How to Easily Remove Sharpie Marker From Solid Surfaces

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easily remove Sharpie marker from solid surfaces

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.

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Step 1 of 8
Meet Sharpie. The nemesis of white boards and other solid surfaces.

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?

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!

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.

Enemies have united to become friends.

You're Done

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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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22 Comments
Supplies

1 Dry Erase Marker

Lilah Sherr

Cool!

Lilah Sherr 4 months ago

Caleb Diffell

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

Nici💩💩 Rudd

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

Nici💩💩 Rudd 11 months ago

Candido Breceda

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

Ariel Evelyn

U can just use a whiteboard marker

Ariel Evelyn last year

MiYon Richardson

Learned something new today. Thanks!

MiYon Richardson last year

Jaime Macias

This is useful to know.

Jaime Macias last year

Tulsi 17

I didn't know this. Thanks!

Tulsi 17 last year

David Pavlicko

Who knew?! That's fantastic

David Pavlicko last year

Deanna K

You can use thin black tape to make a grid

Deanna K last year

Amber Guyton

AWESOME!!!!!

Amber Guyton last year

Angel Cky

Thats cool

Angel Cky last year

Eric Goldberg

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

Abigail ✒

Or you can use nail polish remover as well.

Abigail ✒ last year

Katelyn Rush

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

Katelyn Rush last year

Deanna K

Mind = blown!!! So useful

Deanna K last year

Victoria Castaneda

Awesome!!

Victoria Castaneda last year

Daniel Raffel

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

David Jacquemotte

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

Edwin Tofslie

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.

(author) last year

Dee Gains

I am amazed! I have to go try it!

Dee Gains last year

Edwin Tofslie

Yes, that is a good option, but this is much cheaper, usually something that is around the house and works really well and even faster!

(author) last year

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