How to Easily Remove Sharpie Marker From Solid Surfaces

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How to Easily Remove Sharpie Marker From Solid Surfaces

Many people use chemicals, elbow grease, or small animals to try and remove unfortunate Sharpie marks. The answer is simpler than you think.

Edwin Tofslie

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Step 1 of 8

Meet Sharpie. The nemesis of white boards and other solid surfaces.

Step 2 of 8

Crap. Somebody, maybe my alter ego drew on my whiteboard with a sharpie. What do I do?

Step 3 of 8

Video proof.

Step 4 of 8

Enter the Hero!

Step 5 of 8

Simply draw over the offending Sharpie with a dry erase marker. Wait 30 seconds.

Step 6 of 8

Now simply wipe off with a cloth, tissue or dry eraser.

Step 7 of 8

My whiteboard is happy.

Step 8 of 8

Enemies have united to become friends.

You're Done

Check out other guides by this author!

Edwin Tofslie

Hood River, OR

tofslie.com

Creative Director & Designer (of Snapguide even!), jerky maker, sports fan, fly fishing and lover of craftsman handmade & manly things.

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1 Dry Erase Marker

Cool!

Lilah Sherr 4 months ago

Yeah this works wonders, but beware that anything ELSE the alcohol in the expo marker would harm, will be harmed. But it might be a small price to pay to get rid of the sharpie. We used this on a wood floor, and while it took the finish off, that was more easily rectified than black streaks all over it.

Caleb Diffell 5 months ago

What would you advice to use for sharpie on the walls.

Nici💩💩 Rudd 11 months ago

It's the alcohol inside the expo marker that helps dissolve the permanent ink. If someone draws on your skin, it's alcohol to the rescue.

Candido Breceda 12 months ago

U can just use a whiteboard marker

Ariel Evelyn last year

Learned something new today. Thanks!

MiYon Richardson last year

This is useful to know.

Jaime Macias last year

I didn't know this. Thanks!

Tulsi 17 last year

Who knew?! That's fantastic

David Pavlicko last year

You can use thin black tape to make a grid

Deanna K last year

AWESOME!!!!!

Amber Guyton last year

Thats cool

Angel Cky last year

Fun fact: dry erase ink IS permanent ink + silicone polymer. The polymer prevents bonding to surfaces, but will evaporate over time. That's why writing that stays on a board too long will stain it. But you can re-inject silicone polymer into the situation, as you have done, to make existing ink unbind from the surface. Yay chemistry!

Eric Goldberg last year

Or you can use nail polish remover as well.

Abigail ✒ last year

My friend used a marker on his white bored at school i will gave to tell him that

Katelyn Rush last year

Mind = blown!!! So useful

Deanna K last year

Awesome!!

Victoria Castaneda last year

Wow, this is a great guide! I've worked in so many offices where people used the wrong marker on a white erase board. Thank you for sharing such a practical solution to a painful problem! 😃

Daniel Raffel last year

Plus, magic eraser can take the coating off a whiteboard. That will end up costing a lot more than a dry eraser marker.

David Jacquemotte last year

Cool. The point of this guide was really to show how you can use what is around the house. Wasting ink is about the same as wasting away a magic eraser. You are wasting something in the end, don't really understand that logic. But magic erasers waste away much faster from my experience. Magic Erasers are good for rough surfaces I have found. But this is a much cheaper alternative as Expo markers if not already in your possession, a pack of 4 cost about the same price and will last about 40 times longer. But usually, as to the point of this guide, people at home, teachers, or especially college or high school students who have white erase boards in their house, classroom, on their locker or doors, have dry erase markers in their possession. They tend to get pranksters writing on their boards and this will remedy the problem with very little ink used and it pretty much is free in most cases.

Edwin Tofslie (author) last year