Please Help Dryer Mess

Updated on December 24, 2006
R.C. asks from Port Saint Lucie, FL
24 answers

Hi, well i really need some good answers on this one. I was doing some wash and my husband left a black pen in his work shorts, which i didnt check for. i washed them and then put them in the dryer with a few other items. i just took everything out to fold asd what a mess. there is black ink everywhere. it is dried in there now, all over. i do not feel comfortable doing any more laundry with this dried ink, i feel it will still get all over. Please someone tell me they had the same problem, and they know how to remove this.......help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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D.F.

answers from Lakeland on

Someone told me that Greased Lightning will take out about anything, including ink. Might want to try it. Good luck!

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J.B.

answers from Fort Myers on

Well I have tried plain old milk on the clothes to get rid on the ink but on the drier I would try some rubbing alcohol or nail polish remover I would also search on the internet for example ink in the dryer and see what comes up. Hope this helps...

More Answers

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A.R.

answers from Melbourne on

You could try various solvents on a test spot (Hair Spray, Rubbing Alcohol, Nail Polish Remover, Turpentine)
Good luck but I doubt you can get it out.

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A.G.

answers from Lakeland on

If all else fails; baking soda. It's so versatile and I LOVE it. It should help with the stained clothes. Just throw in a cup or so with the wash. Good luck :)
Let us know what works!

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K.E.

answers from Miami on

Hi R.. The same thing happened to me, but it was blue pen in a load of whiltes. What a mess! We scrubbed and scrubbed and used all kinds of products to no avail. The good news is the dried ink never became an issue on future loads of laundry. We still have a large ink spot in the dryer, but now I just think of it as colorful art! Best of luck.

K.

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L.P.

answers from Miami on

Mr. Clean Magic Eraser really is magic... it gets everything off!!! (This includes black sharpie on white formica!) Good luck.

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L.L.

answers from Port St. Lucie on

HI! If you spray hair spray (any kind)on in and wipe it off that you work. Good Luck

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L.H.

answers from Miami on

Try rubbing alcohol to wipe it out. I know alcohol gets out ink on leather. You can give it a shot!

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S.

answers from Port St. Lucie on

I shop with a wholesale company that manufactures all natural cleaning products that are very effective and economical. They have a product that is awesome for removing stains such as this. I have used it to remove permanant marker from white boards without ruining the finish and black marks from the paint on my car without taking off the paint, blue dye from inside of my dryers and many other hard to remove stains. Email me or call me and I will show you how you can get these products into your home for yourself.

S. Brown
____@____.com
###-###-####

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T.R.

answers from Boca Raton on

I put your question to another mommies group I am in & here are some of thier suggestions - they all swear by the methods & have used them personally.

"Goof Off" sold at home improvement stores
non- acetone nail polish remover ( I have used myself)
rubbing alcohol
non-chlorinated brake cleaner - ( sold at all auto part stores but make sure you are in a well ventilated area & have a fan going. I worked in a car shop & this was used for everything)

either way you will have alot of wiping to do & it will take some time. As for the clothing, you can try the spot removers - just don't dry them again if it doesn't come out - instead use the Dryel at home dry cleaning kit, it has a great spot remover or take it to a dry cleaners.Good luck!

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L.E.

answers from Miami on

Hi R.,
Below i have copied and pasted some ideas from another helpful site. Please read below and see if this is helpful to you.
Good Luck........L.


Help! They've Taken Over My Dryer!

My daughter washed and dried an ink pen and now the ink is in the barrel of my dryer. I have tried hairspray, rubbing alcohol, a product called Oops (designed to get out tar and other hard to remove stains), which have helped some. Is there anything else you might suggest? Thanks for any assistance you can offer.
Shari

Nail Polish Remover Works

I have used nail polish remover with a little elbow grease. Most, if not all, of the ink came off. Also, I noticed it was easier to remove the ink when the dryer barrel was still warm.
B

Love This Product!

There is a cleaner formulated specifically for ink stains. The name is Amodex. You can find the product at the website for Fahrney's Pens. The "hot box" set is probably the best way to start using it. It is one of the best purchases I've ever made. I used it to remove permanent marker stains, nail enamel spilled on a beige carpet, grease stains, mud, etc.
G. Messmer

Could the Answer Be in Your Cupboard?

Try using vegetable shortening. With the dryer empty, run it for a few minutes to warm the drum, and then smear vegetable shortening (a plain, generic version usually does quite well) onto the ink. Wait a few minutes, and then take a paper towel and run the areas, turning it frequently to get up all the ink. This also works if have tar (from re-doing an asphalt driveway) in the dryer. It may take repeating the process several times.
Wayne

Erase the Ink Magically

Mr. Clean's MagicEraser will clean absolutely anything! I have used it on my toughest stains, including black hair dye that stained my brand new white bathroom countertops.
A

Heat Dryer First

Run the dryer until it's hot and then use Oops or one of the other products that seemed to help some. The heat will help the ink liquefy again and it will wipe off easier.
K. Posadas

A Tightwad's True Friend

I got this tip from the Tightwad Gazette. Try full-strength Breck shampoo.
Nancy

Smart Precautions to Take

I recently had this same problem. After trying many things, and being unsuccessful, I called the dyer manufacturer's customer service number, and they were able to help. They can recommend what to use to remove the ink without ruining the dryer, which some products can do. Also, make certain to unplug your dryer before trying any remedies, and if you have a gas dryer, make sure none of these solutions are flammable.
Mary in MA

WD-40 May Work

To remove ink spots in the dryer, try spraying on some WD-40 and then wipe clean with a cloth.
Cindy

It's Time to "Goof Off"

There is a product called "Goof Off" that will remove most anything from most surfaces. We use it to remove "road grime" from our washing machine left over from washing the car wash towels.
Kelly

"Simple Green" to the Rescue

You can try a great product called "Simple Green " to remove the ink spots in the dryer. I did the same thing as your daughter and my mom got some Simple Green and a sponge and away went the ink!
Denice

Works and Smells Good, Too!

When I accidentally got pen in my dryer, I used a product called "Goo Gone" and it worked extremely well. As an added bonus, it has a nice citrus smell!
Tracey in Burlington, ON

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

D.D.

answers from Port St. Lucie on

My husband is always leaving pens in his work shorts.... To get the ink off, try using hair spray. Soak the stain and blot it with paper towels. There is something in it that will remove ink. The last time my husband left a pen in the wash I thought it ruined my favorite jeans- but the hairspray took the ink out even after they had been dried! Hope this helps!
D.

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C.S.

answers from Melbourne on

Hi there, my goodness it sounds like a horror story!! I would try some mineral spirits on the dryer to get the ink off. Mineral spirits is a great thing to have around. For future reference...once your baby gets to the age of magic marker on tables, etc...shaving cream!! Works every time!! Hopefully the mineral spirits will do the trick on your dryer, it has gotten me out of a few messes like that.
Let me know how it goes!!
C.

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H.J.

answers from Lakeland on

if ur trying to get the ink out of the dryer i would sugest using alcohol on it...if that doesnt work im outta idea's...=]
H.

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V.

answers from Orlando on

Turn dryer on and run for few minutes so that it gets hot. Then take some rubbing alcohol on a cooton ball or rag and wipe it out. Hope this helps.

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C.T.

answers from Boca Raton on

Hi R.,
One thing that wasn't mentioned (many of you may not know of) is AWESOME (bought at local Dollar Store) Its agreat degreaser and may help with the pen stain. Good luck and I hope you will let all of us know what worked that you tried.
Best of luck
C. T

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L.G.

answers from Tampa on

Hi R.,

If it's a ball point pen, rubbing alcohol will get it out. Use a cotton pad soaked in alcohol to rub it off your clothes and the inside of the dryer. * but be careful, alcohol is flammable, so when you're done, wipe the inside of the dryer down with a wet (from water) towel, be sure you wipe off any alcohol residue. Then let the dryer completely dry out before you turn it on again.

There is probably also a cleaning suggestion in the booklet that came with your washer/dryer.

Good luck!

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

E.

answers from Miami on

not sure after it dries. But HAIRSPRAY takes out ink.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

D.

answers from Fort Myers on

I would try cleaning the dried ink with a mr clean magic eraser. As for the clothes, try soaking them in oxyclean. My husband left a yellow highlighter in once, but it only got on the pants. I didn't get all of it out, but a lot of it. Then he had a red pen get all over his pants. I used an oxy paste for that. These are sheriff deputy uniforms and they didn't affect the color at all.

We've lived here about a yr as well, but from nj.

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T.C.

answers from Melbourne on

well R., i have not experienced this problem myself but i know that they have different things on the market. you can try the mr. clean cleaning pads that they advertise to clean out the dryer although i don't think you will have any further problems with ink getting on anything else. as for the clothing you can try pretreating and rewashing. just rub the detergent full strength on the spots and let it sit for maybe thirty minutes to an hour or maybe a little longer and then rewash in cold water. maybe at the very least the spots won't be so obvious. i also live in florida, which part are you from? let me know if any of this helps you.

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A.H.

answers from Charlotte on

Hello R., please do not use mineral spirit that can cause an outburt in your drier. Make sure also that whatever you use to remove the ink is not flamable since the fumes can remain in the dryer for some time. The orange stuff works great on a lot to messess. Just make sure to wipe with water after whatever you, use to minimize any chemical left in there oh and leave the dryier open to ventilate and dry without heat. Good luck.

A.

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H.S.

answers from Melbourne on

That's awful. I feel your pain, lol. It happened to me once, but it was my MOTHER'S dryer, I was like oh no. Anyway, make sure the dryer is cool and use that orange cleaner and make sure you've got A LOT of paper towels. The orange stuff works best because you have to stick your head in there, and you don't want to breathe in any chemicals. Put the orange cleaner (or oxy clean works too) on the paper towel, scrub at the spot, then follow with a dry paper towel. It's kinda tedious, but it will clean the ink, but won't ruin the surface ofyour dryer or make it smell. Good luck!

H.

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P.I.

answers from Melbourne on

Hi, I don't have any suggestions for the dryer, but it seems like you got a lot of responses for that one. If you need to get ink off of clothes, use milk, it worked fom me on a white pair of pants.

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A.B.

answers from Naples on

My grandmother always told me to put a cap full simple green to clean out my washer, and then I would take and add some water and simple green together and use that and rag to wipe out the dryer. I know you can put simple green in a load of laundry as well but to be honest i have only done it in whites and it takes and makes them brighter, but have never tried it with colors. Good luck I hope all works out!

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