Are Bingo Daubers Permanent?

Using any kind of ink-based implement as part of a hobby is bound to bring about an accident every once in a while.

Whether you’re playing bingo a little too enthusiastically or your bingo dauber has just got into the wrong hands, an ink stain is never a good look!

Stains are a nightmare for the house-proud bingo player in all of us, so before we take up the hobby, it’s wise to check if bingo daubers are permanent.

The last thing we’d want is our favourite carpet or shirt turning into a very noticeable shade of pink.

Washing your bingo dauber stains

Thankfully, most reputable bingo dauber brands are made using non-permanent ink, so you should be able to wash out any small spills with a standard machine wash and your normal detergent.  

The difference between permanent and non-permanent inks

The science behind this all comes down to the ink contained within the pens. Inks are divided into two basic groups: dyes and pigments.

Permanent dyes

A dye, as the name suggests, has been designed to permanently change the colour of a fabric. This is due to its water-resistant chemical compounds, which is why dye ink is the ink of choice for permanent markers.

Permanent markers may also contain oils which make them even harder to get out of fabric. Because they can resist water, and, to a certain degree, detergent, they are ideal for permanent use but can be a nightmare if they stain fabric.

Non-permanent pigments

Pigment, on the other hand, is very different. This is what bingo daubers are made from and it is highly water soluble and non-poisonous.

This pigment ink is made up of a fine powder in solid form. This powder contains colourant particles which have been suspended in a liquid carrier to make them flow easily into your bingo dauber.

By its very nature, bingo dauber ink is translucent to help players see their numbers on the bingo cards, so it’s fairly easy to see that bingo daubers are not permanent. Pigment ink is specifically designed for use with paper.

Getting stains out

You can wash out bingo dauber ink on a standard setting or apply a simple household mixture of warm water, baking soda and white wine vinegar to any stains on the carpet. Be wary of daubers with glitter ink, however – you may need a vacuum for this!

Obviously all these disasters can be happily avoided by opting to play bingo online!