How to get permanent marker off of table

There are several ways to remove these marks and the method you choose is dependent upon the type of surface your table is composed of. Before attempting to remove permanent marker it is best to experiment with different cleaning agents on a discreet area of the table, such as the underside or the bottom portion of a leg.

Things You Will Need

• Toothpaste, the white nongel type
• Non-acetone nail polish remover
• Naphtha
• Warm water
• Soft cloth

Tip

If your table is made of a finished wood, remember to scrub with the grain of the wood. Do not scrub in circles. Rubbing alcohol is also known to work well in removing permanent marker stains from hard surfaces.

Warning

Do not use any acetone-based cleaning agents. Acetone is a harsh chemical that is flammable and easily ignited.

If your table is made of bare wood, sanding may be necessary as using any chemical agents can discolor or warp the wood.

If you are concerned about ruining your table while trying to remove permanent marker, contact the manufacturer for specific cleaning instructions.

1. Squeeze a small amount of toothpaste on a damp cloth. If you are using non-acetone nail polish remover or naphtha, pour a small amount directly on a dry cloth.

2. Scrub the marks with the cloth. If the table is made of wood, gently scrub with the grain.

3. Allow the toothpaste to remain on the stain for about five minutes; then wipe with a clean portion of the damp cloth. If using non-acetone nail polish remover or naphtha, apply and wipe immediately with a clean dry cloth.

   If you want to know how to get permanent marker off wood, you’ll love this tutorial showing how to remove permanent marker from wood via different cleaners and methods!

   If you’re looking for tips on a stain remover for wooden surfaces, reading this post is your best bet! Permanent marker mishaps happen but it doesn’t mean that you have to get rid of your wood furniture. You can treat the stained area quickly and easily and get the best results possible.

   

   How to get stains off household surfaces in an effective way

   My fifth child has been a wild one, I tell ya what.

   Hate cleaning but love a clean house? Pick up this printable Spring Cleaning Bundle and you'll be able to clean it all without feeling overwhelmed!

   And one of the thing she loves to go wild with are marking utensils – pens, pencils, crayons, markers, dry erase markers, and permanent markers. She’s like a magnet to them and will find ones you didn’t even know were out somewhere. (P.S. Here’s how to remove crayon from walls.)

   We’ve had a lot of marks from her love affair of marking utensils on various objects and places in our home – books, school books, couches, padded chairs, walls, carpets, windows, curtains, our piano keyboard, computer screens, cabinets, doors, tables, sheets, doors, clothes, and more.

   It’s been such a pain in the butt, not gonna lie.

   And try as we might to lock up all the writing utensils, I have kids older than her who are not so careful about finding every last stray crayon or marker or pen. Or who forget to lock up the arts and craft cabinet after they were done getting what they needed.

   Oh, and my toddler girl figured out how to open the locks on said cabinet anyway, so really, there’s no stopping this one!

   Well, one day she sneaked out a permanent marker from my office and drew all over our wood banister in our upstairs catwalk. It was so ugly and so noticeable!

   

   And of course, as we rent, I was worried that some permanent marker removers for wood would damage the wood.

   I had previously experimented to figure out the best way to remove permanent marker from carpet and decided to try a very similar process for getting permanent marker off of wood.

   I found some definitely worked better than others! You can watch my video of the permanent marker removal on wood experiments here or below:

   Keep reading to read up on how each method worked and which one was my favorite and the winner of the group.

   How to Get Permanent Marker Off Of Wood – 5 Removers to Try

   After searching around for different things that would work to remove permanent marker from wood, I found five top contenders. They are the following:

   Materials That You Can Use to Remove Permanent Marker from Wood

   • Mr. Clean Magic Eraser
   • Toothpaste
   • Hairspray
   • Rubbing Alcohol
   • Hand sanitizer
   

   Method 1: Mr. Clean Magic Eraser to Remove Permanent Marker from Wood

   This was the method I was most nervous about using on my wood banister. Mr. Clean Magic Eraser is generally not recommended to use on wood! I didn’t want it to dull the wood finish and sheen.

   I also only had a ratty old Magic Eraser on hand, but figured it would do until I ordered some more.

   

   I just wet and wrung it out as normal before scrubbing it against the permanent marker stain on the wood. It didn’t seem to damage the wood at all, and did remove much of the mark, but some still remained in the grain of the wood.

   Method 2: Toothpaste to Get Permanent Marker Off of Wood

   This was the method I looked forward to the least, especially after I tried using toothpaste for removing crayon marks from walls several years ago with zero success.

   But, with my cheap toothpaste, I was actually able to remove the permanent marker from the wood! I am NOT sure the way I did it was the “correct” way to use toothpaste to clean off wood, but it worked.

   I put some toothpaste on my finger and then gently rubbed it into the permanent marker, in small circles. It took a little bit before I noticed the white tootpaste turning bluish green, the color of the marker.

   

   Once it was removed, I took a wet blue microfiber cloth and wiped it clean.

   It seemed to work well enough, but the process was the most time-intensive of the bunch and I found it gross to use toothpaste for cleaning. Definitely the messiest method as well.

   Method 3: Rubbing Alcohol as Permanent Marker Remover for Wood

   You can apply some rubbing alcohol (aka isopropyl alcohol) to a cotton ball or cotton rounds and then wipe that against the permanent marker on your wood.

   This method worked very well! Little need to scrub and it came off quickly.

   

   Of course the downside to this method is that rubbing alcohol stinks really bad. But, it works great!

   Method 4: Hairspray for Removing Permanent Marker from Wood

   Another messier, smellier method to try is using hairspray! I used my Garnier Fructus hairspray and sprayed it liberally onto the permanent marker stain.

   

   After a minute or so, I took another dry blue microfiber cloth and rubbed it against the stain.

   Sure enough, much of it started coming off. But, there was definitely still a light residue of blue marker left behind. I resprayed it, but it didn’t get a ton better. So, it kinda works.

   Method 5: Hand Sanitizer for Permanent Marker Removal from Wood

   The last method we tried was squirting some hand sanitizer (we had giant Member’s Mark containers of the stuff on hand from a couple of years ago) onto a new dry blue microfiber cloth and then rubbed that into the permanent marker stain.

   

   And oh man! It worked so well!! And was so easy. This ended up as my favorite method.

   Once I knew I liked it the best, I told my older kids to all grab a cloth, squirt some hand sanitizer onto them, and get scrubbing the permanent marker off the wood banister.

   In no time, it was looking much much better! Yeah! No more blue marker on the wood! Doesn’t it look SO much better in the picture below?

   

   I even got a little crazy, and used the hand sanitizer on a cloth to remove additional writing utensil marks off my walls with ease (and no dripping or crumbling Magic Eraser required). You can see me sharing about cleaning the walls with it on my TikTok or below:

   @whatsupfagans

   ##cleaning ##cleaningchallenge ##cleaningday ##handsanitizer ##springcleaning

   ♬ original sound – whatsupfagans

   Now, I understand the price and availability of hand sanitizer has skyrocketed lately due to recent events (but this is avery affordable and large bottle from Walmart), so I don’t know if it will be the most economical for you. Pretty much all of the methods worked to some degree, so use what you have on hand and works for you.

   Conclusion – Best Way to Remove Marker from Wood

   Honestly, it was super hard to remove the permanent marker marks from inside the wood grain as well as on parts of the wood banister that were softer/more porous and apparently not stained/sealed well to start.

   No method I tried worked 100% at removing all marks from all parts of the wood banister. But, you really need to look closely to see any remaining marks on the wood, so I’ll take it, especially for renting.

   Now that you know the best tips to clean wood surfaces, you can get to cleaning on all your wooden furniture. Choose the best method that works best for you as there are so many effective solutions.

   The good news is that sharpie stains and sharpie marks aren’t the end of the world! You can get rid of them with a little elbow grease and have them back to new without using abrasive cleaners! When it comes to making things look new again, that’s a good thing for sure! Say goodbye to permanent ink stains and get to work on that affected area!

   What gets permanent marker off a wood table?

   Regular old rubbing alcohol is an extremely effective—and extremely affordable—solution for permanent marker stains in wood. Grab some isopropyl alcohol from your medicine cabinet and pour it onto a clean, dry, cotton cloth. Dab, don't rub, the spot with the cloth until the marker stain begins to lift.

   How do you get Sharpie out of furniture?

   Couches and chairs are susceptible to having things dropped on them, such as Sharpies. To remove the stains from your furniture, you want to use vinegar. Dab or spray the area gently with white vinegar and wipe it with a cloth afterward. Repeat if necessary.

   How do you get marker pen off wood?

   Rubbing alcohol is best for removing dried Sharpie stains from wood. Every home medicine cabinet has a bottle of isopropyl alcohol. It's the cheapest DIY ink stain remover you find today.

   What removes permanent marker stains?

   Pour rubbing alcohol onto a paper towel, then use it to rub off the ink. You can use a gritty hand soap or cleansing cream to do the job, too. One homestyle hint is to dip a cotton ball into milk and swipe over the stain. You can also try Amodex Ink and Stain Remover ($11, amazon.com), a Sharpie-approved product.