11 Comments
If you’re looking for permanent marker removal tips for almost any household surface, you’ve come to the right place! You’ll soon learn that there are plenty of common products you can use to remove permanent marker ink stains for good, including rubbing alcohol, hand sanitizer, nail polish remover, distilled white vinegar, white toothpaste, and even dry-erase markers! (The more options you have, the better, because it’s best to tackle these stains as soon as possible!)
One of my earliest and most memorable experiences with permanent marker stains happened when my daughter Britta was just a toddler. She found a permanent marker I had been using to label boxes while packing for a move, and took it upon herself to use it on the carpet, walls, and furniture of the rental we were supposed to vacate the very next day!
Fortunately, my determination to get stains out of anything served me well, and I soon remembered hearing about how to get permanent marker off surfaces using alcohol. It worked like a charm (not to mention saved us from losing a hefty security deposit), and I’ve picked up plenty more tips for tackling errant Sharpie marks in the years since!
Note: If you’re looking for pointers on removing pen ink from shirts or slacks, learn how to remove ink stains from clothing!
Table of Contents
Permanent Marker Removal: How To Go About It
The thing to remember about permanent markers is that they’re called “permanent” for a reason! In some cases, you may be able to remove the ink entirely, but some stains may be impossible to fully erase.
The following table provides a quick summary of the permanent marker cleaning tips you’ll find throughout the rest of this post. Whether you need to know how to remove Sharpie from metal or how to remove permanent marker from leather, this is a good place to start!
| Location of Stain | How to Remove It |
|---|---|
| Fabric, clothing, or upholstery | Use rubbing alcohol or a combination of dish soap, white vinegar, and water |
| Carpet | Use rubbing alcohol |
| Painted walls | Apply rubbing alcohol or regular toothpaste to a damp cloth or sponge |
| Wood furniture or floors | Use rubbing alcohol or toothpaste |
| Leather upholstery or accessories | Use a cloth dampened with white vinegar |
| Laminate furniture | Draw over marks with a dry-erase marker then wipe with a paper towel |
| Whiteboards | Draw over marks with a dry-erase marker then wipe with a wet cloth |
| Books or paper | Carefully dab the ink using a clean cloth dampened with nail polish remover |
| Glass | Use rubbing alcohol, nail polish remover, WD-40, or regular toothpaste |
| Skin | Use nail polish remover, lotion, oil, or rubbing alcohol |
| Computer of phone screen | Wipe gently with a baby wipe or regular toothpaste |
| Plastic | Wipe with nail polish remover, Goo Gone, or rubbing alcohol |
| Metal | Use rubbing alcohol, a dry-erase marker, or regular toothpaste |
| Ceramic tile | Use regular toothpaste, a magic eraser, or aerosol hairspray |
| Granite | Use rubbing alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, or homemade granite cleaner |
| Laminate floors or countertops | Use rubbing alcohol, a Magic Eraser, or regular toothpaste mixed with baking soda |
| Microfiber upholstery | Use a sponge dampened with rubbing alcohol |
| Butcher block | Use salt, lemon, and soapy water |
| Dryer drum | Use a magic eraser |
For more detailed information about removing permanent marker from various household surfaces, read on!
Fabric, Clothing, And Upholstery
To remove a marker stain on fabric, try one of the following:
- Rubbing alcohol, isopropyl alcohol, or hand sanitizer
- Aerosol hairspray
- Nail polish remover or acetone (be careful with these, as they can potentially remove dyes!)
- Regular white toothpaste (not the gel kind)
- Dish soap and vinegar
To treat a stain on clothing, place an old towel or a piece of cardboard behind the stained area to prevent the stain from spreading or seeping. Gently blot the stain using a clean cloth or cotton ball dampened with rubbing alcohol (or one of the other stain removers listed above).
Avoid rubbing or scrubbing the permanent marker stain — it could force the stain deeper into the fibers. Continue blotting the fabric until the stain is gone, then rinse the fabric well.
To remove permanent marker stains on upholstery, Dawn and vinegar make a great cleaner! Add 1 tablespoon of Dawn dish soap and 1 tablespoon of white vinegar to 2 cups of cool water and stir. Use a sponge to apply the solution to the stain, then let it sit for 30 minutes before blotting with a clean cloth.
Delicate fabrics like velvet, silk, and satin are best cleaned by professionals! Take the stained item to a dry cleaner or contact a professional cleaning service.
Carpet And Rugs
I’ve had great success using rubbing alcohol to remove marker stains from carpets. Apply a bit of alcohol to the stain and blot with a clean, damp cloth to lift the ink and alcohol out of the fibers. (As I mentioned earlier, it’s important to blot, not rub, to avoid worsening the stain!)
If some ink remains after using rubbing alcohol, you may be able to use your clothes iron to remove the rest of the stain.
More Ideas You'll Love
Painted Walls
It can be a little tricky to remove permanent marker from walls without affecting the paint underneath. For your first attempt, I recommend applying alcohol or regular toothpaste to a cloth or sponge, and then gently rubbing the stain in circular motions.
If some lingering marker residue remains, try a damp magic eraser next, or apply a few drops of lemon essential oil to a clean cloth and use it to wipe the ink. (Lemon oil is a powerful stain remover — one of many reasons I like to keep it on hand!)
Wood Furniture And Floors
To get Sharpie off of wood furniture or floors, apply rubbing alcohol or regular toothpaste to the stain and let it sit for a few minutes. Blot or gently rub the area with a damp washcloth to remove the ink and stain remover, and repeat until the stain is gone.
Note: When cleaning wood surfaces, it’s smart to do a spot test in an inconspicuous area to ensure the product won’t damage or discolor the wood.
Leather Upholstery And Accessories
To effectively remove permanent marker stains from leather, it’s important to treat the stain as soon as possible. Pour a bit of white vinegar onto a clean cloth and blot the stain until the ink is gone.
Laminate Furniture
If you’re lucky, you may be able to remove permanent marker from laminate furniture just by drawing over the marks with a dry-erase marker and wiping the surface with a wet paper towel. If that doesn’t work, try using rubbing alcohol, nail polish remover, or toothpaste. (If your furniture has a glossy finish, avoid cleaning it with magic erasers, which can dull shiny finishes.)
Whiteboards
It’s all too easy to mistake a Sharpie for a dry-erase marker, but it’s also a mistake that’s easy to correct. To remove permanent marker from a whiteboard, draw over the marks with a dry-erase marker, then wipe the board clean with a damp cloth.
Books And Paper
Who hasn’t had a child take a Sharpie to a library book? To remove the ink, place something water-resistant behind the page, then use a clean cloth to dab the ink with a small amount of nail polish remover. Blot the nail polish remover and marker off the page with a clean, dry cloth until marks are gone.
Bonus Tip: To remove permanent marker from laminated paper, just wipe it off with a bit of nail polish remover. (This is a handy tip for teachers!)
Glass
To remove permanent marker from glass surfaces, including windows, mirrors, and dishes, wipe the glass with rubbing alcohol, nail polish remover, WD-40, or regular white toothpaste. (Dry-erase markers can also work on glass, so it’s worth a try!)
More Ideas You'll Love
Skin
Whether the marks were accidental or on purpose, you can remove permanent marker from skin with the aid of nail polish remover or rubbing alcohol. If you don’t have access to either, try applying lotion, oil, shaving cream, sunscreen, or hand sanitizer to the marks instead.
(If you aren’t able to remove all the ink right away, rest assured that the marks will disappear entirely in time!)
Screens (Phone, Tablet, Computer, TV, etc.)
Cleaning screens on electronics is a delicate business! To remove Sharpie marks from a screen, carefully wipe the marker with a baby wipe. If that doesn’t do it, gently dab regular toothpaste onto the stain and let it sit for a few minutes before wiping it with a clean cloth. (Resist the urge to try a magic eraser — there are several things you shouldn’t clean with them, and screens are one of them!)
Plastic
To remove Sharpie from plastic surfaces, including storage bins, toys, outdoor furniture, and more, wipe the marks with a clean cloth and some Goo Gone, nail polish remover, or rubbing alcohol.
Metal
For metal surfaces like stainless steel appliances, remove permanent marker stains using rubbing alcohol, a dry-erase marker, or regular toothpaste. They should come right off!
Ceramics (Tile, Dishes, etc.)
You can clean permanent marker from ceramic tile or dishes with regular toothpaste, aerosol hairspray, or a magic eraser. Smooth ceramic surfaces should be relatively easy to clean, but you may have to use some elbow grease if you’re working with a textured surface. (An old toothbrush can make it easier to get into all those nooks and crannies!)
“I’m proud to announce that, thanks to you, my emerald green Fiestaware fruit bowl no longer has a black ring around the rim! Fast, too — it took me more time to get the darn cap back on the bottle than it did to remove the marker!”
– Rose, OGT reader
Granite
To remove permanent marker from granite countertops, wipe with rubbing alcohol, my homemade granite cleaner, or hydrogen peroxide, then polish the stone with a microfiber cloth. Avoid letting these cleaners sit on granite for too long, and avoid white vinegar entirely. (Vinegar is a great cleaner but it’s too acidic for granite!)
Laminate Floors And Countertops
Vinyl and laminate floors and countertops are durable and relatively easy to clean, so you can use any of the methods mentioned in this post to remove marker stains on them. I recommend trying regular toothpaste mixed with baking soda, rubbing alcohol, or a damp magic eraser first.
Microfiber Upholstery
To clean stains on microfiber upholstery, including those made by permanent markers, use rubbing alcohol and a damp sponge. Once the stain is gone and the material is dry, use a brush to fluff up the fibers. (Hydrogen peroxide or nail polish remover might also work, but you should test them in a hidden spot beforehand to see how the material responds.)
Butcher Block
To remove permanent marker stains from butcher block countertops or cutting boards, cover the stain with salt, then scrub the salt into the stain using one half of a lemon. Let the juice-and-salt mixture sit on the stain overnight, then wash the area with soap and water.
Dryer Drums
Nothing makes a mess like a permanent marker that found its way into your dryer. In my experience with removing all kinds of stains from dryer drums, I’ve found that magic erasers take care of most ink stains!
Frequently Asked Questions
Why Does Toothpaste Remove Permanent Marker?
Toothpaste contains mild abrasives that help break down permanent marker stains while its gentle foaming action lifts them from the surface.
What Will Remove Dried Permanent Marker?
Rubbing alcohol can effectively remove dried permanent marker stains, along with aerosol hairspray, hand sanitizer, nail polish remover, and regular toothpaste. Soak a cotton ball in one of these stain removers and use it to gently dab the stain.
How Long Does It Take To Wash Off Permanent Marker?
Depending on the surface and cleaning method, it can take you anywhere from 15 seconds to 3 days to remove permanent marker stains. Sharpie marks on skin may take 2-3 days to disappear, while solvents like rubbing alcohol or toothpaste can erase ink from other surfaces in a matter of seconds.
Why Use Alcohol, Vinegar, Or Nail Polish Remover On Permanent Marker Stains?
Solvents like isopropyl alcohol, acetone, and vinegar can be particularly effective on permanent marker stains The low surface tension of rubbing alcohol enables it to penetrate porous surfaces deeply, while vinegar and acetone help break down ink molecules so they’re easier to remove.
Helpful Tips For Removing Marker Stains
- Treat marker stains as soon as possible. The longer they sit, the harder they’ll be to remove!
- Test stain removers in a hidden spot to make sure they won’t damage the surface.
- Use solvents sparingly, as too much alcohol or acetone could cause a stain to spread over a wider area. (Alcohol wipes are great for this!)
- Don’t mix stain removers. If one doesn’t work, rinse it the surface thoroughly before trying a different method.
- Don’t dry stained clothes until you’re satisfied the stain is gone, as high heat can set stains.
- When treating stains on fabrics and porous materials, make sure to blot, not rub!
Conclusion
Permanent marker stains can be a bit tricky, but as you can see, they’re far from impossible to remove! There are plenty of common household items that will help you get the job done quickly, effectively, and with minimal damage. Your days of tossing out marker-stained objects are behind you!
Do you have a permanent marker removal success story? Share it in a comment below!
