Mum shares genius hack to remove biro stains from sofa
With many children currently being home schooled there’s more opportunities for little scribbles to appear on furniture.
Thankfully, a woman has shared a savvy trick to save your sofa if your child has got creative with a biro, and you’ll be surprised at the beauty product that does the job.
Leisl Elizabeth, the woman behind the TikTok account @cleanfreak_cleaningco, reveals just how easy it is to remove a pen mark, using only a can of hairspray.
What’s more, the clever hack means you won’t have to spend hours scrubbing away at the stubborn stain. Although you may want to test it on an inconspicuous area first.
In a video clip shared to the video sharing platform, Elizabeth demonstrates what to do if your little one has used your sofa as a drawing pad.
Read more: Viral wrap hack will change the way you make lunch forever
Holding up a can of hairspray, Elizabeth begins tackling the problem by spritzing the product directly onto the stain.
She advises leaving the product a short while in order to let it work its magic.
Later, she returns with a soft cloth and gently buffs the stain away in circular motions.
The video ends by revealing a shot of the same patch of sofa with the biro completely removed. Genius!
Read more: Woman's hack to dispose of hot grease without pouring it down the drain
Since sharing the clever hack, the demonstration clip has clocked up more than 75K likes and received hundreds of comments from thankful parents.
“You are heaven sent,” one parent wrote. “Literally my daughter just drew a long pen line on our new couch and I’ve been thinking on how to get it out. Thank you!”
“One more episode of ‘I learn more on TikTok than I’ve learned in my whole life’,” another person wrote.
Others shared their own examples of using hairspray as a stain remover.
“I’m a hairdresser and when we get dye on our clothes, we quickly spray it with hairspray. It usually disappears,” one person commented.
Watch: Six of the best cupboard cleaning hacks ever!
What the experts say
According to Lisa Evans spokesperson at HomeHow.co.uk using hairspray as a stain remover is a great cleaning hack that everyone should know about.
“It actually works,” she explains.
“Here’s the science behind it: Hairspray has alcohol as a main ingredient, which means it’s great for removing a lot of stains. It works in the same way as rubbing alcohol.”
Evans says the trick is especially good for removing ink, as most biro pens are oil-based, which hairspray can remove with ease.
“If you have a pen stain on your sofa, spray the area with hairspray and allow it to soak in to the stain for five to ten minutes,” she suggests.
“The stain should begin to fizz and soften, don’t rub it though as it’ll just spread the stain. Once the stain begins to soften, wash the area with water and dab dry with a towel. If there is still ink left, repeat the process.”
Read more: Woman shares genius no scrub hack for cleaning oven while you sleep
According to Evans using hairspray on your sofa shouldn’t harm the material as long as it is colour-fast, which means it won’t fade when washed.
It isn’t just sofas the hairspray hack works on either as Evans explains it can remove stains from clothes too.
“Just follow the process above, but instead of washing the area with water, stick it in the washing machine and it will come out good as new,” she explains.
The trick can remove other non-ink stains too.
“It works well with red wine stains too, but avoid using it on make-up stains (such as foundation) as it can actually make it a whole lot worse,” Evans adds.
Nigel Bearman, from cleaning company Daily Poppins agrees the alcohol in hairspray can help to break down ink making it easier to clean, but explains that the alcohol content in some hairsprays may be too low for the trick to work, so suggests using an alternative product.
“Another thing we'll have a lot of lying around with high alcohol content is hand sanitiser, which will also work in the same way,” Bearman explains.
“70% or above alcohol sanitiser will be the most effective.
“This works best on polyester blends, so for more sensitive fabrics like velvet, use a cotton ball or pad to rub the stain once the alcohol is applied to protect the fabric,” he adds.
