How To Remove Permanent Marker From Nearly Any Surface
You walk into your living room and see your child holding a handful of uncapped permanent markers. As the sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach grows, you finally see it: a beautiful piece of artwork on your walls created by your toddler with a permanent marker.
While you may think your new mural will be there forever, permanent markers aren’t as permanent as you may think and can be removed.
Read ahead to discover ways you can clean permanent marker from different surfaces using products you may already have at home.
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Is It Possible To Remove Permanent Marker?
While permanent markers are durable, and their ink can last on many surfaces, the term “permanent” can be misleading. With the proper cleaners and a little elbow grease, permanent markers can be removed from almost every surface.
14 Solutions for Removing Permanent Marker From Most Surfaces
The good news is you can remove permanent marker stains using items you already have around the house, so there’s no need to go out and purchase specific cleaners for this task.
If you don’t have these items or just don’t have the time to clean up TidyUp Portland! offers cleaning services using non-toxic, eco-friendly cleaning products that are safe for your home, kids, and pets.
#1: Vinegar
Vinegar is an excellent multi-use tool that can clean and disinfect various surfaces. The acidity level in vinegar is perfect for cleaning and breaking down stubborn stains but mild enough not to damage most common household surfaces.
Mix equal parts vinegar and water, then spray the mixture over the area needing to be cleaned. Let it sit for a few minutes, and then wipe it away.
This solution works well on whiteboards, glass, and leather surfaces.
#2: Toothpaste
Toothpaste is an accessible choice for removing stains from whiteboards, walls, and ceramic tiles. When used with detergent, toothpaste is excellent at getting stains off carpets. Mix some toothpaste with baking soda, and you will have a solution to get stains from your wood surfaces.
Put toothpaste on your stain and scrub it with a damp cloth. This process may be a little more tedious and take a few tries with a little more scrubbing effort, but it should eventually remove the stain. If scrubbing a spot on your wall with toothpaste doesn’t fit in your schedule, let the professionals at TidyUp Portland! help.
#3: Rubbing Alcohol or Wipes
If you have a permanent marker stain on your whiteboard, fabric/linen, leather, carpet, wood, cotton, or laminate floor, grab a bottle of rubbing alcohol or a container of alcohol wipes. Rubbing alcohol is a diluted form of isopropyl alcohol. Isopropyl alcohol removes pesky permanent marker stains by breaking down the ink, making it easier to wipe away.
If you’re not using pre-soaked rubbing alcohol wipes, just soak a towel or cloth with rubbing alcohol and gently dab away at the stain until it is completely removed.
#4: Alcohol-Based Sanitizer
Alcohol-based sanitizers can do more than just clean your hands. Sanitizers are good options when wiping stains from whiteboards and walls. The active ingredient in hand sanitizers is usually ethyl alcohol. Similar to rubbing alcohol wipes, the alcohol in these sanitizers works by dissolving the ink in the stains.
Squirt a small amount of sanitizer onto a towel or microfiber cloth and gently wipe away the stain. Alcohol can sometimes remove paint, so test on a small, discreet area first.
#5: Baking Soda
Baking soda is the common name for sodium bicarbonate. Despite its name, baking soda has many uses, one of the top being as a cleaning agent.
If you need to get a permanent marker stain out of whiteboard, fabric, plastic, laminate, metal, brick, or concrete, baking soda can come in handy. Mix a solution of equal parts baking soda and water and scrub it on top of the stain using a brush. After letting it sit for about five minutes, gently rinse with water. Repeat as necessary.
#6: Hairspray
Believe it or not, hairspray is an excellent tool for removing permanent marker stains. One of the main ingredients in hair spray is alcohol. Alcohol helps dissolve the ink, making it easier to wipe away. Many hairsprays also contain additional solvents that may make removing stains easier.
Spray a microfiber towel with a generous amount of hairspray, then dab at the stain until completely removed. This method is great for fabrics, carpets, plastic, laminate, metal, and wood surfaces.
#7: Lemon Juice and Salt
A mixture of lemon juice and salt can help remove permanent marker stains on white and light-colored fabrics. The acidity of lemon juice is similar to vinegar and can break down ink stains without damaging fabric. The salt mixed in acts as a mechanical exfoliant to help scrub away tough stains.
Combine the lemon juice and salt to make a paste. Spread the paste onto the stain, let it sit for about five minutes, and then rinse away with water.
This method should not be used on darker fabrics as lemon juice can sometimes act as a bleaching agent on certain fabrics and may discolor fabrics.
#8: Nail Polish Remover
Traditionally, nail polish remover is made up of varying amounts of acetone. The acetone in nail polish remover is great at breaking down permanent marker stains on leather and skin. Simply dip a cotton ball into your nail polish remover and gently blot away at the stain.
#9: Magic Eraser
The Magic Eraser is a sponge touted as a solution to remove grime and difficult stains from different surfaces. A Magic Eraser is made up of melamine foam. The nice thing about melamine foam sponges is that they are as abrasive as fine sandpaper but still feel soft.
Since melamine foam is abrasive, it’s not meant for all surfaces. However, when used with oils, it can work well on leather and wood.
To use a Magic Eraser or other melamine foam sponge, just take your sponge, dampen it, and then gently rub it over the target area.
#10: Concentrated Oil Extracts
Concentrated citrus oils (lemon, orange), tea tree oil, and eucalyptus oil can be helpful in removing permanent marker stains from plastic, metal, laminate, and some walls. The acidity of the citrus and the oil itself work together to gently remove tough stains like permanent marker ink.
#11: Oils
Common household oils are great at removing permanent marker stains on different surfaces around your house. Cooking oil and olive oil are wonderful at getting stains out of plastic, laminate, and metal surfaces. Baby oil, coconut oil, and vegetable oil can all be used on your skin to remove stains.
Whichever oil you are using, put a generous amount on a microfiber cloth or paper towel and rub it onto the surface with the stain or skin until it is removed.
#12: Makeup Remover Wipes
Makeup remover wipes are made to remove long-lasting makeup. The solvents in many makeup remover wipes that target long-wear makeup can also be used to remove permanent marker stains on your skin without being harmful or abrasive.
Take a makeup remover wipe and gently rub it in a circular motion over the permanent marker ink until it is all gone.
#13: Sea Salt
The exfoliating properties of coarse sea salt help it act as an abrasive cleaner, removing tough stains without being too harsh on gentle skin.
To remove permanent marker stains from your skin, make a sea salt scrub and gently massage it into your skin. The scrub should start to lift the stain away. Once the stain is removed, wash your skin with mild soap and water.
#14: Sunscreen
Sunscreen does a great job of protecting your skin from the sun’s UV rays and may also remove permanent marker from your skin. You can use either sunscreen lotion or the spray on sunscreen.
All you have to do is put a thick coat of sunscreen on the area with the ink, rub it gently, and then wash the sunscreen off.
Additional Tips for Successfully Removing Permanent Marker
Some things to remember before you tackle your project:
Test each method on a small, discreet area first.
If one method doesn’t work, try another one.
Completely clean residual product away before trying a new method.
Do not use abrasive cleaners.
Do not use heat (iron or hair dryer) as this will set the stain.
The longer the stain has been there, the longer it may take to remove it.
Reach out to a reputable, professional cleaning company for help
Let TidyUp Portland! Take Care of Your Cleaning Needs — Big and Small
Removing permanent marker stains is possible but can take time, especially for bigger projects. If you are unable to get those pesky permanent marker stains off your walls or carpet, TidyUp Portland! can help you.
TidyUp Portland! offers a variety of cleaning services to help serve you and your home. No task is too big or too small for us. We know the importance of having a clean home and are happy to offer one-time and routine maintenance cleans to help make your life easier.
For your convenience, we offer an online booking portal so you can get scheduled quickly and effortlessly.
