Photos
Fig 1: Permanent marker on a dry erase board
Fig 2: Color over with dry erase marker
Fig 3: Erase and permanent ink disappears
Fig 4: Good as new!
Dry erase boards are incredibly useful and handy in the home and office, as long as you remember to always use a dry erase marker on them. However, mistakes will happen, whether from uninformed children or absentminded adults, and eventually somebody will use a permanent marker on the whiteboard and ruin it.
Oh but wait… it’s not ruined! You can actually remove permanent marker from a marker board with tools you already have.
To show you how much I trust this technique, I’ve purposefully written on my marker board with a Sharpie
- Take a dry erase marker
and scribble directly over of the permanent marker (Fig 2).
- Now just give the ink a few seconds to dry and then erase it with a regular whiteboard eraser or a paper towel (Fig 3). Both inks will wipe away instantly and easily!
- If you miss a spot, just go over it again with the dry erase marker and wipe when dry. Your board will look good as new (Fig 4) in no time.
P.S. If you have stubborn stains from dry erase marker that has been left on the whiteboard for too long (this is especially rampant with red ink), a little rubbing alcohol on a soft towel will work great at removing it. It’s just as effective as bottled whiteboard cleaner,
8 comments so far:
Great tip! I haven’t made the mistake yet but I want to do it just to see it work. Thx!
I feel like you just peeked into my conference room!! Thanks for the very timely advice!
I hope this solves your problem, Gretchen. Let us know
It works! But, I have a dry erase board that is covered in permanent ink. Trying to go over the whole board with a Dry Erase Marker was maddening. So, I am going to go the Alcohol route and see what happens. If the board was in my home I’d take the time but it’s at church so I need something fast acting.
What makes it do this?
We aren’t quite sure but think it might be magic. Readers? Any other suggestions?
If you have permanent marker on a smooth surface you can use icy hot (also known as theragesic or bengay) to remove it. Wear gloves, rub it it, then wipe it off. Great for desks, floors, and dry erase boards. Also, gives off a nice minty smell.
That’s a clever tip, Gurgi. Thanks for sharing!