In modern times, in social and public life, much paper wasted. Filling out forms drafting contracts requires a high degree of knowledge of the norms of the language. As a rule, work with documentation is carrying out fast, so even the smartest connoisseur of spelling and punctuation can make an inaccuracy.
There are many easy, time-tested ways to get rid of ballpoint pen ink on a piece of paper. We have structured a review in such a way as to move from the simplest life hacks to the most complex ones on how to erase pen ink from paper. Read, remember and remember!
How to Erase Pen Ink from Paper

Hydrogen Peroxide
This medication is using not only for the disinfection of wounds. It is also suitable for getting rid of ballpoint pen marks. For this purpose, 20% hydrogen peroxide used. You should use a cotton swab to apply the liquid to the desired area of the text. The procedure can repeate until the entry eliminated.
Potassium Permanganate, Vinegar, and Peroxide
How to erase a pen from a paper without leaving marks at home? Another reliable and straightforward way. Inscriptions made with a ballpoint pen are removing by applying a mixture of potassium permanganate and vinegar and then hydrogen peroxide. We take potassium permanganate crystals and a drop of vinegar, or vinegar essence, on the tip of a teaspoon. The components are mixing in a glass container.
It is gently applying with a cotton swab. There is no fear that such a composition will ruin the paper. Apply hydrogen peroxide on top of the sheet treated with such a tool. This will remove all unnecessary ink lines and the preparation itself. And no one will notice that the record was taking out.
Removing ink from a paper without traces will turn out even faster if you use essence instead of table vinegar. After processing a sheet of paper with this compound, a hot iron is passing over it through a napkin, which will speed up removing typos and make it perfectly even.
Nail Polish Remover
Acetone is a well-known solvent. It removes stains from fabrics’ wood surfaces and is also suitable for removing ink from a sheet of paper. To do this, it is recommending to use acetone solvent for removing nail polish. Removing ink consists of applying a drop of liquid to an unnecessary inscription. If you need to correct a small mistake area, you can use a medical pipette or a wooden toothpick.
The nail polish remover has a gentle action that does not violate the integrity of the paper web. Since such a solvent is usually available in the house, the method is available.
After dissolving the trace of ink, wipe off the liquid with a paper towel.
Suppose it becomes necessary to remove almost the entire record with a ballpoint pen from the paper. In that case, the paper is completely immersing in acetone and then dried by placing it between cloth or paper towels. The room must be well ventilated.
Hydroperite
Stains remover can prepare independently by dissolving hydroperoxide. 4 tablets are diluting in 50 ml of water to obtain the required concentration. This method requires caution. If the mixture is rubbing with vigorous movements, it is dangerous to spoil the sheet, violating its integrity.
After the removal goal has been achieved, before putting the paper sheet into the drawer, it should be dried by covering it with a napkin so that the liquid is absorbed. After that, ink streaks may appear on the paper. They are removed with peroxide.
Gel Pen Inscription
The inscription with a gel pen is a hard-to-remove inscription. Therefore, before figuring out how to erase a gel pen from the paper, it is better to try the action on the same sheet of paper.
Ethyl Alcohol
You can remove ink from a gel pen with ethyl alcohol with the addition of baking soda. 40 g of ethyl alcohol, 2 g of soda, and 20 g of water are stirring to prepare the mixture. A sheet of paper is processing with this composition until unnecessary text written with a ballpoint pen removed.
You can erase a gel pen from a paper without traces with a mixture of ethyl alcohol and warm glycerin. All the ingredients are combining in equal proportions before removing the paste from a ballpoint pen. Lubricate with such a mixture, preferably with a toothpick, exactly following the contours of the text to delete.
Starch
Mix potato starch and warm water equally in a mug. We apply this gruel to the desired place and leave it to dry. Then remove the starch with a dry sponge. The ink should soak into the starch.
Alcohol or Vodka
Felt pens and markers most often have alcohol-based inks. Therefore, it is better to wash such ink with alcohol or vodka. Use a cotton pad or Q-tip. Drop a little alcohol on the disc, and wipe the problem area; if there is a trace, take a new disc. Then let the paper dry.
Mechanically
Mechanical methods are the risk of making a hole in the paper. It will work only when the inscription is not deep but superficial.
- An ordinary medical plaster will cope with a deuce in a student’s diary or an error in written work. To do this, a small part cut off from the patch tape, matching the size of the text to remove so as not to cover the excess. It should be borne in mind that after the plaster is separating from the paper, the letters are removing together with the top layer of the sheet.
- With gentle movements with a sharp blade, you can clean off the inscription of any size. The letters seem to scratch out. The metal plate should be perpendicular to the paper. If there are protruding fibers after this, they should cut off by guiding the blade, pressing firmly against the sheet so as not to damage it.
- Having the skill, you can erase the pen from the paper with sandpaper without traces at home. In this way, both small details and large text erased. Proceed carefully, lightly pressing on the inscription; otherwise, a hole is provided.
- Eraser – You will need a double-sided Koh-i-Noor eraser. One of its sides is soft, and the other is with abrasive particles. The side with the abrasive will do a great job of removing the paste from the sheet.
- The second way to remove with an eraser is to circle the inscription along the contour with a simple HB or TM hardness pencil and erase it with an ordinary eraser. Repeat stroke and erase until the inscription disappears.
- Wet finger – the method only works in the case of a ballpoint pen. Wet your finger and erase the inscription from the paper in a circular motion without pressure. With external simplicity, this method is also one of the most effective.
Other Ways to Clean Paper from Ink Stains

- The composition is preparing from equal proportions of citric and oxalic acid with the addition of water, the mass of which exceeds the volume of each of the ingredients by 10 times. After thorough mixing, the composition is applying with a soft brush to the blot. Lubricate the paper several times until the ink line is invisible. At the end of the procedure, the acids are soaking with a dry cloth.
- With the help of household chemicals, they also get rid of ballpoint pen notes. You can use laundry bleach, in which chlorine is present (for example, “Whiteness”). This liquid is applying with a cotton swab. After 20 minutes of exposure to the product, ink marks usually disappear. Then the treated area is blotted with a piece of a damp foam rubber sponge and ironed with hot iron through a thin natural fabric. This method can only use for a perfectly white paper. Otherwise, light spots may appear on the sheet from the action of the chlorine solution. It will also ruin the printed design on the paper. Therefore, before removing the stain, you should apply the liquid to a small fragment of the sheet.
- The ink lines will disappear if you use clear table vinegar and any dish detergent. Following the rules, the vinegar is first applying for several minutes to soak, and then the sponge is dipped in dish detergent, and the vinegar is washed off. The pressure on the paper base should be minimal so as not to violate the integrity of the sheet.
- An agent prepared based on sodium sulfite is considering adequate. It is enough to dissolve it in water and wipe the traces left by a ballpoint pen. As a result of the chemical reaction that has begun, the text will remove, forming a pungent odor.
- Salt and baking soda. Before erasing the pen from the paper without a trace, these components are thoroughly mixed in the same proportion. The mixture is distributing in a thick layer over a dry horizontal surface. Then a paper sheet is laid on it, from which it is requiring to eliminate the typo. The side of the paper on which the damaged text is located should be in contact with the mixture. A glass with a cut-out hole is installed on it, equal in size and shape to the pattern to remove. The medical syringe is filling with a concentrated solution of citric acid. After that, the liquid from the syringe is carefully applying along the contour of the letter to remove. Baking soda and salt allow the citric acid to quickly soak in and cause the ink to react with this solvent to remove the unwanted inscription instantly chemically.
Improvised Means
If you need to urgently remove an extra letter in a text written with a ballpoint pen, you can use the tools available in the house almost constantly. It does not matter what color the paste was blue, black, or green.
- Hairspray is one way to remove fresh lines. However, this method should only use for paper of a certain quality. Otherwise, dark or light spots may form. Therefore, it is better to take a test on a small piece of such paper before use.
- If you need to remove the inscription from cardboard or a thick sheet, you should lubricate it with toothpaste. The brush with the paste is dipping in baking soda and rubbed on paper to enhance the action. A dental gel is not suitable for this procedure.
- Shaving foam will help remove ink from paper, but only white.
- The trace from the handle from the sheet is removing with sour or fresh milk. With a cotton swab dipped in these products, lines are drawing along the contour of the inscription, repeating the letters’ curves.
- You can remove erroneous ink entries using household chemicals or chemical reagents for photography. Suitable cleaning agents for this purpose will be substances containing chlorine. These are most bleaches. The ink is processing with a liquid using a sharp stick or pipette. After 15-20 minutes, the inscription will disappear, and the treatment area must be cleaned with a wet sponge made of dense foam rubber and smoothed with iron through a cotton cloth or a clean sheet of paper. Remember, for wet methods of removing stains from paper, place a plain white sheet of paper or oilcloth under the sheet that is being cleaned. A common photoreagent is sodium sulfite. The crystals of this substance are dissolved in water, and a solution is obtained that allows in a matter of seconds to remove traces left by a ball-shaped rod of any color. After processing the inscription, a chemical reaction immediately begins by releasing a pungent odor.
- Finally, writing errors can be hidden by masking using a proofreader. This is a unique white liquid of thick consistency applied to the inscription with a thin brush and completely hides it.
Warning
Some preparations for removing records are aggressive. Therefore, gloves should be worn before erasing ink from paper, and care must be taken when working with them. It is better to use stain removers in ventilated areas. Means with increased flammability for fire safety purposes – should not be poured near an open flame.
Conclusion
It is pretty difficult to erase a gel or ballpoint pen from the paper, as the gel quickly penetrates the tissue structure. The most effective way is to use a blade. But no less popular is the folk method of removing a gel pen with soda. Do not use acetone on paper. This will only exacerbate the problem. We hope you found above on how to erase pen ink from paper helpful.