|
-- Baby Boomers -- Family - -- Green -- Home and Auto -- -- In Critical Condition -- Lifestyle -- -- Just Starting Out -- Money -- |
|
|
share your thoughts about frugal living at TDS Community Subscribe to Our Money Saving Newsletter Also In This Week's Issue 8 ways to find and keep a temporary job Investing shortcuts for the DIY investor More Stories About: |
Home
Home and Auto
Cleaning
Laundry
Ink Spots in My Dryer
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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. A Tightwad's True Friend I got this tip from the Tightwad Gazette. Try full-strength Breck shampoo. 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. WD-40 May Work To remove ink spots in the dryer, try spraying on some WD-40 and then wipe clean with a cloth. 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. "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! 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! Do you have a time or money saving idea that wasn't included in this article? Please send it to tips @stretcher.com. We get the best ideas from our readers! If you liked this article why not sign up for our free money-saving email alerts? Your bonus? 209 ways to save on groceries. Follow The Dollar Stretcher on Twitter. |
Copyright 1996 - 2009 "The Dollar Stretcher, Inc.". All rights reserved unless specifically noted.
Write to the Dollar Stretcher at:
Dollar Stretcher
PO Box 14160
Bradenton
FL 34280-4160
941-761-7805 voice
941-761-8301 fax
"The Dollar Stretcher, Inc." does not assume responsibility for advice given. All advice should be weighed against your own abilities and circumstances and applied accordingly. It is up to the reader to determine if advice is safe and suitable for their own situation.