Techniques to Remove Ink From Plastic Figures and Toys
Removing ink stains from plastic is not easy because the ink from a permanent marker is designed to be just that, permanent, and you will find it pretty hard to clean off.
Rubbing isn’t recommended, because it can cause damage to the plastic surface, also using cleaners such as acetone, can cause permanent damage. This is why we use use a variety of techniques to get rid of ink stains.
Dry Erase Marker
One of the best and simplest techniques is to use a dry erase marker. These are designed to specifically remove ink stains from different surfaces. The colour doesn’t really matter and it’s completely safe to use on smooth plastic surfaces.
Draw over the stain with your dry erase marker, then leave it for a few minutes, take a soft cloth and rub it over the covered stain. The solvents should then remove the ink from the plastic surface.
We have found that in some cases not all of the ink is fully removed, so rather than use the dry erase marker again, you should try using a glass cleaner. Glass cleaners are quite effective in removing ink stains, especially those that have already been weakened by the ink on the plastic.
Although this method is top of our list it doesn’t work as well on textured surfaces, so you will have to try one of our other techniques.
Magic Erasers
Dip a small piece of a plain magic eraser and dip it into some rubbing alcohol, then using small circular motions rub the stain until it is completely gone. This requires a bit of patience and will take around five to ten minutes of rubbing before you see the results.
Acetone, hand sanitizer and rubbing alcohol
The chemicals that are found in marker ink can usually be dissolved by using any of these chemical agents as they are all pretty good at removing stains, but you need to take care when using acetone on plastics as it can damage the surface.
Rubbing alcohol is by far the safest substance that you can use. However, you will probably need to use it a few times before you are able to get the stains out properly.
If you need to clean a curved surface try using hand sanitiser, because unlike rubbing alcohol hand sanitiser is slightly more viscous and doesn’t drip around the edges, so it will sit on the surface much better.
Acetone is arguably the most effective and the most powerful of all the substances here. Acetone-based cleaners are usually able to get stains out of plastic easily, but there is a risk that the plastic might lose its colour, or end up distorted, there is also the chance that softer plastics will melt, and it is certainly not advisable to use it on painted surfaces.
Baking Soda and Toothpaste
As a last resort you could always try a baking soda and toothpaste mix. You will need one part baking soda and one part white toothpaste. Mix the two together into a thick paste, then spread the paste onto the stain and leave it for a few minutes. Use a scrubbing sponge to clean up the stain then rinse with warm water. Remember, that this is an abrasive technique and could cause extensive damage to the surface.