitizer works in the same way as rubbing alcohol.
4. Hair Spray
This one may not be present in everyone’s home. However, if you have one, you can try this trick. You should study the ingredient label on your hairspray before attempting the procedure. It should work if the product contains alcohol. Some contemporary hair products, on the other hand, do not contain alcohol. They will not work in this case.
5. Ink Remover
Using an accredited ink remover is an apparent approach to removing the ink. Amodex, for example, has soap-like properties that allow it to remove ink stains without harming the cloth. This ink remover should work on highlighter, sharpie, and normal ballpoint pen ink.
Of course, you’ll need to buy an ink-removing product, so this isn’t the most cost-effective technique. However, you should have a little bottle on hand in case of future mishaps.
6. Salt
You can either use the paste of half a cup of salt and enough cold water or a spoonful of dry salt on the highlighter stain. Both methods work quite well. After applying the salt, you have to rest it for some time. If you want to follow the dry salt technique, you have to submerge the stained spot in a bowl of milk and allow it to soak for the night.
7. Lemon Juice
Lemon juice has the capacity to naturally erase stains such as sweat, ink, and mildew. Its high acidity dissolves a wide variety of stains. Lemon juice also has a powerful whitening effect, so it can brighten your light-colored garments.
Halve a lemon and wipe it vigorously across the stained area. You can also take a small bowl of lemon juice and submerge the inky spot in it. allow it to soak overnight and see the result.
Frequently Asked Questions and Answers
- Is it hard to get old highlighter stains out of clothes?
It is better to remove the stubborn ink stains as fast as possible to save frustration and hassle. However, that doesn’t mean that you can’t remove an old stain. You can follow any of the solutions described for instant stains for the old stains as well. The difference is it will consume much more time and repeats the old ones.
- Are Sharpie highlighters not removable?
Permanent ink is used in the Fine, Ultra-Fine, Twin Tip, Chisel, Retractable, Mini, and Super. Permchrome ink is used in all other Sharpie ink hues. Alcohols are employed as the primary solvents for these, although no glycol ethers are used.
Conclusion
Don’t freak out the next time you see a highlighter on your clothes. Just take into account the fabric and apply the method easiest for you. We’ve tried to enlist natural as well as commercial treatments. By deciding to remove the highlighter stain as quickly as possible, you may return to worrying less about the appearance of your garment.
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