Leaky pen ruins curtains

Problem: When the owner collected these curtains after cleaning, they pointed out that random ink spots had appeared all over the material.

Cause: The pattern of distribution and the occasional splodge, line and rounded stain, indicated that a loose pen had been left in the load.

Responsibility: It is unlikely that a cleaner’s pen would have got into a household load – there is no obvious way for this to happen. It is more likely that the pen got wrapped up in the curtains when the owner packed them to bring in.

However, cleaners are still to blame in this situation, as they are responsible for checking that objects such as pens and knives are not put into the machine with the load.

Rectification: Even the best ink removers failed to reduce the staining here before the fabric colours started to look damaged. The curtains had to be scrapped.