Do you have children at home who like to express their creativity through pictures and coloring? Then, you may have your walls marked and painted with any markers they can find, including dry erase markers.
Don’t be panicked because removing dry erase markers from walls is not an impossible mission. Therefore, we’re here to help you get rid of those dry erase markers on walls.
In this article, I’m going to present you with five ways on how to remove dry erase marker from walls:
- Rubbing Alcohol: Rubbing alcohol on the painted area until all markers vanish.
- Hair Spray: Tackle the issue using your readily available beauty product – hair spray.
- Office Eraser: Use a standard office eraser to rub the area covered with markers. Yet, be careful as you need to pay attention to some crucial things.
- Melamine Sponge: Wash the walls with a melamine sponge dipped into soapy water.
- Toothpaste: Apply the toothpaste to a toothbrush and use it to rub the remaining marker stain. Then, wash the wall with water.
In addition, all of the above methods require some paper towels, some cotton pads, a cloth, or a rag to clean up any residue products after you finish.
Note that this article will mention any necessary materials in each section. Therefore, read carefully before beginning to apply any method.
Table of Contents
5 Methods to Remove Dry Erase Marker from Walls
Test Your Technique in Advance
You certainly don’t want your walls to be damaged when resolving this problem. Hence, you must test your method before applying it to the whole surface!
To ensure that your wall will not get ruined, try a small amount of whichever products you’re going to use on hidden parts of the wall to see if there are any reactions on the surface.
Ideally, test the product on any inconspicuous areas of your walls. Quickly remove the liquid using a cloth or paper towel if the surface begins to be damaged. Keep trying different dissolvents until you find your favorite one.
Once you are ready, let’s get started!
Method 1: Rubbing Alcohol
You will need rubbing alcohol (preferably with 45% concentration), a rag or a cotton pad, and a clean paper towel in this method.
Step 1: Put some rubbing alcohol on a cotton pad (the amount depends on how large the stained area is).
Step 2: Use that cotton pad to get dry erase markers off walls by gently scrubbing the stained area.
Step 3: Once the stains fade away, use a clean paper towel to wash out any remaining residues from the alcohol or the marker stains.
Step 4: Repeat the steps with a slightly more substantial amount of alcohol if the marker stain is too stubborn.
In addition, acetone is another possible choice when dealing with erasing markers from walls. Be aware that rubbing alcohol or acetone is quite a strong solvent. Therefore, make sure that you test it first and rub it gently against the walls to keep the walls intact.
Method 2: Hair Spray
If rubbing alcohol is not available at your house, how about using your hair spray to get rid of the marker stains? It is also crucial that you prepare some paper towels or a clean rag.
Step 1: Spray a good amount of hair spray on the stained area. Do NOT apply too much product as you may risk creating a larger stain due to the residue dripping hairspray.
Step 2: Use a clean rag to scrub the painted area in a circular motion until the ink fades.
Step 3: Use some paper towels to clean the surface as well as any remaining product.
Step 4: Repeat the process if there is any marker left on the wall.
If this technique doesn’t work out so well, move on to the following methods.
Method 3: Office Eraser
This method is one of the quickest and cheapest ways to remove dry erase markers from walls. Nonetheless, note that this technique works best when the ink is still fresh.
No additional product is needed apart from a standard eraser and some paper towels.
Step 1: Rub the eraser against the stained area until the ink fades away. You can put a bit of force on to get rid of the marker ink easier.
Step 2: Once the marker is entirely removed, use some clean paper towels to wipe out the remaining eraser on your wall.
If the stain starts to smear, INSTANTLY stop rubbing and try another technique to clean the mess. Otherwise, you may risk damaging the wall completely.
Method 4: Melamine Sponge
Using a melamine sponge is a brilliant way to clean both dry-erase and permanent markers. Moreover, you will need to prepare some soapy water for a better effect.
Step 1: Mix a bowl of warm water with some dish soap well (you can skip this step if you don’t have soap available. Use only warm water instead).
Step 2: Dip the sponge into that mixture and squeeze the sponge to remove any excess water. You should have a nicely damp sponge. Any dripping water may create more blemish on your wall.
Step 3: Rub the sponge in a circular motion over the marked area.
Step 4: Rinse with some paper towels after you finish cleaning your wall.
Method 5: Toothpaste
Toothpaste is surprisingly an effective way to get dry erase markers off the walls. Moreover, it is found easily in any house. Therefore, this method is a quick and simple way for many people. This method is the best for new marker stains.
I recommend using white toothpaste as a gel that won’t have the same effect. It is even better if your toothpaste contains baking soda. Additionally, you can prepare an old toothbrush for the best outcome.
Step 1: Dampen your prepared rag with warm water, then apply it onto the area covered with marker stains.
Step 2: Apply a moderate amount of toothpaste to the toothbrush.
Step 3: Use the toothbrush to scrub that marker ink thoroughly.
Step 4: Rinse the surface with water and clean any residue with some paper towels.
Additionally, you can create your cleaning solution by mixing equal parts of white toothpaste and baking soda. Then, follow the aforementioned steps to get rid of marker stains on your wall.
Conclusion
Above are different techniques on how to remove dry erase marker from walls. I hope this helps your children have more space to continue their artistic careers while you don’t have to worry about marker stains on your walls.
Is this article helpful? Let me know in the comment section. Moreover, share these ideas with your family and friends to prevent them from having any trouble wiping out the marker stains.
I am a former art teacher, so it is evident to me the importance of art in educating the new generation. We also want to help parents who plan to teach their children and desire the best tools and tips for them.