So follow these steps to avoid having to repaint when you’re finished:
- Hold a rag under the mark as you apply the chemical. This will prevent the marker stain from dripping down the wall.
- Allow the solution to sit for about 5 seconds.
- Blot with a cloth – try to minimize rubbing or scrubbing.
- Reapply and repeat if mark is still present.
Surprisingly, Sharpie marks seem to be more difficult to remove from semi-gloss paint than flat. Also, smooth walls can take a bit more scrubbing than textured – but don’t overdo it.
Do you have amazing tips for removing stubborn stains? Red Kool-Aid from the pale blue sofa, chocolate from a silk blouse or curry from a white tablecloth? Comment on this post and share your secrets.
And don’t forget, the number one stain tip is to prevent them from happening in the first place. Try to keep those sharpie markers stored out of reach of those inquisitive fingers.
Photo Credits: Amanda Wynant
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Spra sunscreen works toooo!!!
Thank you for your advice
rubbing alcohol will take flat paint off right along with the sharpie.
Warning: Will destroy suede and oriental rugs.
omg hand sanitizer an q-tips worked great on my sons black sharpie mural on my living room wall thanks so much!!!!!!!!
hand sanitizer and some q tips worked great!
Nice suggestion it really worked
I sprayed a bit of hair spray on a cotton ball and lightly dabbed at the grandson’s black sharpie drawings on the wall, and they came right off! It is amazing! I was very careful and used a light touch, and no paint came off. Thank you SO much for this tip!
I just got sharpie on the wall when decorating: used hand sanitizer and a q-tip and it came off right away! Thanks!
I’ve used the mister clean magic erasers in the past but it took alot of scrubbing…This time i tried 70% rubbing alcohol and it worked super fast and easy tho did take a little paint with it
I had a girl with a wet pink cast that bled on my sofa. I used Oxy Clean in water to remove the stain. Worked like a charm. I imagine it would work for Kool Aid too.
Thank you sooooo much. My 10 year old grandson thanks you too. The hand sanitizer worked without any elbow grease.
He decided to draw a frame around my bathroom light switch with a BLACK sharpie (walls are white).
We’re so glad this tip worked for you, Jackie!
Alcohol worked! although it did take off some paint (mine was 91%) I helped deal with that by staying localized on the marker.. aka using the tip of my finger to dab it out. A q-tip might work great. I have to do two sessions so I don’t clean off the paint.
Omg Hand Sanitizer worked before I even read the whole website!!! Loved it!
Thanks the nail Polish remover worked GREAT!!!!!!
I love these! The hand sanitizer trick worked perfectly! And also didnt take the paint off my wall!
The hand sanitizer trick worked perfectly for me as well!
hand sanitizer worked first go . Thank you 🙂
Totally true
I used hand sanitizer first and it was a serious struggle, switched to hair spray, not much better. Switched to rubbing alcohol and bam – it came right off. Perhaps a combo of the chemicals at that point, as I believe I tried with alcohol before and it was slow going on these same permanent marker lines drawn by my 2 year old.
me and my friends were coloring.. my friend turned and hi the wall.. the hand sanitizer did great… it got the stain right off without even noticing it
This is so hekpful thanks!
O.M.GEEEEEEEE Thanks so much for this! My husband fell asleep on the couch and our 3 year old was in sharpie heaven. I walked in the house to find a sharpie mural on the wall as well as my BRAND NEW yellow television stand. Hmmph. It’s also on the sofa, but I’m not too concerned about that. Thanks again!
wow. i’m hoping it all comes off well. please let me know how it goes! and if you have any stubborn spots, reply on this post and i’ll be happy to offer some more tips.
also – depending on the type of sofa (fabric, etc) a bit of straight rubbing alcohol may help on that as well. (spot test behind a cushion first – for color fastness).
take good care & thanks for your feedback!
-amanda
Indoor house paint on your carpet…..use scissors,a knife or something sharp to separate the carpet. Use wd-40 let sit for about 5 or so minutes. Scrub good with a white towel. You can also use straight laundry detergent to get out what wd-40 doesn’t. Apply detergent directly to the spot, let soak, then use a clean towel and water to get it up. Hope this helps someone.
Thanks for the tip! Hand sanitizer worked best for me! Be careful though those using it because it took some paint off with it.
I like how you can use different things my sister put sharpie on the wall and it came off
Thanks Ashley. Glad your stain came off 🙂