Typemade asked, “how do I clean a fountain pen?”
Table of Contents:
Fountain pen ink, both the cartridge kind and dip kind, is often washable, which will make cleaning much easier. If you discover that the ink in your pen is not washable, consider refilling your pen with an ink that is to make future cleanings easier.¹
Cleaning the Fountain Pen
You Will Need:
- Dish liquid
- A bowl
- White vinegar
- Paper towels
Steps to Clean the Pen:
- Take apart the fountain pen.¹ Use caution to avoid harming yourself with the pen nib.
- Rinse out each part of the pen to remove any remaining fresh ink.
- If there is any dried ink that needs to be cleaned, wash the pen parts with dish liquid.² If the ink does not easily clean from the pen surfaces, it may not be washable or may need a more thorough cleaning and will require step four.
- Pour white vinegar into a bowl and place the pen parts into the bowl. Let the parts soak for about an hour.¹
- Rinse each part of the pen in lukewarm water.¹
- Allow the pen parts to air dry on a paper towel.¹ Be sure that each part is fully dry before refilling and reassembling the pen, as any remaining water could cause the metal parts to rust.
Additional Tips and Advice
- You should not use rubbing alcohol to clean the ink from a fountain pen.³
- If you get ink on your hands while cleaning the pen, use a banana peel (the inside part) to rub off the ink or scrub the ink away with salt, vinegar and a nail brush.¹
Sources
- 10,001 Hints & Tips for the Home by Reader’s Digest
- The Complete Household Handbook by Good Housekeeping
- How to Clean Practically Anything by Consumer Reports
Kate says
A very quick way to get ink off your hands is to rub them with Nair (yes, the depilatory) for ONLY 5 seconds to one minute. This removes the ink, but not (in that short interval) any hair.