Sure, it's not the most catastrophic thing that could ever happen to a person, but it's fair to say that for handbag lovers, getting that first ink stain on the lining of a brand-new, highly-coveted handbag ranks right up there with life's great (yet small) disappointments. Next time, instead of turning the inside of all of your handbags into a strict no pen zone, try this fairly easy and accessible method to eliminate the damage.
Really? Rubbing Alcohol?
Yes, really. It may not be particularly glamorous or beautifully scented like a sachet of potpourri, but rubbing alcohol (found in drugstores as isopropyl alcohol) is quite an effective and affordable way to remove ink stains from the lining of your handbag.
To remove a stain, if you can, turn the lining of your bag inside-out. Dip a cotton ball in rubbing alcohol and saturate the portion of the lining that has the stain. If you are unsure about the integrity of the fabric of the lining, it is wise to do a test on a small area of the bag that is normally hidden from view. For larger stains, you may need to use more alcohol and let the area steep for a while. Be careful not to saturate the surrounding leather or fabric of the handbag as you do this, as certain fabrics may bleed or stain from the alcohol.
Before the alcohol has a chance to dry, blot it out with a damp cloth, and allow the area to air dry. You may need to repeat this process several times before the stain completely disappears, but hang in there, you'll get there.
