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betsy_gw

Ink in dryer

betsy
23 years ago

Somehow a pen in hubby's pocket made it to the washing machine and then into the dryer where it got all over the dryer and clothes. Now what do I do? My son is horrified that his clothes have spots all over them. I can always replace the clothes but how do I get the ink out of the dryer? I tried hairspray and WD 40 to no avail. I don't want to go to the laundramat every week! BooHoo.

Comments (32)

  • Mary
    23 years ago

    Me Too!! I just posted this same problem on cleaning tips.
    I've run a load of towels through the dryer, the ink isn't coming off on them so far, but I'm alittle too nervous to try anything else. I tried rubbing alcohol but that didn't work. I'm soaking the clothes overnight in color safe bleach. It is worth a try. I'm looking for any suggestions also. Good Luck!

  • Spencer
    23 years ago

    This happened to me about 6 months ago and I just run the clothes through as usual. The ink has not come off on anything (or at all). I guess it is permanent.

  • Chantal
    23 years ago

    The same thing has happened to me ! My dryer was a mess with ink, I had remove the door, and unplug all electric. Then my head inside just for a while, so I could breath a little, the dryer was still hot, I have used many products with no success! The good and only one was "ORANGE GLO POWER PASTE" a great product, no more ink all over my dryer! Then I rinsed well with hot water and it is like new!
    For the clothes, I rewashed them in COLD water several times, used my AMWAY PREWASH on all spots I could see, all the load came up OK.
    Good luck!

  • Bengal Lily
    23 years ago

    Betsie I just saw an item on TV last night (on the news) that said to spray DW40 on a cloth and use that to clean off the ink (works on crayon and lipstick too) then wash the area with warm soapy water to remove any DW40 residue. Who would'a thunk it?

  • Ian Murphy
    22 years ago

    I just tried nail polish remover. It works like a champ. I'm stoked!

  • Robert_alabama
    21 years ago

    I'm gonna try the acetone or nail polish remover. Ours is a mess inside. I've tried WD-40, oxylcean, ether, roughy hand cleaners, isopropyl and ethyl alcohol and a non acetone base fingernail polish remover. The only things that even fazed it are the alcohols and fingernail polish remover.
    Robert - I'm going to try your method.

  • norten2
    21 years ago

    After I tried all of the usual inputs I have come up with thee greatest method of all time. I would like to call this method "The Dinges Method." Go get choke and carburetor cleaner (its an automotive product) from Walmart or Napa. Get a vacuum and spray the choke and carburetor cleaner in the dryer at the same time vacuum up the wet ink. Keep on spraying the choke and carburetor cleaner on the ink then keep on vacuuming it up. If you use a cloth to wipe it up in the old methods it just smears the ink all over. Make sure you open all windows because this stinks like hell! No muscle work at all. I had my dryer cleaned up in 1/2 hour. It is the greatest idea I have ever came up with. Make sure you don't use your dryer for at least 24 hours. You are the first to see a posting like this anywhere. Tell your friends that you heard it here first, The Dinges Method of cleaning ink from the dryer. If it works e-mail me at NORTEN@AOL.COM. I would love to hear if this helped you out.

  • jeremy101
    21 years ago

    The "Dinges method" by including the vacuum cleaner should be called the "ding-a-ling method." It sounds very dangerous to use an electric motor to suck up highly flammable liquid and the accompanying vapor. What's wrong with spraying the appropriate solvent on a paper towel and wiping the stains away? If there are significant fumes, one may even want to turn off the pilot light to any nearby utilities. Someone ought to start reading warning labels.

  • kit9899
    16 years ago

    I can't believe it worked! Just a papertowel and nail polish remover did the trick. A little bit of the remover took alot of ink off my dryer. Thank you so much. I have used milk on my husbands dress shirts and been successful, but I didn't have a clue with my dryer.
    thanks again,
    Kit
    in Morrisville, NY

  • deniseann1954
    15 years ago

    I had an ink pen explode in my dryer. I din't know what to use to get it out. So I got on line and found this site. I did try alot of things, but the nail polish remover worked great. Thanks alot

  • Pat Stiles
    13 years ago

    Tried everything..only nail polish removal worked..Thanks

    Here is a link that might be useful: ink removal from dryer

  • Clarajean
    13 years ago

    I have ink in my dryer. Seems like it was in my daughters clothes hiding. The dryer is a COMPLETE MESS!!!
    I have read some of your remedies and I will try them. I am so UPSET it is a NEW DRYER!!!!!

  • andrea
    13 years ago

    NAIL POLISH, SAVED MY DRYER. CHECK ALL POCKETS

  • Marissa
    13 years ago

    Nail polish remover is awesome for this!!

  • Lindsay
    13 years ago

    How that ink pen made it thru the washer and into the dry I will never know. We did find the pen in a few peices. My dry that is only 1 month old looks horrible. I tried greased lightening, magic eraser and then found this website. The nail polish remover worked. We didn't get it all out I will have to buy some more tomorrow. I only had a small bottle. THANK YOU SO MUCH for saving my dryer. :)

  • Elaine
    13 years ago

    All I can say is THANK YOU. The nail polish remover worked like a charm. I tried everything else and then luckily found this site. Once again Thank You

  • Lindsay
    13 years ago

    The fingernail polish remover worked amazing; Thanks!! When can I use the dryer again?? Also, what did you use to get the ink out of the clothes??

  • Ashley Hudson
    12 years ago

    I too have tried multiple things... I even tried the nail polish remover and its not working. I'm going to maybe try it again when the dryer cools down. But to get ink out of clothes I'ver heard to spray it with hair spray which will make it bleed, dab it a few times, and then rewash. Hope this helps!

  • brickeyee
    12 years ago

    If it bleeds with hair spray try lacquer thinner.

    If the dryer has a standing pilot make sure is is OFF before acetone / hair spray / lacquer thinner.

    Allow plenty of time for the vapors to clear.

    Even a spark form the door light switch would be BAD.

    These are all VERY flammable.

  • tanya
    12 years ago

    I got ink in the dryer and thought I was doomed!!! Today someone told me to use DAWN POWER DISSOLVER!!!!! WOW! This works with NO effort. (UNPLUG DRYER) Just spray on, leave for 15-20 min (even on the tough spots), and then WIPE off! Make sure to wipe down again with a wet cloth and let dry before use.

    This product can be found near the dish soaps at Wal-Mart!

  • Stacey
    12 years ago

    Thank you! Nail polish remover has kept my husband out of the dog house !!! Quick and easy!

  • rosamarie
    12 years ago

    Nail polish remover did the job!!! So happy, thanks!

  • EH
    12 years ago

    It really worked!!!! I got panic when I saw the dryer all black and luckily I had little bit of the nail polish.
    THANK YOU!!!'
    Now that the ink came out from the dryer I need a suggestions to take the ink off my clothes.

  • mikeyrey
    12 years ago

    GOOF OFF!!!
    I tried several things - nail polish remover, denatured alcohol, Goo Gone - all to no avail.
    Goof Off took it off immediately. I'm so relieved. Thank you, thank you to the guy that posted Goof Off as a remedy.

  • Nancy in Mich
    12 years ago

    FYI all of you nail polish remover users: nail polish remover is usually acetone. See Brickeye's list. It is highly flammable. So unplug and douse the pilot lights with it, too.

    The other thing to remember is that all of these highly volatile organic compounds are not good for you to breathe. They can be irritants, or worse. From Wikipedia: "Acetone is believed to exhibit only slight toxicity in normal use, and there is no strong evidence of chronic health effects if basic precautions are followed.[20] At very high vapor concentrations, acetone is irritating and, like many other solvents, may depress the central nervous system. It is also a severe irritant on contact with eyes, and a potential pulmonary aspiration risk." So pull your head out of the dryer for a breath of fresh air, every so often!

    I agree with Jeremy! Norten's use of a vacuum - even a shop vac, which I assume he used, though he did not specify - was very dangerous. I did a search on his name of his "method" to see if this was a prank that he had perpetuated elsewhere on the web. No hits. He is just dangerously incompetent, not truly evil.

  • brickeyee
    12 years ago

    The classic Goof Of solvent is xylene (in a small can at a very high price).

    The same solvent used in many permanent markers (think of the smell and you will know instantly).

    Like most of the other solvents it is highly flammable, and should be used with caution.

    It also has many of the same overall health effects as many other volatile solvents.

    Some of the newer 'gel' type inks are actually water soluble, so try warn water and a little liquid dish soap first.

    Denatured or isopropyl alcohol next, then pint thinner.

    Carefully try the 'hotter' solvents next.

    Acetone, Xylene, and maybe the 'big gun' of MEK (Methyl Ethyl Ketone).

    Ca5burator cleaner, or engine starter uses ether as a common main ingredient.

    The flammability of ether is way past any of the other solvents, but it can also work for cleaning ink type stains.

    Just be VERY careful with it.

    After any of these solvents some water and liquid dish soap is a good idea.

    Some have other chemicals in them that may leave oily stains on clothes.

  • rosaljones65
    11 years ago

    ok my son blow ink up in the dryer nail polish remover is smering it hubby and son at ends over it just got last week help

  • toxcrusadr
    11 years ago

    Egad, the vacuum cleaner thing is nuts.

    Somewhere around here there's a posting about someone's husband who did that and blew up the vacuum cleaner.

    Here's a video of a jet of flaming gasoline vapor. At least this was a (somewhat) controlled test.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjSpp_7jECI

    Do be careful with the solvents!

    BTW nail polish remover nowadays has a lot of esters in it, so it's similar to some of the goof-off and goo-gone products. Always good to read the label to see what you're getting, especially if you're fishing for something that works.

  • RAYJVICL
    11 years ago

    My husband left a brand new pen in a brand new dryer, not the first time he has done this but the first time in the new dryer. In the old dryer I used finger nail polish remover and it took most of the ink away but still left stains in the dryer, but this time I used Dawn Power Dissolve, you spray in and leave for 15-20 mins at least then wipe away. Then I suggest taking a damp cloth, wipe again and then run a load of towels through. Dryer looks almost new again on the inside.

  • LIH09
    11 years ago

    I was desperate for finding out how to get the ink out of my dryer and then I came across this great site, I wiped it down with nail polish remover then soaked some towels in bleach water and ran a dryer cycle and to my amazement no more ink any where. Not only have you saved my dryer but saved me the agony of going to the laundry mat and having to buy a new dryer. Thank you.

  • rachelann90
    10 years ago

    I tried the nail polish remover but it didn't work as well as break fluid did.