Does Hairspray Really Remove Ink?

There are a lot of ways you can stain your clothing, but one of the worst is ink. Whether it's from a pen leaking in your pocket, or your kid drawing on you, ink stains are truly stubborn. With so many methods of removal out there it can be tricky to know how to tackle it. Should you buy some expensive stain remover? Call your grandmother and ask if she has any hacks? While these are solid options, here's an even better one that you've probably never thought of unless you're a total neat freak: hairspray.

Yes, hairspray, that stuff that you spray in your hair to make it look sleek and stylish, is also the perfect way to remove ink stains. It might sound strange that the sticky substance is the secret to removing such obstinate stains from fabric, but try it the next time you end up wondering how to remove those marker stains from your sofa. 

Just be sure that you're using the right kind of hairspray. According to Lifehacker, you want to make sure to use alcohol-based hairspray. While you can use this method of ink removal on any fabric, it's most successful on polyester blends. 

All you need to do to remove that stubborn ink stain is spray your alcohol-based hairspray directly on to the stain. Set a timer for half a minute (or just count to 30), wipe off the stain with a damp cloth, and things should be good as new.

This trick should work even if the ink has already dried in the fabric and, as long as your hairspray is alcohol-based, should be effective even if you're using a cheap bottle of hairspray from the dollar store. 

It might sound too good to be true, but what do you have to lose? The next time you think an ink stain on a piece of clothing means you'll have to throw it out, just spray a little hairspray on it.