One of the most widely used inventions on the planet. The ball point pen is an extremely applicable product. It does have a weakness though, and that’s its tendency for the ink to dry inside, making it unusable.

There is a solution to this issue though. In fact there are several. Here are some of the methods you can use to loosen the ink in a ball point pen and get it going again.

1. Scribble on a piece of paper vigorously until the ink loosens inside. This is the easiest method, but doesn’t work all the time.
2. Try different surfaces while scribbling vigorously. A similar method as before. However using different surfaces can sometimes coax the ink out.
3. Heat the pen cartridges in hot water. The heat can loosen the ink inside, making it more malleable.
4. Microwave the pen. Microwaving the pen for 10 – 20 seconds is usually enough to get the ink flowing again.