When I was teaching, my classrooms were filled with dry erase boards. It didn’t take long for a permanent marker to somehow get snatched from my desk and make it across the room to the dry erase board! Now that I have kids of my own at home, I’ve heard so many horror stories about permanent marker on fancy dresses or bedroom walls. But there is hope! Learn how to remove permanent marker from everything!

How to Remove Permanent Marker from Everything

• Clothing: Got permanent marker on a piece of your favorite clothing? Try hand sanitizer on it! Hand sanitizer actually helps get permanent marker off of almost anything. I learned this when I was teaching. We always had plenty of hand sanitizer around!
• Walls: If the kids have gone crazy on the walls with permanent marker, pull out the toothpaste or hairspray and get to work! You can also try a magic eraser if you have one.
• Wood: Rubbing alcohol can help remove permanent marker from wood. We’ve also used Tea Tree Essential Oil after the rubbing alcohol to get rid of a few remnants.
• Carpet: Pour white vinegar on the areas and blot with a towel. Do not rub or you can smear it around!
• Furniture: Got a few marks on your furniture? Try milk to clean them off. We haven’t dealt with this, thankfully! But a friend says that milk always seems to help her.
• Ceramic and Glass: Toothpaste comes in handy again when you have permanent marker on ceramic or glass. Use one part toothpaste with one part baking soda to remove it. A friend also suggested white vinegar on these surfaces as well.
• Dry Erase Board: And one of my favorite teacher tricks is for the white board! If someone uses a permanent marker instead of a dry erase marker, clean it off with a dry erase marker or a rubber pencil eraser!
• Skin: It feels like at least once a week a photo pops up on my Facebook timeline of a kid who has colored on themselves with a permanent marker. Again, we’re lucky that it hasn’t happened here yet but I’ve heard that Tea Tree Essential Oil is an excellent way to remove the marker from your little ones! I’m hoping we never have to test this one out!
• Lemon Essential Oil Can Help! You can also use my favorite essential oil to help you get permanent marker off! Try Lemon Essential oil on your permanent marker marks! It has worked great for us on the walls. If you’re trying it on clothing, do not let the oil sit and soak. Put it on the marks and wash immediately or it could cause discoloration! It’s one of my favorite ways to use essential oils around the house!

Do you have a permanent marker horror story?