How to get sharpie off stone tile

Permanent markersare useful, but the problem with the ink stain is not new. And most people have faced this issue several times in their life. It can be found on the floor, wall, or any other surface. But what makes it much more difficult to remove from tile?

The reason is that ink goes away from the upper surface by leaving a faded ink stain behind, which is enough to steal the beauty of your floor. However, don’t worry!

There’s always a solution for you. Luckily, you can use everyday household items like – dry erase markers, rubbing alcohol, toothpaste, and magic eraser.

So, in this article, we’ll take a closer look at some of these best methods for removing permanent marker stains from tiles and rank them according to effectiveness.

Important

How effectively you can get rid of the permanent mark mostly depends on the type of your tile floor and the method you are using on it. Some popular tiles are ceramic, porcelain, marble, granite, glass, cement, etc.

So, the effort you will need to remove the stains from glossy glass tile won’t be the same when you try to remove it from the textured marble floor. And most of the Sharpie markers leave stain marks behind. That’s why you must need to act wisely while choosing any method.

However, I’m going to share the most effective methods below so that you don’t lose the beauty of your floor.

Ways of Removing Permanent Marker From Tile Floor

Actually, there are so many methods you will found for getting rid of such tough stains. But here, I’m going to share only the most effective ones, which are more accessible to you. So, the cleaning tools are –

• Dry Erase Markers
• Rubbing Alcohol
• White Toothpaste
• Magic Eraser

Method 1: With Dry Erase Markers

We all know that how effective dry erase markers are to remove permanent ink from whiteboards. And not only that, but I’ve also written another article recently on its effectiveness for erasing Sharpie marks from glass surfaces. But today, I’m going to show you how to use it on tiled surfaces. It’s one of the easiest methods of all.

Step – 1: First of all, get a dry erase marker on your hand. Since we use those whiteboard markers for different purposes in our daily life, it won’t be hard for you to get one.

If you don’t find one in your house, get a marker from your local store as it’s widely available. It’ll be better if you get the same color as the stain on your floor, but black will also be fine.

Step – 2: Now, you have to cover the stain with that dry erase marker. Slowly cover the entire stain and let it sit for a while. Generally, these markers contain chemical solvent, color pigments, and a polymer.

The main ingredient of the solvent is 90% alcohol content that dissolves the permanent ink underneath when you keep it over the stain.

Step – 3: Finally, use a damp cloth and rub in a circular motion over the stain. While rubbing, you’ll notice that permanent stain is starting to fade away from the tile. If any mark is left, repeat the process as many times as needed. This method works the best on smooth tile floors.

Method 2: Rubbing Alcohol

It’s one of the popular and effective cleaning agents for permanent ink stains. It’s also known as 90% Isopropyl Alcohol Solution. Most importantly, it is found on most kitchen cabinets as people use it for fast-aid purposes.

However, this cleaning solution can remove permanent ink from metal surfaces too. The process is the same as cleaning tile floor. So, let’s focus on the floor cleaning method.

Step – 1: Take a bowl and pour a generous amount of rubbing alcohol into it. If you have 90% Isopropyl Alcohol in your house, it’ll work too. Both of the alcohol works in the same way. So, don’t worry at all and start the cleaning process.

Step – 2: Now take a paper towel or cotton cloth and soak it in the alcohol solution. Let the cloth soak for at least 5-10 minutes to absorb the proper amount of alcohol to work effectively on the stain.

Step – 3: Lastly, take the cloth out and rub it over the stain slowly in a circular motion. After rubbing for a few minutes, all the stain marks will go away. Even you can remove the faint mark of ink easily without making any elbow grease using it.

After that, clean the area with liquid soap, warm water, and a clean cloth.

Note: Rubbing alcohol acts as an all-purpose cleaner. And you can use it to remove Sharpie markers from glass items, wood surfaces, painted walls, plastic, and so on. 

You can also use acetone-based fingernail polish remover and alcohol-based hairspray if you can’t find rubbing alcohol. But I would recommend testing them in an inconspicuous spot first before applying them to the main stain.

Method 3: White Toothpaste

Toothpaste is another cost-saving effective cleaning agent. However, it’s a common household item but works as helpful abrasive cleaners for removing permanent marker spots. You can also use it as a DIY cleaning solution for getting rid of permanent ink stains from skin.

But you must need to use white color regular toothpaste, which is creamy in nature. So, without any further discussion, let’s move on to the tile cleaning method.

Step – 1: First of all, go to your washroom and get some paste in a bowl. But don’t use the gel toothpaste as it has not the same abrasive power as the white one. So, take a generous amount of it, don’t be a miser as it’s cost-effective!

Step – 2: Now, take a soft-bristled brush or a damp sponge. Then put some paste on it and use it for removing markers from the tile. You have to rub over the permanent marker spots for a couple of minutes. While rubbing, you’ll see that the ink is going away.

Step – 3: After that, take a dry cloth and wipe the area. If you see any fainted ink stain, repeat the process by adding more toothpaste to the area.

It works as the best stain remover if you use toothpaste on textured tile and over fresh marker stains. After removing all the marks, clean the area with hot water and a dry towel.

Method 4: Magic Eraser

Commercially-sold magic eraser is another all-purpose cleaner that is mostly used to fight against tough stains. So, it’ll just be a matter of wipe with this eraser to remove the permanent stain from the tile floor. It’s because this melamine foam has a great history of cleaning Sharpie marks. So, follow the steps given below to get the most out of it.

Step – 1: Get a magic eraser from your nearest home improve-mental store or online. You can buy it single or in a bulk. Among all the brands, Mr. Clean is the most popular of all. And hopefully, you’ll find it in any of your local stores.

Step – 2: Firstly, soak the eraser with cold water and then squeeze the extra liquid from it. Soaking with water reactivates the melamine foam for maximum effectiveness. And melamine foam is an artificial ingredient that can destroy any dirt and grease within seconds. 

Step – 3: Now, gently scrub over the stain with the eraser to wipe off the ink mark. You need to clean the magic eraser frequently with drops of water and squeezing so that the ink doesn’t spread to other areas. By doing so, you’ll get rid of the marker ink eventually.

Lastly, use a wet cloth to clean the area. See? It was just like a piece of cake. However, by following the same method, you can remove markers from plastic surfaces. It’s actually a great cleaning product indeed.

Warning

While using rubbing alcohol or acetone, I would recommend you to use hand gloves. And test it before applying to ensure that it doesn’t do any harm to the floor. 

However, it’s also true for the magic eraser. Since it’s a powerful cleaning tool with great abrasive power, it may sometimes make the surface scratchy if you use it hardly or on a delicate tile.

And for toothpaste, you must take the white one to get the most out of it. And for dry erase markers, try to use the same color as the ink mark.

FAQs

Q: Does permanent marker come off ceramic?

Though permanent ink is tough to remove, you can get it off from ceramic surfaces, whether it is tile floor or other areas. You can use rubbing alcohol for this purpose.

Before using the solution, clean the stained area with warm, sudsy water and a soft cloth. It’ll help to remove any extra dirt from the upper layer.

After that, take some rubbing alcohol on a cotton swab or a cotton ball and rub the area with care. Hopefully, the marker stain will come off the ceramic within a few minutes of rubbing. 

Q: How do you remove Sharpie from marble tile?

Actually, you can use all the methods mentioned above for removing Sharpie from marble tile. All of them work similarly on marble too. Still, if you want any specific suggestions, I suggest you use acetone-based nail polish remover.

Just soak a cotton ball with remover liquid and rub it over the stain as before. Continue rubbing until you see any visible change. Thankfully, the ink will go off without any difficulty.

Final Thoughts

In reality, removing permanent ink is not that tough how people think if you use effective methods. And with this article, you have so many easy options open before you get rid of the stain successfully.

So, from now on, permanent ink should not be a problem for you. Just pick up the right tool and vanish the stain to make your tile surface look new again.