How To Get Sharpie Out Of Clothes and More- Tips and Tricks

by John Griffith
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Hench it’s name, permanent marker stains can be quite a pain to get out of anything. However, they are usually a must-have item in our stationary. Whether you need it for work or the kids use it for crafts, it’s in your home. And eventually a stain will make its way onto all types of materials and surfaces. We’ve all had at least one frightful experience of dropping the open marker onto ourselves or the carpet. The good news, however, is that although permanent markers ink, such as sharpie’s, last quite some time, their stains don’t have to. That’s why we’ve gathered the best tips and tricks on how to tackle marker stains on different types of common surfaces. So, let’s see how to get sharpie out of clothes, plastic, skin and more!

Permanent marker stains aren’t all that permanent

how to remove sharpie from skin black and white markers

What Removes Permanent Marker?

There are a lot of household solutions when it comes to fighting a marker stain. Or course, you can also get some sharpie-stain removers at most supermarkets. It all depends on how you wish to tackle this problem. Here are some things you will probably need for the pesky stain.

Check your pantry and cupboard for items such as rubbing alcohol, hand sanitizer, white vinegar, baking soda, lemon oil, WD-40, lemon juice and so on.

Keep in mind that depending on what material the stain has gotten on, you will probably need a different item and solution. Now, we’ve got a list of things we will possibly need, let’s see how to get sharpie out of clothes and other places.

How to get sharpie out of clothes and more

how to remove sharpie from plastic woman in front of stationary

How To Get Sharpie Out Of Clothes?

It’s happened even to the best of us. Somehow marker stains always magically appear on your favorite clothes. It’s like a curse! But don’t worry, we’ll show you how to get rid of it, so that stain doesn’t steal your sanity.

There is quite some diversity when it comes to things you can use to remove marker stains from fabric. We have mentioned some previously in this article, however we find these work best for fabrics specifically:

  • Rubbing Alcohol
  • Hand Sanitizer
  • Aerosol Hairspray
  • Nail Polish Remover
  • WD-40
  • White Vinegar
  • Cream of Tartar
  • Lemon Juice
  • Toothpaste (Regular, not Gel)
  • Stain Remover

Nobody wants sharpie on their clothes

how to get sharpie off leather clothing rack

After you’ve chosen your weapon of choice, it’s time to get to work. We find this method the best when it comes to safely removing stains without ruining the clothes. In this example, we suggest rubbing alcohol, however if you don’t have any, feel free to use any of the other items. Keep in mind, when it comes to materials such as satin or silk, it’s best to take them to the dry cleaners.

Items:

  • Old Towel
  • Paper Towels
  • Rubbing Alcohol
  • Sponge

Method:

  1. Put the old towel or a couple of paper towels between the stain and the other side of the item. This will prevent the stain from transferring to another part of the fabric.
  2. Dab some rubbing alcohol with the sponge onto the area around the stain and then directly onto it.
  3. Continue sponging until as much ink as possible has transferred to the towels.
  4. Rinse thoroughly and launder.

Rubbing alcohol is great when tackling marker stains

how to get sharpie off fabric woman spraying rubbing alcohol

How To Get Permanent Marker Off Skin?

Whether the kids decided to give themselves some matching “tattoos” or you just noticed the marker stains on your hands, getting sharpie off skin is not as hard as you think.

Items:

  • Nail Polish Remover
  • Lotion
  • Shaving Cream
  • Sunscreen
  • Rubbing Alcohol
  • Hand Sanitizer
  • Milk

Method:

  1. Pour the item of choice onto a paper towel or a cotton ball.
  2. Rub off the ink.
  3. Wash with soap under running water.

Sharpies are great for making fake tattoos

girl drawing her face at home in front of mirror

How To Get Sharpie Out Of Carpet?

Alongside getting marker stains on clothes, the other most common place they show up is carpets and rugs. The best thing you can do here is the rubbing alcohol method, that we used on how to get sharpie out of clothes. However, there are some other methods you can also try out.

Items:

  • Liquid Hand Dish Washing Detergent
  • White Vinegar
  • Water
  • Sponge
  • Cloth
  • Iron

Method: 

  1. Mix one tbsp of the dishwashing detergent with one tbsp of vinegar and two cups cool water.
  2. Dab the spot with a sponge that you’ve dipped in the solution and the cloth.
  3. Leave the solution for at least thirty minutes.
  4. Blot every five minutes with more solution.
  5. Flush with cool water and dab until the liquid absorbs.
  6. You can also use an iron to help lift the stain out.

Rugs are one of the most common places’ marker stains appear

how to get sharpie out of a shirt dog on carpet

How To Remove Permanent Marker From Dry-Erase Board?

Who hasn’t accidentally grabbed the permanent marker and wrote on a dry-erase board, only to find out the mistake much later on? On the bright side, this surface may be the easiest to get ink stains out off.

Items:

  • Dry-Erase Marker
  • Wet Cloth
  • Alcohol Wipes

Method: 

  1. Use a fresh dry-erase marker on top of the stains. Cover them completely.
  2. Wait a few seconds for the marker to dry.
  3. Wipe away everything with a cloth or some wipes.

Getting sharpie out of white boards is easy 

how to get sharpie off wall math equation on white board

How To Get Sharpie Off Wood?

Does your beautiful wood flooring or furniture have some random sharpie stains. Well, don’t fret, we will show you how to bring them to their original beauty. Here are some items you can use on them without ruining the material. Make sure to always test any cleaning method on an inconspicuous spot first, just in case. This will help minimize the chance that the cleaning solution will remove the varnish or the wood’s seal.

Items: 

  • Rubbing Alcohol
  • Peanut Butter
  • Regular Toothpaste
  • Magic Eraser
  • Stain Remover

Method:

  1. Blot the stain with the treatment of your choice.
  2. Let it sit for a few minutes.
  3. Dab with a damp cloth to remove the treatment and stain.
  4. Repeat until there isn’t a stain.

Make your wooden furniture look brand new again

how to remove marker from wall wooden table with white chairs

How To Get Sharpie Off Wall?

If you have artistic kids, who love to play with things like slime and markers, you’ve probably felt the pain of them using the wall as one big canvas. Even if you don’t have kids, it does happen. But unless, you want to turn it into an art piece, it is a good thing that even permanent market ink isn’t all that permanent. You’ll be enjoying clean walls soon enough. Here are some items you can use to treat the stain.

Items: 

  • Rubbing Alcohol
  • Regular Toothpaste
  • Aerosol Hairspray
  • Lemon Essential Oil

Method:

  1. Gently rub the treatment you’ve chosen onto the stain.
  2. Wipe away with a damp cloth.

Get creative with the marker

how to get sharpie out of fabric marker abstract wall murals

How To Get Sharpie Off Leather?

Any type of permanent ink can be a pain to get out, but when it comes to leather it’s especially tricky. It’s best to treat it as soon as possible to get the best results. Here are some things you can try out.

Items: 

  • Aerosol Hairspray
  • Sunscreen
  • White Vinegar

Method:

  1. Dab a bit of the solution of your choice onto the stain.
  2. Blot with a damp cloth to remove.

Getting marker stains out of leather is tricky 

how to get sharpie off wood leather bag

How Do You Get Sharpie Off a Book?

It’s very common to get permanent maker ink on paper and books, after all, that it’s main purpose. The bad part is when it unintentionally gets where you least wanted to. Whether somebody lent you a book and you got some sharpie on it, or you marked the wrong document, it’s more than fine. Here is how to get sharpie off books and paper with the use of a single household item. Who said polish was only for your nail designs?

Items:

  • Nail Polish
  • Cloth

Method: 

  1. Dab a small amount of nail polish onto the stain. Be cautious to avoid saturating the paper.
  2. Soak up the nail polish with a clean cloth.
  3. Repeat until there is no stain left.

Save the book with these tips and tricks 

how to get sharpie off skin book with glasses on it

How To Remove Sharpie From Plastic?

If you want to remove sharpie from anything that’s plastic such as bins, toys, furniture, and more, there are a few things you can try. The good thing about plastic is that marker ink comes off fairly easy. Use one of the following items on the stain.

Items:

  • Sunscreen
  • Goo Gone
  • Pencil Eraser
  • Dry-Erase Marker
  • Rubbing Alcohol
  • Stain Remover

Method:

  1. Just rub your item of choice onto the stain.
  2. Wipe over the area with a rag.
  3. Repeat if needed.

The good thing about plastic is that marker ink comes off fairly easy

how to get ink out of jeans dry erase marker plastic

How To Get Sharpie Off Metal?

Although metal isn’t the most common surface sharpie gets on, it still happens. So, what should we do if we see our stainless steel appliances like the microwave, covered in marker stains?

Items: 

  • Rubbing Alcohol
  • Dry-Erase Marker
  • Regular Toothpaste

Method:

  1. Apply a small amount of the preferred treatment to the stain.
  2. Wipe off. That should pretty much do the job.

You can easily clean sharpie out of metal 

how to remove permanent marker from dry erase board stainless steel kitchen

That’s all the tips and tricks we have for you today. We hope you found this guide on how to get sharpie out of clothes, plastic, skin, leather, and so on useful. Now, when you find a sharpie or an ink stain, no matter on what surface it is, you’ll be able to confidently tackle it without a trace of it being left behind.

We hope you found this guide useful

how to get permanent marker off wood man writing on whiteboard

John Griffith

John Griffith is a young, passionate journalist. Writing has been John’s hobby ever since he was a boy. He has worked in some of the UK’s most successful news portals over the course of his professional career but found his forever home at Archzine.