If you open your dryer and notice that pen ink has splattered all over the drum–relax. It’s not the end of the world, and cleaning up this mishap is not as daunting as it seems. Yes, ink is hard to erase from paper, but it’s not quite as hard to eliminate from your dryer. Here are some simple techniques on how to remove ink from a dryer.
How to Remove Ink from the Dryer
What you’ll need:
- Dishwashing liquid (we recommend Dawn)
- Bucket
- Towels or rags
- Mr. Clean Magic Eraser or melamine sponge
- Protective gloves
- Goo Gone adhesive remover (not Goof Off, which is flammable)
Prep Step: Before you start scrubbing, use a crevice vacuum to clean the lint trap and surrounding area. Loose lint mixed with ink residue can transfer stains to your next load of laundry — or worse, create a fire hazard if combined with solvent-based cleaners.
Why We Skip Goof Off: You’ll notice we recommend Goo Gone over Goof Off for this job. Goof Off is flammable, and since dryer drums are exposed to high heat, using a flammable solvent inside one poses a serious safety risk. Goo Gone’s citrus-based formula is a safer choice for enclosed, heat-generating appliances.
How to do it:
- Start by warming the empty dryer on the heat cycle for about 10 to 15 minutes. This will help loosen the ink.
- Once your dryer is warm, disconnect it as a safety measure: Unplug an electric dryer from the wall or if you have a gas dryer, turn off the valve.
- Mix a few drops of dishwashing liquid and hot water in a bucket until it’s sudsy. Wet a towel and ring out excess.
- Scrub the interior of the dryer drum and the paddles with the damp towel to remove the ink stains.
- Wipe down the dryer interior with a clean towel dampened with water until there is no more soapy residue.
Pro Tip: Before working on your dryer, always unplug it or trip its circuit breaker; if it’s a gas-fired unit, shut off the gas valve. This is a critical safety step that applies whether you’re cleaning ink stains, clearing lint, or performing any other dryer maintenance.
If any ink remains, move to the next steps:
- Dampen a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser or a melamine sponge. Make sure to wear rubber as the sponge can be abrasive to skin.
- Rub the ink stains well with the Magic Eraser.
- Use a clean towel moistened with water to wipe down the interior dryer. Make sure to clear away any gritty residue left by the Magic Eraser.
- Add a small amount of Goo Gone to a clean rag. Rub the ink spots in the dryer with Repeat as needed.
- To remove the Goo Gone residue, wash the areas you scrubbed with a different rag moistened with hot, soapy water.
- Follow up with another rag dampened just with water until soapy residue is gone. Allow to dry.
If this method doesn’t completely remove the ink from your dryer, you may want to hire a professional cleaner.
Pro Tip: Tom Silva, TOH general contractor, advises that with any stain removal project, perfection isn’t always the goal: “You’d like to remove as much as possible, but can you get it all away?” If faint ink shadows remain after multiple cleaning passes, they’re unlikely to transfer onto your clothes — run a load of old rags or towels through a drying cycle to confirm before drying anything you care about.
Tips For Keeping Ink Out of Your Dryer
There could be a few reasons why ink has gotten into your dryer. Here are some ways that ink can stain your dryer and how to avoid this mishap.
Pens
One of the most common ways ink can cause a mess in your dryer is through ink pens. If a pen is accidentally left in an item of clothing that is placed in the dryer, the plastic pen will overheat and cause the pen to melt, releasing the ink onto clothes and the dryer drum.
The ideal way to prevent pen ink from exploding and marking up your dryer is to check all clothing pockets before you toss garments into the washing machine (even a left-behind tissue can create a huge mess!). Making sure that nothing is in the pockets of your clothing will ensure that your dryer continues to work well and lasts a long time.
New jeans
Sometimes ink may appear in your dryer, but you know there weren’t any pens in your clothing pockets. The culprit could be a brand-new pair of jeans, particularly if the denim is a dark rinse.
Some new jeans may have an enormous amount of blue indigo dye, which can “bleed” onto your other clothing and the dryer. Some jeans makers may include a warning tag and advise you to wash the jeans prior to wearing in order to remove the excess dye.
To avoid jeans staining your dryer, wash them on their own in the cold water cycle inside out and let them hang dry. If you must put your jeans in the dryer, it’s a good idea to dry them on low or no heat since the heat makes the dye bleed.
Watch Your Load Size: When washing new jeans separately, match your water level to the small load. As TOH plumbing and HVAC expert Richard Trethewey has explained, adjusting the water amount to the size of the load helps you “not only save on water, but also detergent, bleach, and your other laundry additives.” A small-load setting with cold water is all you need to flush out excess indigo dye without wasting resources.
Store security tags
Although you may notice a security tag on your clothing long before it reaches the washer and dryer, some people may not realize there is still a security tag attached until it bursts within the machine. Some of these store sensors contain a small vial with dye inside.
Ideally, you should double-check your newly purchased clothing to ensure that all security tags are removed before leaving the store. If you discover that there is one on your clothing, do not attempt to break it since the ink will splatter with the use of force. Instead, return the item to the store you purchased it from with proof of purchase to get the tag removed by a store clerk.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I use WD-40 to clean ink from a dryer?
No. Although this is common advice on the internet for cleaning ink from a dryer, WD-40 is flammable. It contains aliphatic hydrocarbons, which can ignite when exposed to heat. If the residue from this substance isn’t completely removed from the dryer before subsequent use, you could start a dryer fire. It’s best to avoid flammable items when removing ink from a dryer.
It’s worth noting that WD-40 has earned a cult following for household cleaning — a fan club website once cataloged over 2,000 uses, from removing dried caulk to unsticking tar from floors, as This Old House Magazine reported. But a dryer’s heated drum is one place where this versatile solvent absolutely does not belong. The product’s label itself carries a “DANGER” warning related to flammability, making it a poor match for any appliance that generates sustained high heat.
What to Use Instead: For safe dryer cleaning, TOH’s laundry pros recommend white vinegar and baking soda as go-to cleaning agents. As noted in This Old House Magazine, you can use these household staples to sanitize and scrub appliance drums without introducing any flammable residues — a much safer approach than petroleum-based solvents like WD-40.
Why It Matters: The fire risk is real. According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), as cited in This Old House Magazine, firefighters respond to roughly 370,000 home blazes every year — and many of those originate from hidden hazards people overlook, including flammable residues inside appliances. Even seemingly small amounts of petroleum-based solvent left inside a dryer drum can become an ignition source during the next cycle.
Will the dryer smell like ink?
Yes. The dryer will have a slight chemical smell from the ink. Once you clean it, the smell may go away. However, the odor may take a few drying cycles to dissipate completely. If an odor lingers, you may have to determine whether the ink or something else is causing the smell and eliminate the dryer odor.
