We have created this stain on a t-shirt by drawing on it using a black biro. Get yourself ready to remove the stain by erecting your ironing board and covering the end with a plastic bag. This gives you a stable base to work from.

We use methylated spirits on a biro stain and apply it using a dropper. Take liquid directly from the bottle and apply one to three drops directly to the stain.

With the side of a spatula or the wrong end of a spoon work the spirit into the stain directly along the line of the ink. Rub gently as any hard rubbing action could damage the fibres in the garment.

The stain will naturally run and spread as you see here in close-up. As you put more spirit on it spreads further, even though you should try to mop up as much liquid as possible as you go. We have purposely spread the stain to show you how to treat it when this happens.  

Place a cloth underneath the area then take a kitchen folded towel or extra absorbent cloth and apply pressure directly to the stain. Keep adding spirit while the biro mark is reacting to it but mop all the spirit you can with the cloth. Any spirit left will evaporate over a short time.

Flush through with water and most of the ink should disappear. If it hasn't don't worry, simply return to the first step, apply more spirit and repeat until the stain has gone. You will probably be left with a stain of the spirit colouring (purple). If you have then dry the area as much as possible and add hydrogen peroxide directly to the area. 

Leave the peroxide on for sufficient time to react with the colouring, adding more peroxide if necessary, then flush through with water, dry as much as possible and the stain should be gone.