How to Remove Splattered Pen Ink from a Dryer Drum

It made it through the washer just fine, and prior to that, it even survived in your pocket all day. But the clothes dryer? Oh, that’s a totally different story. The ballpoint pen you accidentally snaffled has had its revenge; and now, splattered pen ink has your entire dryer drum covered. It’s time to get down to business. Prior to any cleaning approaches, go ahead and unplug your dryer. Now since dryers are one of the biggest fire hazards in homes, we won’t be using any flammable solvents in our cleaning methods—just to stay on the safe side of things. Sound good? Pour some dish soap into a small bowl of water, and swish it around until you see some suds action going on. Dampen a cloth from your mixture and scrub away. Rinse and repeat. Make sure you use clean areas of the cloth so you’re not spreading around what you just cleaned up. It may take a few times to do this to remove all of the splattered ink. Allow the dryer to air dry by leaving the door propped open. If you’re still not getting the ink to come off, you can go to the second cleaning alternative—bleach. While this isn’t the greenest way of doing things, it may just be the solution to get out those tough stains all on its own or in conjunction with the first tip. Of course, make sure the room you’re in is well ventilated, and take safety precautions accordingly with a pair of gloves and a mask. Mix yourself up a solution of 1 part bleach along with 2 parts water. Soak old white rags in the mixture, wring them out, and toss ‘em in the dryer drum. Turn on the heat for about 25 minutes, and the ink should come right out. Is there a catch? Sorta. Heat may cause certain inks to set…so just keep that in mind. It may take a few times of doing this until all of the ink is completely out. Finally, wipe out your dryer drum to remove any remaining bleach residue, open your dryer door, and allow it to air dry. There’s no way around it; cleaning up ink is a time-consuming and tedious process. Note to self: check & double check ALL pockets.

Photo by: Julia P

How to Remove Splattered Pen Ink from a Dryer Drum