How to Remove Permanent Marker
Cleaning marker off walls isn’t so hard with this tip:
Try rubbing toothpaste into marker then scrub off with damp cloth (just plain toothpaste–not the gel). I’ve tried this on wood paneling, painted walls and even a porcelain doll face.
Worked like a charm!
How To Remove Permanent Marker From Wood Table
Another tip from the same experiment with this tip: DIY - How To Remove White Heat Stains On Wood Table, this same table had old permanent marker stains. Another several years old abuse. I decided to clean it up with toothpaste and the ink marks removed quite nicely.
I just rubbed in some toothpaste, left it for a minute or two and then took a soapy, wet dishcloth (excess water squeezed out) and rubbed the marker stains going with the direction of the grain of the wood. I had to apply some pressure, but the stains removed very well!
Caution: Be careful about cleaning with toothpaste, make sure to choose a regular kind that doesn’t contain any abrasives. Especially cleaning items with a fine finish, such as wood furniture. You don’t want to scratch the piece.
Admin Update: Added the wood table tip to combine into one post.
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Posted in Cleaning Tips | 
( 56 )
16 Dec 2006 at 1:32 pm
DUDE! My 2 year old daughter wrote all over herself with a permanent sharpee marker and so I tried to get it off with toothpaste and IT TOTALLY WORKED! My wife will never know that it happened while I was babysitting!
22 Feb 2007 at 9:05 pm
Thanks for this great tip. Toothpaste removed permanent marker from my wood desk in a matter of seconds.
01 Mar 2007 at 7:22 pm
This tip helped save my antique desk! My daughter used a permanent marker but forgot to put something under the paper,so it soaked through. I was so worried it wouldn’t come off, or that if I tried something like goo be gone it would ruin the finish. Thanks for the tip! Toothpaste….who knew?!
18 Jun 2007 at 1:41 pm
[...] is also a good one for permanent marker and wood surface disaster [...]
11 Oct 2007 at 6:46 pm
thank you so much, i got permanent marker on my moms table and the tooth paste took the marker out perfectly
29 Oct 2007 at 10:36 pm
Discovered a new solution: spray-on sunscreen removes permanent marker even better than toothpaste! Just spray on and it dissolves instantly. Note: do this over a sink as the marker will just run right off!
06 Nov 2007 at 10:27 pm
My son wrote on the wall with a green Sharpie Marker. Three years later I tried toothpaste and lighter fluid it did not come off. I used Cutters insect repellant and it removed the permanent marker from my wall!
25 Nov 2007 at 1:40 pm
thanx “I LOVE TOOTHPASTE IT’S MY NEW BFF” it removed perm. marker from my flat screen computer monitor!!! thank god
25 Nov 2007 at 2:23 pm
Oh my gosh April you are brave, I don’t think I would have dared try toothpaste on my flat screen monitor! lol!
03 Dec 2007 at 6:04 am
GREAT TIP, my 2/o daughter got red permanent all over the computer desk, it came out perfectly thank you. I never knew toothpaste could be so powerful. Thanks a bunch.
26 Dec 2007 at 2:58 pm
I had my doubts, but the black sharpie my daughter wrote on the walls with, almost evaporated when I tried the spray on sunscreen…..I do not want to know what is in that stuff, just know that it keeps the sun and the sharpie from places I do not want it.
28 Dec 2007 at 12:00 pm
My 4yr. old decided to decorate the wall with a sharpie marker in royal blue.. I tried everything, and nothing seem to work until I used the off insect repellent. I am still trying to get the rest of it out of my couch, but the fabric is harder to get it off of. any suggestions?
29 Dec 2007 at 5:07 pm
Hi Kathy, how about trying toothpaste (rub it into the stain) or nail polish remover?
11 Jan 2008 at 9:52 am
You could try a product called WashAway, it works well around our house. It removed some resin stains from my White Sox jersey back in the early 90’s. It has worked to clean out a lot of stains around here but those were the toughest. Try it with a toothbrush!
12 Jan 2008 at 8:20 am
You could also try hairspray. . Saturate the spot completely and let dry. Then attack it with a regular upholstry cleaner and scrub the stain out. You might have to repeat this a few times, but it works. . I’ve used this trick on permanent marker on clothing, as well as permanent hair color. . works like a charm!
12 Jan 2008 at 10:51 pm
Worked great!!! i had my doubts but it did what i needed it to do! Thanks a bunch!
19 Jan 2008 at 8:45 pm
WOW!! Can’t believe it worked!! We are so happy!!! Worked right away off of a $2,000 desk - black marker and all!
24 Jan 2008 at 1:45 pm
I got lots of marker on my new parket floor, so i tried everything but the winner was “SUNSCREEN” it is amazing.
29 Jan 2008 at 12:56 am
YOU ROCK….our 4 yr old wrote on our flat screen monitor..I was panic stricken. After a very deep breath, did a search and found you first hit. 3 minutes later I had a clean screen..Thank you so much
05 Feb 2008 at 9:20 am
My son drew some pictures on typing paper with a black sharpie without anything under the paper and got marker on the oak kitchen table…after looking at this site i used some toothpaste(the jell type was all we have in the house)…took it right off…thanks for the tip
05 Feb 2008 at 5:44 pm
you so rock. My 3 YO drew a HUGE circle on our kitchen table. I tried part of it tonight and will be finishing tonight after the kids are in bed (and don’t want to play with the toothpaste like mom!)
Thank you SO SO much!
06 Feb 2008 at 8:10 pm
My friends and i at camp were going to be in huge amounts of trouble because my friend wrote her name all over the wooden bunks, and i told everyon to get their bugspray, and we did and by wetting it with the bugspray and then wiping it off. it came off fantastically, the camp director never knew!
11 Feb 2008 at 7:39 pm
oh my goodness, i got a mark on my finace’s wooden coffee table, while marking dresses in a catalog, and i about had a heart attach, i did a search on-line found you first, and to my suprise the toothpaste worked, i’m amazed, and am so glad that he’ll never know. thanks, you saved my life!!!
22 Feb 2008 at 8:55 pm
Thanks so much! Toothpaste actually worked! I accidentally got blue Sharpie on our good new dining table, and I tried EVERYTHING - white sprits, hairspray, bug spray…nothing worked. It’s been two months and I was getting ready to call a furniture restorer for a quote on fixing it when I saw this thread and figured why not? A few dabs of White Glo and 60 seconds of scrubbing with a soft scrub and it was gone! The finish isn’t even dulled! You’re awesome!!! =p
23 Feb 2008 at 11:52 am
toothpaste doesnt take off SHARPIE off PAINTED WALLS! haha but, i found out that LOITION TISSUES takes SHARPIE off of sunglasses!
because my little cousin messed up my whole room with sharpie && i found some weird ways to get it off
SHARPIE CAN COME OFF OF:
sunglasses by LOTION TISSUES
TV screen by a dry eraser (like on a pencil) !
08 Mar 2008 at 4:24 pm
hello-
does anyone have any tips on how to get permanent marker (sharpie) off of the top of laptops?
not the screen, but like when it’s closed. it’s a dell finish, not like the apples.
it would be much appreciated!!!
08 Mar 2008 at 4:28 pm
ps tried toothpaste, WD-40, rubbing alchohol, hairspray — no luck.
09 Mar 2008 at 12:57 pm
Hi Lauren, try:
- Rubbing Alcohol
- Color over marker with dry erase marker, wait a few seconds then wipe away (the permanent marker might come off with the dry erase)
- Artgum eraser - try rubbing the stain away
See more ideas here: Remove crayon from walls
17 Mar 2008 at 5:34 am
Bug spray has pesticides in it - very harmful to human health and should never be used more than necessary (the sunscreen mentioned may be one containing bug repellant) wouldn’t use it - try toothpaste or hairspray instead
25 Mar 2008 at 2:21 pm
Had a run in with the Sharpie fairy(cough) 3y/o (cough) he decided Mommy’s antique oak bar needed a contemporary touch… tooth paste to the rescue… dabbed it on and wiped right off.. fantabulous! Any ideas of how to stop drooling??
Thanks for the ideas!
28 Mar 2008 at 12:16 pm
HELP!! My 2 year old daughter got permanent marker all over my new microfiber recliner!! please help, my husband is gonna freak!! do u think i could use rubbing alcohol??
28 Mar 2008 at 12:19 pm
p.s. it’s dark purple and i have been scrubbing for an hour with a stain remover for fabric. notta!
29 Mar 2008 at 4:56 am
kaykay try a small spot in a hidden corner of the couch before you use a stain removal method to make sure it doesn’t stain or affect the microfibre. I think rubbing alcohol would be safe, but I’d check first before using.
30 Mar 2008 at 2:01 pm
OMG!!!THIS IS LIKE TOTALLY A LIFESAVER!!!IT TOOK THE STAIN OFF OF MY LIKE TOTALLY NEW DIGITAL CAMERA!!!!!!4 EALZ
06 Apr 2008 at 1:56 pm
Does anyone know what I could use to get mosquito repellent off a table? There is a finish on it. Got all off but where my son blasted it in one spot. I used the Mr Clean Magic Eraser on the rest of table- which also works well with markers, crayons, just about everything!!
19 Apr 2008 at 12:00 pm
this did not work 4 me!!!! i tried it 3 times and of coarse it isn’t as noticeable, but you can still see it :(:(:(:(:(:(:(
20 Apr 2008 at 11:42 am
How about taking permanent maker off of concrete or cement? My 4yo decided to color on the porch ledges and I can’t get it off. Have tried toothpaste, nothing. The insect repellent started to take off some but left most of it. please help.
21 Apr 2008 at 10:09 am
Amy I would hose down the ledges really well then try scrubbing in a very generous amount of fingernail polish remover (soaked in for a few minutes).
If that doesn’t work, the outdoor elements might just take care of it for you (will take some time though).
21 Apr 2008 at 9:48 pm
thanx ssssssssoooooooooooooooo much my new nintendo got marked on and if my mom would have seen i would have been grounded for the rest of my life!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
29 Apr 2008 at 4:09 pm
Ok…PEASE help! I’ve tried everything listed above to remove my kids supposedly washable marker off my BRAND NEW HOUSE!! In less than 10 minutes, my 3 kids took a red marker and colored three bedrooms, and all-white bedroom doors, cabinets, closet doors, a crib and an armoire!! Hair spray did clean up the crib and armoire. Everything else seems to remove a little bit of the red marker from the painted white doors, cabinets, etc., but leaves a red residue. NOTHING has worked on the painted walls.
HELP ME!
30 Apr 2008 at 4:33 pm
I need some major help here! One of my twins threw a green marker (not a crayola washable) into the dryer. I dried all of my clothes and now there are streaks of green all over my entire load of laundry, including my daughters jersey for ball. I don’t know what to do b/c they were dried with the marker……..HELP!!!!!!!
30 Apr 2008 at 4:38 pm
You can try these tips Brigitte:
Ink Stain Removers
02 May 2008 at 9:24 pm
wow dis really works ,my 2year old nephew wrote all over my computer moniter and i got it off with the tootpaste trick
03 May 2008 at 12:47 am
MY GRANDDAUGHTER DREW ON MANY THINGS WITH BLACK MARKER, BUT ON A WHITE PAINTED WALL. I TRIED THE TOOTHPASTE AND SUNBLOCK, STILL HAVE THE MARK. DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY OTHER IDEAS? THE LANDLORD IS COMING IN A COUPLE OF DAYS.
03 May 2008 at 1:01 am
I WENT BACK AND TRIED A THIRD TIME. THANKS FOR THE TIP, IT WORKED! I CAN STILL SEE IT BUT IF YOU DIDN’T KNOW YOU WOULDN’T BE ABLE TO SEE IT. PROPS TO WHOEVER FOUND THIS TIP.
04 May 2008 at 1:45 pm
WOW TOOTH PASTE, THANK YOU THANK YOU DID I SAY THANK YOU!!!!!! My 3 year old colored on my flat screen monitor, my desk and my dresser with green sharpie. It is all gone thanks to your tooth paste hint.
07 May 2008 at 11:43 pm
I have heard this works haven’t tried it yet…but my daughter used Permanent purple marker basically all over the walls in my house, been using Bleach, but i think im gonna try this but i cant take the fumes from the bleach anymore..its horrible
11 May 2008 at 10:28 pm
I got home from work to find my husband had let our daughters color wearing their fanciest pastel dresses with bright a RED marker. He had a stain removal secret I didn’t know about. Much to my surprise and delight the marker came right out by rubbing each stain with baby wipes and placing a paper towel under the stain. The marker went right into the paper towel. Worked impressively well.
22 May 2008 at 2:54 pm
Well my wonderful 2 1/2 year old son decided it would be cool to try and draw on my man’s overly sized computer monitor…it’s a Mitshubishi Diamond Pro 2040u…anyways…i tried the toothpaste idea and all it did for me was leave a pleasant smell on the screen and nothing more…but then i used Cutter’s Skintastic and it came right off!!! he even got it aournd the screen on the plastic part and it had the same affect. i would deff. recommend this idea.
26 May 2008 at 8:49 pm
spray on sunscreen works like a miracle
01 Jun 2008 at 6:46 pm
My lovely children opened my work bag in my truck and proceeded to color all over my back seat. What would be the best thing on all the vinyl??
02 Jun 2008 at 4:10 am
sure did, check out this page for a discussion about that: thriftyfun.com, lots of info there about your problem. Good luck!
15 Jun 2008 at 9:19 pm
I’m freakin’ out right now. My 2 year old just learned how to draw spiders and is so proud of herself. The other day she was drawing and decided the paper was boring and drew spiders all over our expensive maple coffee table with black permanent marker. After reading here I’m gonna’ try the toothpaste but I just discovered that she also drew ALL over our 65 inch big screen on the actual screen. I’m scared to try toothpaste on that. Any tips? Also, for those needing to get marker off of walls, etc. try the Magic Eraser bar in the cleaning aisle at the store. They are incredible and take anything off of walls, no kidding. They’re amazing. Make sure you read the instructions and get it just the right amount of damp.
19 Jun 2008 at 6:20 am
My daughter wrote on brand new plastic chair just purchased from IKEA. Sunscreen worked great to remove this permanent marker! Thanks so much for the tip!!
26 Jun 2008 at 9:25 am
Omg thanks sooo much I got permanent marker on the computer desk while my mom was out and I freaked out and I searched for how to get it off, found this, tried it and it came off in seconds, before my mom got home! Thank you soooo much you saved me from getting in ALOT of trouble!
26 Jun 2008 at 12:59 pm
[...] like with the white collars trick and the removing permanent marker tip, toothpaste can help lift ink stains from fabric too. Apply to the stain, let set for a few [...]