So, somehow, a pen found its way into the dryer and promptly exploded. Aside from all the clothes that are now covered in ink, you’ve now got to worry about removing that ink stain from the dryer itself.

So let’s save the money you’d spend calling an appliance repair technician for replacing the newly tie-dyed articles of your wardrobe and clean out that ink before it gets on any other clothing.

First, you’ll want to clean off the excess ink with one or a combination of the following methods:

·         Clean the area with an all purpose cleaner. Fantastic is a favorite of mine.

·         Spray with an aerosol laundry presoak such as Spray n’ Wash or Shout.

·         Rub gently with a light abrasive like SoftScrub

Next, wipe of the tub with a damp cloth. Then, tumble-dry a load of rags at a regular heat setting. Once this is done, you may still see some staining on the tub. That’s alright, because at least it won’t transfer to any subsequent loads of laundry you put in the dryer.

Now, if you’re still concerned about it, or just don’t like the new look of your dryer, the drum can be replaced. However, this is a much more in-depth process which most technicians will tell you is no fun and probably best left to the professionals. In some cases, the drum can be repainted with a special high-temperature paint designed especially for dryer drum interiors. (Find link?)

Now, how do you deal with those stained clothes? Of course, it depends on the type of ink, and it may not always be possible to find a perfect fix, but here are some tips we’ve picked up over the years:

·         For ball-point pens, spray the material with an alcohol-based hair spray. The alcohol content in the spray will break up the ink. BE CAREFUL, as you don’t want the stain to run. Place an absorbent paper towel or rag under, on, or around the stain to catch the excess. Then blot the stain with a rag.

Repeat this process until the stain is removed, then launder or wash the item with warm soapy water.

·         If the ink is water based, try an all-purpose cleaner instead of hairspray. Again, place absorbent paper towel or rag under the stain to catch the excess, blot the stain with a rag, and then wash with warm soapy water.

Before doing anything, it’s a good idea to check the fabric content of the item and make sure that these materials won’t be ruined by the chemicals you’re putting on them to get rid of the stain.