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How to Remove Ink or Dye Stains in Your Dryer

A washer and dryer sit against a white brick wall.
united photo studio/Shutterstock.com

You tossed a pair of darkly-hued jeans into your dryer, or you left something colorful in your pocket. Either way, your appliance is now colorfully stained. All hope isn’t lost, though.

You can remove ink or dye stains in your dryer using nothing but bleach, water, and towels.

Now, before you get worried, you won’t need to get on your knees to scrub a front-loading dryer. In fact, the process is fairly easy and requires less work than you might think.

For dye removal, you’ll soak several old towels in a solution made of three gallons of hot water and one cup of bleach. Then, wearing protective eyewear and rubber gloves, wring the towels out as much as possible. Place them in your dryer and run the appliance for 30 minutes on an air-fluff setting.

If that doesn’t work, it might be ink you’re facing. In that case, run your dyer for 10 minutes in order to warm up the drum. Unplug your dryer, and using an old rag, clean the drum with rubbing or isopropyl alcohol.

Use a damp, clean rag and wipe the alcohol from the drum. Before your next load, run an old white towel through a drying cycle and be sure it comes out clean. If it does, you’re good to go.

The next time you notice colorful stains in your dryer, don’t fret. You can get rid of them, and while you’re at it, you might want to clean your lint trap, too.

Shea Simmons Shea Simmons
Shea Simmons is the Editor In Chief of LifeSavvy. Previously, she worked as a freelance writer with a focus on beauty and lifestyle content. Her work has appeared in Bustle, Allure, and Hello Giggles. Read Full Bio »
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