How do I remove permanent marker?

Permanent marker is dye in an alcohol carrier, so alcohol is the answer on hard surfaces — but the right solvent depends entirely on what is underneath.

Difficulty: beginner
Time: 20 min
Read: 3 min
Safety: caution

Short answer

On glass, glazed tile and metal, surgical spirit or hand sanitiser removes it in seconds. On plastic and painted surfaces, test first — acetone works but often takes the finish with it. On fabric, work from the back onto a clean cloth and expect a shadow.

Permanent marker is not really permanent; it is a pigment or dye dissolved in alcohol that stays put once the alcohol evaporates. Redissolving it is easy. The difficulty is that the solvents which dissolve marker also dissolve paint, varnish, some plastics and printed labels, so the decision is about the surface rather than the mark.

Safety

Solvents including surgical spirit, acetone and nail varnish remover are flammable and their vapour is an irritant. Work with a window open, keep them away from any flame or hob, and wear gloves. Never combine a solvent with bleach or with any other cleaning product, and never apply acetone to a surface you have not first tested in a hidden spot — it dissolves many plastics and lacquers instantly.

What you'll need

Surgical spirit or high-strength hand sanitiser
Clean white cloths
Acetone or nail varnish remover, for hard surfaces only (optional)
A dry-wipe marker (optional)

Which type of cleaner shifts which type of dirt

Step by step

Identify the surface before the solvent.Glass, glazed ceramic, stainless steel and laminate are safe with almost anything. Painted surfaces, varnished wood, most plastics and anything printed are not.
Test in a hidden spot.The underside, the back edge, inside the door. Apply, wait a minute, wipe and look — softening, dulling or colour on the cloth means stop.
Start with surgical spirit.Onto the cloth rather than the surface, then wipe with light pressure. On glass and glazed tile the marker lifts almost immediately.
Use hand sanitiser if you have no spirit.It is mostly alcohol in a gel, which holds it in place on a vertical surface long enough to work. Rub it on, leave thirty seconds, wipe off.
Try the dry-wipe marker trick on whiteboards and glass.Scribble over the permanent mark with a dry-wipe pen and wipe both off together while wet. The solvent in the dry-wipe ink redissolves the permanent ink beneath.
Escalate to acetone only on hard, tested surfaces.It is far more aggressive and will craze or dissolve acrylic, polystyrene and many painted finishes. Correct on glass and glazed ceramic; wrong on almost anything soft.
On fabric, work from the back over a clean pad.Lay the stain face down on white cloth, apply spirit to the reverse and blot so the ink transfers downwards. Change the pad constantly.
Wash the surface afterwards.Warm soapy water and a rinse. Solvent residue attracts dust, and on food surfaces it must not be left at all.

Tips

On painted walls, a melamine sponge used very lightly often works, but it is a fine abrasive and it will dull the sheen — touch-up paint is frequently the better answer.
Marker on a whiteboard that has ghosted usually needs a proper whiteboard cleaner rather than spirit; the ink has entered the microporous surface.
Sun cream and insect repellent both dissolve marker, which is also why they wreck printed labels and dashboard plastics.

Common mistakes

Going straight to acetone — It dissolves acrylic, polystyrene, many paints and virtually all clear lacquers on contact. The mark goes and takes a patch of the surface with it, which is a much worse outcome.
Rubbing hard on fabric — It spreads the redissolved ink outwards into a much larger grey halo and forces it deeper into the weave, where blotting can no longer lift it.

If it doesn't work

Surface has gone dull or cloudy

Cause: Solvent attacked the finish — Fix: Cannot be reversed. On plastic, a plastic polish sometimes reduces it. Test the hidden spot next time.

Grey halo on fabric

Cause: Ink spread by rubbing rather than lifted by blotting — Fix: Work the halo from the outside in with fresh spirit and a clean pad each time, then wash.

Mark comes back after a day

Cause: Ink drawn out of a porous surface as the solvent evaporates — Fix: Repeat the treatment two or three times. Porous surfaces such as unglazed pottery release it gradually.

Questions people ask

Does toothpaste work?

A whitening toothpaste contains a mild abrasive, so it can work on hard non-porous surfaces. It is doing so by scratching, though, which makes it a poor choice on anything polished.

How do I get marker off a child's skin?

Soap and warm water first, then a little baby oil or coconut oil, which dissolves the pigment gently. Do not use surgical spirit or acetone on skin.