How to Get Printer Ink & Toner Off Skin and Clothes

       

Sometimes the ink smudges on to the hands from a freshly printed page. At other times, the ink or toner powder stains your hands when you’re replacing, or otherwise handling, the ink cartridge, to clean the printer heads, nozzles and so on. The ink can get on to the skin of your hands and elsewhere; it can even get on to your clothes. We look at how you can get rid of these pesky stains and blots.

How to get printer ink stains off your skin

ink stainsThe first thing to remember is to try and clean the ink off as soon as possible – do not let it dry or settle on the skin because the longer it stays there, the more difficult it will be to get off. There are several things around the house you can use to clean ink off your hands:

  1. Glass Cleaners or hard surface cleaners such as Windex can do a pretty good job of getting ink off your hands. Just put a little of the solution on to the stain and let it sit there for a few seconds. Then rinse off the solution or wash your hands with regular soap.
  2. Baby Oil can also help get rid of ink stains from the hands. Simply apply it, rub it into the skin to get the stain off. Simply wipe it off with some tissues or baby wipes – no need to wash your hands if you don’t mind smelling like a new born baby.
  3. Hair Spray can also be used to loosen and get rid of ink & toner stains from the skin. Use it in a way similar to the glass cleaner – spray it on the stain, wait a bit, then rub the solution into the skin. Rinse off and wash hands thoroughly.
  4. Dish-washing liquid and sugar may also work for cleaning ink of the hands
  5. Experts recommend heavy duty hand cleaning products such as Lava, Fast Orange or Gojo. Just use these like normal soap; only you will need to scrub the stained area with the soap a little longer than usual
  6. Abrasive items such as a pumice stone can also help – first soak the stained area in water and then rub it with the pumice stone to exfoliate the skin
  7. If all these items are not available in the house, you could even try nail polish remover or lacquer thinner to remove the stain from the skin
  8. Some people also find that diluted bleach can remove the skin stain as well

How to get printer ink stains off your clothes

Like the skin, it is best to get printer ink off clothes as soon as possible. Don’t let it dry or set; try and clean it off as soon as you realize your clothes have gotten ink on them. If it’s dry toner powder, do not rub it into the clothes at any time. Rather, shake the powder off your clothes.

  1. Shake out the item of clothing to get rid of toner powder and then vacuum it off. You may be able to get dry toner powder off your clothes simply by vacuuming the area.
  2. Hairspray may also work with clothes in the same way as your skin – spray it on, and blot with rag. Do this on both sides of the cloth to remove the stain
  3. Fabric stain removers are another option to get the ink stains off your clothes
  4. If all else fails, you may need to head to the dry cleaners to have the ink stains professionally removed, particularly for delicate or expensive fabrics.

With these tips, while also being careful whenever you are handling or using ink & toner cartridges, you are sure to steer clear of any permanent stains on your hands or clothes. Be sure to subscribe to our mailing list and like us on Facebook for more tips and special discount offers.

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