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If your toddler has gotten a hold of a Sharpie, you may find yourself with more wall decorations than you bargained for. A Sharpie is a permanent marker that can be your best friend or worst enemy. There are a number of methods to removing Sharpie marks from a painted wall, and most of them involve using common household items.
Things You Should Know
- Rub off the Sharpie with something containing alcohol, like rubbing alcohol, hairspray, or hand sanitizer.
- Alternatively, apply white toothpaste to the Sharpie, let it sit for up to 10 minutes, then wipe it away with a damp cloth.
- For stubborn Sharpie stains, try applying WD-40.
Steps
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Write over the Sharpie mark with a dry erase marker. The dry erase marker should ideally be the same color as the Sharpie marker.
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Rub at both sets of marks with a dry, clean cloth. Both marks should come off with little residue. You may need to repeat the process a couple of times to fully remove the Sharpie marks. [1] X Research source
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Spread a small amount of white toothpaste with a cloth directly onto the Sharpie mark. Do not use the gel kind of toothpaste; [2] X Research source cheap, white toothpaste seems to work best. Alternately, you can dilute the toothpaste slightly by mixing it with a small amount of water in a cup. Spread this diluted mixture on the Sharpie mark.
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Let the toothpaste sit for 5-10 minutes.
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Scrub at the mark with a cloth. Use a circular motion to help lift the mark off the wall.
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Wipe away the toothpaste with a damp cloth. The mark should be gone.
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Try isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol), hand sanitizer, hairspray, [3] X Research source or nail polish remover. Wear gloves when using these cleaning agents. This will also keep the ink from staining your hands. If you are working on a large area of the wall that has been covered in Sharpie, consider opening a window as well.
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Test the cleaning agent on your wall. Put a small amount of the cleaner on a small, inconspicuous area of the wall. Many cleaning agents can discolor or remove paint, so scrub carefully to see how your wall reacts.
- If you have latex paint, be very careful about applying cleaning agents to your wall to remove stains. Latex paint will start to turn tacky or come off if you rub something like isopropyl alcohol or nail polish remover on it. It will also remove any gloss on that spot.
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Pour the cleaner onto a soft rag or cotton ball. If you are using a rag, make sure it is something you don't mind throwing away.
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Blot the cleaning fluid on the Sharpie mark. If blotting doesn’t work, try scrubbing in a circular motion. It may take a few passes to remove all of the Sharpie marks.
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Clean the area with gentle soap and water. After the Sharpie mark is removed, cleaning the wall will remove any residual harsh chemical on your wall.
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Put on gloves before using WD-40. WD-40 is a multi-use chemical lubricant, dirt and grime remover, and water displacer. If you are working on a large area of the wall that has been covered in Sharpie, consider opening a window as well. [4] X Research source Be sure to pay attention to any warnings with this product.
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Spray a small amount of WD-40 on the Sharpie mark. Hold a cloth underneath the mark while you spray. This will ensure that any drips won’t further stain your wall.
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Scrub the mark in a circular motion with a clean, dry rag.
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Clean the area with gentle soap and water. After the Sharpie mark is removed, cleaning the wall will remove any residual harsh chemical on your wall. [5] X Research source
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Try a stain remover product. These products are made to remove tough stains from surfaces. For example, you might try products such as: "Mr. Clean Eraser," "Magic Eraser," "Simple Green," "Erase," "Dawn Power Dissolver," or "Totally Awesome." Always read the instructions to be sure the product is appropriate for the wall. [6] X Research source
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Apply the stain remover to the Sharpie mark.
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Scrub gently at the mark with a soft cloth. This will wipe off the mark.
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Clean the area with gentle soap and water. After the Sharpie mark is removed, cleaning the wall will remove any residual harsh chemical on your wall.
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Paint over the mark to conceal it. If the mark is too large, or none of these methods seems to get rid of the Sharpie mark, you may have no other option than to paint over the mark.
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Find the old paint can with the right color from your paint storage. Alternatively, purchase a test pot in the exact color if you do not have the original paint. Use paint charts if you don’t know the name of the color.
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Prepare the area of wall as for any paintwork. Wipe clean, scrub if needed, and allow to dry.
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Paint over the mark. Paint several times to ensure it is covered. Smooth the paintwork into the existing wall color to prevent it from standing out too much as a “patch.”
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Allow the paint to dry.
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Community Q&A
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QuestionWill the sharpie come off immediately?Community AnswerIt will not come off the second you put it on, it will take some scrubbing.
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QuestionHow can I remove permanent maker from unpainted drywall?Community AnswerYou can either use paper whitener or white out, which is available in stationary stores.
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QuestionDoes this work for tile as well?Community AnswerToothpaste should work for tile.
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Tips
- The faster you attend to the marker stain, the better, to prevent it from being totally absorbed into the paintwork.Thanks
- These methods can be used to remove marks from other brands of permanent markers, not just Sharpies.Thanks
- Semi-gloss and gloss painted walls will be easier to clean than matte or low sheen painted walls.Thanks
Tips from our Readers
The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.
- Many of these methods also work with Sharpie on the floor! Just test an inconspicuous area first to make sure your floor doesn't get damaged.
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Warnings
- Any scrubbing and many removal products can leave streaks, marks and shiny patches on painted walls. There is also the risk of lifting paintwork off the walls. If this happens, repainting is your only option.Thanks
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References
- ↑ http://missnurpw.wordpress.com/2011/01/07/how-to-remove-sharpie-marker/
- ↑ https://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/remove-permanent-marker/
- ↑ https://fourplusanangel.com/2011/09/its-not-permanent/
- ↑ https://fourplusanangel.com/2011/09/its-not-permanent/
- ↑ http://missnurpw.wordpress.com/2011/01/07/how-to-remove-sharpie-marker/
- ↑ https://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/remove-permanent-marker/
About This Article
Article Summary
X
To remove Sharpie from a painted wall, apply a dollop of regular, white, toothpaste to the area. Let the toothpaste sit for 5-10 minutes and then wipe it off with a damp cloth. You can also use baking soda to remove permanent marker. Simply dampen the scratchy side of a sponge and then sprinkle some baking soda on top of it. Scrub the wall in circular motions until the Sharpie has been removed. For more ways to remove Sharpie, like with rubbing alcohol or a dry erase marker, scroll down!
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Reader Success Stories
- "I tried the WD40 on a marker stain on wood trim that only had primer on it. I did get some off, then I went over it with baking soda and water on a washcloth. It's gone! The baking soda also took off the fingerprint of marker on the painted wall." ..." more
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"I tried the WD40 on a marker stain on wood trim that only had primer on it. I did get some off, then I went over it with baking soda and water on a washcloth. It's gone! The baking soda also took off the fingerprint of marker on the painted wall."
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"From absolute panic when I realized a Sharpie is a permanent marker that just grinned at me from the white wall to calm as your solution worked in a matter of moments! Would never have thought of it myself. Thanks."
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"This was very helpful, I got very scared that I couldn't take it off but these solutions are very common in my house and I am thankful it is in my house."
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"The whiteboard marker worked. It looks like it wouldn't, but it did! I would like to know some more simple ways to remove the stains."
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"Yes! The Isocol (rubbing alcohol) worked and removed the marker from our wall. Don't rub too hard or you will take the paint off."
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