How do I Remove Permanent Marker From Wood Furniture?
Whether your children decided to play with your permanent markers and got it all over the wood coffee table, or you accidentally transferred marker through a thin piece of paper while drawing on wooden furniture, permanent marker is not always completely permanent. It may simply be waterproof. A variety of commercial and homemade cleaners can remove it from wooden furniture. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Magic eraser or similar melamine foam product
- Toothpaste without baking soda
- Soap
- Dishcloth
- Hot water
- Dry towel
Instructions
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Apply toothpaste to the stain and leave it to sit for a few minutes.
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2
Wet a dishcloth in hot, soapy water and firmly scrub off the toothpaste and the stain. According to the American Printing House for the Blind, this method should remove permanent market from wood furniture. It is important to use toothpaste that does not contain baking soda or anything else that is abrasive or scratchy in order to not damage the furniture.
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Wet, wring out and test a magic eraser on an inconspicuous (hidden) area of the wood furniture if the toothpaste method does not work. There are several brands of magic eraser, such as the Mr Clean Magic Eraser, cheaper no-name versions or pieces of melamine foam purchased at a hardware store. Melamine foam is almost like microscopic sandpaper, and removes hard-to-remove stains from a variety of surfaces. If the test spot does not show any harm to the furniture or removal of any finish, proceed to remove the stain using the melamine foam.
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Dry the piece of wood furniture completely after removing the stain.
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Tips & Warnings
WD-40, rubbing alcohol and any other gentle household solvent can be tried to remove the permanent marker stain. However, these products can damage the finish.
In some cases, there is no way to remove the permanent marker without damaging the finish of the wood furniture. If this is the case, the table may have to be sanded until the stain is removed and then refinished.
Magic erasers or melamine foam and other solvents can remove the finish from wooden furniture. This is why it should be tested on a hidden area before removing the actual stain.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit blue marker image by Maciej Mamro from Fotolia.com
