Washable Pens for the Chemically Sensitive

I am chemically sensitive, and one of the challenges I face is obtaining writing instruments that do not have chemicals on them. I have found that if I put pens through the dishwasher, the chemicals can often be washed off.

Test tube pens

One idea that has worked well for me is to put pens (usually BIC pens) in plastic test tubes (with the writing tip pointed out), held in place with plastic disposable straws. That way, I only touch the plastic test tube and do not touch the pen. Chemicals can be removed from the hard plastic test tube more readily than from the plastic and rubber pens, which are made of material that is softer and more porous. If the test tube pen gets chemicals on it, I just throw the entire thing in the dishwasher. The BIC pens usually continue to work after going through the dishwasher. Although chemicals can be easily washed from glass, I would not recommend glass test tubes because they can be dangerous if they break. I broke one once when I was trying this idea. Here is what my test tube pens look like:

One downside to this test tube pen idea is that water gets up into the test tube and sometimes comes out when I am writing on something. This hasn’t been a big problem for me, however. Also, the pen is a little wobbly because it is held in place by flexible straws. However, as a whole, this test tube pen idea has really been beneficial for me. I purchased 50 16x150mm Clear Plastic Test Tubes from Amazon.com from the seller Lake Charles Manufacturing. I put the test tubes and pens through the dishwasher before I assembled them. I used disposable straws I purchased from Walmart and cut the straws down to the appropriate length. I used three straws per test tube pen.

Shop plastic test tubes at Amazon.com

I also purchased a test tube rack. It is good for drying the pens upside down so that the water drains out. It is also just a good place for keeping the pens free of chemicals.


Below are some pens that I like to use:

Sarasa

I really like these pens: Zebra Pen, Sarasa Gel Retractable Pen, Medium, 0.7mm, Black Ink. As far as chemical sensitivities, they have been tolerable for me right out of the packaging. However, these pens are much more expensive than a BIC ballpoint pen. If the pens get chemicals on them, I found that if I remove the ink cartridge and the rubber grip from the Sarasa pen, I can put them through the dishwasher. However, it is a little bit of work to take them apart, wash them, and put them back together.

BIC pens

I use a lot of BIC pens. I like these because they usually work even after they go through the dishwasher. I mostly use two types:

BIC Ultra Round Stic Grip Ball Pen, Medium Point, 1.2mm, Black.
BIC Round Stic Ball Pen, Medium Point, 1.0 mm, Black.

Good luck!