How can I remove an ink stain from my laminated table top?

Njones47
by Njones47
An ink pen leaked onto my table. I used fingernail polish remover which only spread it (so now it's bigger} and removed laminate on spot. Did I ruin the table or is there a solution? If you give me tip on how to remove ink how would I restore the laminate? icon
  13 answers
  • I'm not sure if this is fixable. A tablecloth may be the solution.

  • Janet Pizaro Janet Pizaro on Apr 14, 2018

    plain white toothpaste

  • Johnavallance82 Johnavallance82 on Apr 14, 2018

    I don't suppose you are insured for accidental damage? Or purchased it recently with a credit card? Try Cream Kitchen Cleaner - or Barkeepers friend or Wet Wipes. Soak up with Kitchen Roll. Might be able to disguise hole in Laminate by colouring base of hole with nail varnish or paint the colour of the wood finish and applying layers of varnish on to fill hole...........

  • Johnavallance82 Johnavallance82 on Apr 14, 2018

    Milk will also remove Ink................

  • Patty S Patty S on Apr 14, 2018

    My mother swore by shaving cream. It got India ink out of our car seat. Spray it on, rub it in and repeat until gone.

    • Kri20579666 Kri20579666 on Jul 27, 2024

      It’s the alcohol in the shaving cream if you don’t have straight alcohol!

  • Laura Cooper Laura Cooper on Apr 14, 2018

    The acetone might have dissolved the finish allowing the ink to mix in to the laminate. But as a general rule, rubbing alcohol is an ink solvent and is not very reactive on plastics and vinyls and fabrics

  • B. Enne B. Enne on Apr 14, 2018

    I too would try rubbing alcohol and maybe a light rub with a Magic Eraser.

  • Jan Clark Jan Clark on Apr 15, 2018

    You might also try hydrogen peroxide. I've used it a number of times.

  • Cookedpig Cookedpig on Apr 15, 2018

    use laquer thinner


  • Kri20579666 Kri20579666 on Jul 27, 2024

    I think she means veneer which would be a very different remedy.if when removing ink you damaged the veneer your choices are to replace the veneer (you can purchase different types online). It may take 3 days to arrive but then you can cut it out to fit! And it’ll be like new! What is it made of?if it’s wood then it’s a veneer however if it’s plastic then it would be laminate which is even easier to access and replace. Sometimes trying to repair can be so time consuming and unless it’s a skill you’re familiar with, it can be so frustrating! You end up wasting $!$ and having to redo it multiple times that I realize replacing would have been more cost effective using up less if my valuable time that I could be doing something that makes me smile instead of something I never want to see again!? It only took me 57 years to figure this out?! Stubborn I guess! 🤪

  • Janice Janice on Jul 27, 2024

    Work on the stain from the outside in using an alcohol dampened cotton ball. Keep changing the cotton balls so you start with a clean one each time. After you've soaked up the majority of the stain, use a Magic Eraser to smooth the area. You'll definitely need to sand and redo the area with a sealer and likely to look nice the entire table top will need to be redone. You might be able to mask off a square where the problem is and a couple of other strategic areas on the table top and sand and stain them in a different color so it looks intentional.

  • Dee Dee on Jul 27, 2024

    Apply rubbing alcohol to a cloth and rub the stain for a few seconds, then rinse.

    Spray alcohol-based hairspray onto the back of the stain while it's face down on a cloth or paper towel. Push the stain through the fabric, replacing the cloth as it absorbs the ink.