How to Restart a Dry Ball Point Pen

Co-authored by Megaera Lorenz, PhD

Ballpoint pens have smooth ink that’s resistant to drying and wonderfully responsive to different levels of pressure. Unfortunately, they also tend to suddenly stop working. If you’ve tried scribbling in circles on a piece of scrap paper with no success, don’t give up on your pen just yet. Try a simple hack like heating up the nib or dipping it in a household solvent to get the ink flowing again. Keep in mind that ballpoint pens can’t always be saved, however, so you may need to replace your pen or cartridge if these tricks don’t work.

Things You Should Know

Put the pen in boiling water for 5 minutes or warm it with a blow dryer. Alternatively, hold the tip close to a flame for a few seconds.
Dab spit on the nib to lubricate your pen or dip the point in rubbing alcohol. If the alcohol doesn’t work, dip the pen in acetone instead.
Scrape the nib against a rubber surface to unstick the ball. Shake the pen up and down to move the ink cartridge or push the ink down with a cotton swab.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Using Heat to Revive Your Pen

1
Put the pen in boiling-hot water for 5 minutes to avoid using flames. If you’re worried about burning yourself or your pen, use hot water to warm up the ink.^{[1]
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Research source} Heat some water to boiling in a kettle or in a pan on the stove, then pour it into a mug. Set the pen tip-down in the water for about 5 minutes, then test it out on a piece of paper.
- If your pen has any metal components, dry them thoroughly to prevent corrosion. You can also take the pen apart and soak just the cartridge if you don’t want to get the barrel of the pen wet.
2
Warm the pen with a blow dryer or craft heat gun for gentler heating. If you’re worried that an open flame or boiling water will be too harsh, warm the nib and cartridge with a hair dryer on a high heat setting. For slightly more powerful heating, you can also use a craft heat gun or embossing gun. Warm the nib of the pen for a few seconds at a time, then try writing with it.^{[2]
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- Don’t use an industrial heat gun! They get extremely hot and will probably melt your pen.
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3
Hold the tip of the pen to a flame for a few seconds to unclog the ink. Use a lighter, match, or candle to create a flame, then place just the very tip of your pen in the flame for a few seconds. In many cases, the heat will melt any gummed-up ink near the tip and get the pen working again.^{[3]
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- Be careful not to burn yourself or melt the pen. Hold just the very tip of the nib in the flame, and don’t do it for longer than 2-3 seconds.
- If you’re worried about melting the barrel of your pen, remove the cartridge first. That way, it’s easier to just heat the nib of the pen.
- Scribble on some paper right away to get the ink moving and check if your pen works.
Tip: Wrapping a little aluminum foil around the tip of your pen can also help insulate it from the flame. However, it may take longer for the ink to warm up enough to start flowing again.^{[4]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Getting the Ink Flowing with Solvents

1
Dab a little spit on the nib to lubricate the ball. This may sound gross, but spit can act as a lubricant or gentle solvent to help unclog the tip of your pen. If you’re hesitant to actually lick the nib of your pen, put a little spit on your fingertip or a napkin and dip the pen tip in that. Then, scribble on a piece of paper to see if you can get the ink flowing.^{[5]
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- Ballpoint pen ink is generally not considered toxic, so don’t worry about getting sick from licking the pen. Any mildly toxic components, such as glycols, are present in such small amounts that they won’t cause any harm.^{[6]
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2
Dip the point of the pen in rubbing alcohol to dissolve clogs. If some of the ink is dried out in the pen, you might be able to get it going by thinning it a little with rubbing alcohol. Pour some alcohol into a cup or bowl and dip the pen into it, then scribble on a piece of paper to see if you can get it flowing again.^{[7]
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- Most ballpoint pens have oil-based ink, which is part of the reason it’s so hard to get ballpoint stains out of clothing. Solvents, such as alcohol, are better at thinning oil-based ink than plain water.
3
Try acetone if alcohol doesn’t work. Acetone is a more aggressive solvent that might unclog your pen if alcohol isn’t strong enough. Dip the nib of your pen in a little bit of acetone-based nail polish remover and see if that does the trick.^{[8]
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- Acetone releases harsh fumes, so always use it in a well-ventilated area.
- Try to dip only the very tip of the pen in the acetone, since acetone can damage many types of plastic.^{[9]
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Tip: If you don’t have alcohol or acetone on hand, kerosene, odorless mineral spirits, or WD-40 might work.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Moving Stuck Ink with Friction and Gravity

1
Scrape the nib on a rubber surface to get the ball rolling. When scribbling on paper doesn’t work, sometimes you can get a stuck ball moving by rubbing the pen on a rubber surface. Scribble on a rubber eraser or even the sole of your shoe.^{[10]
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- Alternatively, some people find it helpful to scribble on a glass surface (such as a hand mirror) to get a stuck ballpoint pen going again.^{[11]
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2
Shake the pen to move the ink down in the cartridge. Sometimes a ballpoint pen will stop writing because there’s a space or bubble between the ink in the cartridge and the nib. Hold the end of your pen opposite the nib and give the pen several firm shakes, as if you were shaking down an old-fashioned glass thermometer. When you’re done, give it a scribble to see if it works.^{[12]
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- You can also try tapping the pen firmly on a hard surface, like the edge of a desk or table.
Tip: To keep the ink from flowing away from the nib, store your ballpoint pens tip-down in a mug or pen holder.
3
Push the ink down in a wide cartridge with a cotton swab. If your pen has a wide enough cartridge, you may be able to push the ink down toward the nib. Unscrew the barrel of your pen and take out the cartridge, then pull the cap off the end of the cartridge. Push a cotton swab into the cartridge and apply gentle pressure to the fluid inside. Put your pen back together and test it again.^{[13]
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- If the cartridge is too narrow to fit a cotton swab in, use a smaller object, like a paperclip.
- If the cotton swab gets ink on it, toss it in the trash right away so that the ink doesn’t spread around and stain anything.

Community Q&A

Question

How do I get a Zebra Orbit pen to work again?

wikiHow Staff Editor
Staff Answer
This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

wikiHow Staff Editor

Staff Answer

First of all, try checking the cartridge to see if it looks like there's still ink inside. If not, your pen might need a refill. You can purchase new cartridges online or from an office supply store. Otherwise, try running hot water over the nib to get the ink flowing and dissolve clogs, or shake your pen to get any bubbles out.
Question

What do I do if my dry ball point pen is dispensing ink poorly?

wikiHow Staff Editor
Staff Answer
This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

wikiHow Staff Editor

Staff Answer

If the ink is skipping a lot, there could be bubbles or a clog in the ink. Heating the cartridge in warm water might help loosen things up. You can also try dipping the nib in alcohol or another solvent to dissolve any clogs.
Question

Are the Scribble Stuff pens usable for this type of process?

wikiHow Staff Editor
Staff Answer
This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

wikiHow Staff Editor

Staff Answer

If you're using the gel pens, dipping the cartridge in warm or hot water might work. Most Scribble Stuff pens have marker tips and are not ballpoint pens, so you might have to use a different technique for those (such as injecting water into the tips or soaking them in vinegar).