How to remove biro pen marks from your office furniture
Biro pen marks can easily ruin your office furniture. They may look like your average pen, but biro can make a mark on just about anything. They can also easily break and leak, causing ink spillages to run across the surface of your wooden office desk, or all over your leather office chair.
Whether you are a professional ink-spiller, or have adopted some second-hand office furniture for your workplace that needs a revamp, follow our top tips on how to remove biro pen stains, and how to avoid these marks in the future.
How to get biro pen off leather
Leather is a hard-wearing material that has a longer life-span than fabric, and is quite often spillage proof. However, there are some substances, such as pen ink, that can even spoil the best quality leather.
Depending on the finish of your leather piece of furniture, solutions to ink marks can be varied. Always check with the manufacturer online as to whether there is information on stain removal, as they may suggest the best option. In some cases, furniture manufacturers sell specific products that remove ink stains from leather, and this should be the option you choose first. You do not want to cause more damage to your leather chair than needed.
If you can’t find anything from the manufacturer to help you, a damp cloth and standard leather cleaner should help to remove the top layer of ink by scrubbing gently and repeatedly until it has disappeared. Multi-purpose cleaning wipes may also clean stains off leather if you are removing a new spillage.
It is not recommended to use oil-based products or nail varnish removed on leather, as this can cause further damage to the leather and may even strip it of the varnish or colour.
Removing biro pen ink from wooden furniture
A wooden office desk, whether it’s walnut, oak or plywood, can look smart and professional in your home or work office. As it is used daily, there’s a chance bumps and scrapes will come along overtime. But what about the ballpoint pen ink that has been spilt? Or when you have accidentally drawn on the table during those lapses of concentration? Get your desk back up to scratch with these top tips on how to remove biro pen ink from wooden furniture.
If you are removing an instant spillage or mark, blot the stain as soon as possible with a damp cloth. Your office should have a plentiful supply of cloths and wipes for times like these, so keep a couple spare close to you for when these accidents occur.
As is the same with leather furniture, try to check with the manufacturer of the furniture to see if they have any specific stain-busting products. If not, once the stain has been blotted, use an alcohol based product, or a paste made from bicarbonate of soda and water, and gently rub onto the surface. Check first in an inconspicuous area that it won’t remove or discolour any varnish or coating of your furniture. The solution should be wiped away with a damp cloth and left to dry.
Biro pen marks on fabric
For any parts of your office furniture that are lined or made from fabric, these can be easily stained with ballpoint pens and ultimately look unprofessional and scruffy.
Similarly, these are best removed by blotting the stained area with a warm, damp cloth. If the ink spillage is quite a large one, soak up the ink with kitchen roll before blotting the area. Biro pen marks can often ruin a piece of fabric, so scrubbing away with a damp cloth may take time, but it can work.
Depending on the type of fabric, you may be able to rub nail varnish remover onto the ink without causing further damage, but it is always best to check with the manufacturer if they sell specific stain removing products.
Prevent the stains
Preventing a ballpoint pen stain is a lot simpler than trying to remove a difficult mark. For the leather items in your office, keep a leather cleaning kit handy. You should clean your leather furniture once a week by using a specific leather-cleaning solution, and then adding a leather conditioner over the top. This helps to protect your leather from marks and stains such as biro pen and keeps your leather furniture looking clean and professional.
Inform your colleges on how to clean their office furniture by displaying your top tips in the staff room, or have a testing session on your most-stained office furniture to see what works best! This could be done as a team building session or as a quick break away from your screens.
As for other ways to prevent biro pen marks on your furniture, why not purchase a pen holder or organiser to use instead of leaving your ballpoint pens lying around on your desk? This maintains your desk’s professional and organised look, whilst keeping the biro marks at bay. It’s a very helpful tip to stop biro pen marks mysteriously getting onto your furniture, appliances or clothes!