Dry erase markers are intended to be used on non-porous materials. They are not water-soluble and therefore not washable. This means that if they come into contact with a porous material, like clothing, they are notoriously difficult to remove. Having said that there are several ways you can attempt to remove a dry erase marker stain.
The best way to remove dry erase markers from clothing is with rubbing alcohol. Place a paper towel down on a non-porous surface and the stain face down onto the paper towel. Put rubbing alcohol on the sponge and dab the back of the stain to transfer color to the paper towel.
Read this article to find out more about the different methods that you can use to try and remove a dry erase stain. I’ll show you which methods are best for which material and which are the easiest to do at home.
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How to get dry erase marker out of clothing
Rubbing alcohol is one of the best products to get dry erase markers out of clothing. Other products include Murphy’s oil, carpet stain remover, hand sanitizer, and hair spray. Each product contains some alcohol which breaks down the color pigment of the marker.
Typically, the higher the concentration of alcohol, the better the removal will be.
Different fabrics have different fibers and all of these react to alcohol in a different way. Sturdier fabrics like cotton and synthetics can deal with higher alcohol concentrations, it’s unlikely that the alcohol will ever damage these items of clothing. For more delicate fabrics like silk use the hand sanitizer or hairspray method.
Rubbing Alcohol
The majority of households have got some rubbing alcohol laying around somewhere. Rubbing alcohol is well known for its cleaning and stain removing abilities. This is no different in the case of dry-erase stains.
What Do You Need?
For this process, you will need a small bottle of rubbing alcohol, paper towels and a sponge.
How to get dry erase marker out of clothing using rubbing alcohol
- First, you need to put the paper towels down on a secure and non-porous surface. Use a tray or metal surface if possible.
- Then you need to place the piece of clothing onto the paper towels, stain face down. At this point, the stain should be directly touching the paper towels below.
- Next, tip some of the rubbing alcohol onto the sponge and dab the back of the stain with it. You should begin to see the paper towels getting wet from the alcohol but also absorbing some of the stain’s color too.
- You need to keep changing the paper towels once they are wet so your stain can be absorbed into each fresh sheet of paper towel. Repeat this process until you can no longer see the stain.
- Finally, rinse the clothing under the tap with warm water and immediately put it into the washing machine on a normal washing cycle.
Murphy’s Oil
Most proud homeowners have heard of Murphy’s oil. It’s renowned in the home-cleaning industry. It’s known for its ability to remove stains and clean pretty much anything.
What Do You Need?
You will need Murphy’s oil, paper towels, an old toothbrush, washing up liquid, and a sponge.
How to get dry erase marker out of clothing using Murphy’s oil
- First, place the paper towels on a flat non-porous surface. Place the clothing on the towels with the stain facing up.
- Dip the toothbrush, ideally slightly damp, into the oil. Make sure the whole end of the toothbrush is completely covered in oil.
- Next, gently rub the stain with the toothbrush until you see soapy bubbles begin to form. For best results, use circular motions around the outskirts of the stain and work into the middle. Keep adding more oil if you need to do so.
- Once the stain has disappeared, use a sponge, dip it in clean water, and add a little washing up liquid. Gently use circular motions to remove any excess oil or stain.
- Finally, rinse the piece of clothing under warm water until the oil and the soap have completely come off. You can then throw it into a normal wash and the stain should be gone!
Carpet Stain Remover
Carpet stain remover might sound odd but when you think about it. However, it makes sense to use a carpet cleaner to remove stains because that’s what it’s been made to do! This is a handy method as most households have this so it makes for easy cleaning.
What Do You Need?
Dry carpet cleaner or stain remover, paper towels and a sponge is all that is needed for this method.
How to get dry erase marker out of clothing using carpet stain remover
- First, lay the item of clothing on some paper towels on a flat non-porous surface, stain facing up.
- Then, you need to add some of the dry carpet cleaner directly onto the surface of the stain and leave it for a few minutes to settle.
- Next, use the sponge to gently rub it for a few seconds and then rinse, repeat this until the stain has gone.
- Finally, once you cannot see the stain anymore, rinse the clothing completely in warm water to remove any stain or cleaner and then put the item into the washing machine as normal.
Hand Sanitizer
Nowadays we all have hand sanitizers laying around at home. Not only is it great for killing nasty germs, but it has a high alcohol content which can be great for removing stains too. On average, hand sanitizer contains 60% alcohol which is enough to clean and gentle enough to be used on more delicate clothing.
What Do You Need?
You only need some clear hand sanitizer and a sponge for this method.
How to get dry erase marker out of clothing using hand sanitizer
- First, you need to rinse the clothing of any dust. If it has been laying around for a while before you’ve gotten round to cleaning the stain, the dust can mix with the sanitizer which doesn’t achieve a full stain removal.
- Then, put a small amount of hand sanitizer just over the stain, bear in mind that the gel will spread out so don’t put too much on, you can always add more if there isn’t enough.
- Next, use the sponge and gently rub the stain in circular motions. If the clothing is delicate, make sure you use a soft sponge and nothing too porous or harsh.
- Finally, leave the item to stand for 15-20 minutes. The stain should have been removed, but repeat if necessary. Then rinse off the excess hand sanitiser and put the item in the wash.
Hair spray
Hairspray is good to use when removing dry erase stains without causing any damage to the clothing. Of course, nearly every household has some hairspray to hand so this is one of the easiest methods for smaller stains.
What do you need?
All you need is hairspray, paper towels and the item of clothing! Simple!
How to get dry erase marker out of clothing using hair spray
- First, lay the clothing down on some paper towel or flat surface, stain side up.
- Then, spray the hair spray directly onto the stain. Make sure you spray from a distance of 4 inches away from the stain.
- Next, leave the hairspray to remove the stain for around 10 minutes. It might take longer depending on the color of clothing and the color of the stain.
- Finally, rinse the hairspray off. Alternatively, you can just put the clothing straight into the wash.
Summary: How to get dry erase marker out of clothes
As you can see, rubbing alcohol is the best way to get dry erase out of clothing or couches. You can also use Murphy’s oil, hair spray, carpet stain remover, and hand sanitizer.
The higher the concentration of rubbing alcohol, the easier it will be to remove dry erase markers. However, delicates should use a low concentration of rubbing alcohol to protect your clothes.