Old Style help needed - permanent marker on whiteboard surface emergency!

Former_MSE_Andrea

Old Stylers - MSE needs your help!

Someone (we're mentioning no names - because we don't know) has left a permanent marker in our boadroom.

Someone (we're mentioning no names - because we do know) picked up that permanent marker and used it on the "whiteboard" wall (it's specially painted to so we can write on it.)

Does anyone know what we can use to get the marker off?

Thank you in advance for any help!

googler

Write over it with non-permanent then rub off (was a remedy quoted to me years ago), and reinforced here -

http://m.wikihow.com/Remove-Permanent-Marker-from-a-White-Board

Alisonpennypincher

Try Nail polish remover, might be worth testing on an inconspicuous area first though!

LE3

you can buy specialist cleaners that will do this, and nail varnish remover will lift it but is also likely to ruin your whiteboard surface too. By far the easiest thing to try initially is to get a whiteboard marker & write/scribble over the permanent marker, following quickly with a good cloth/board cleaner. The non-permanent pen will actually re-wet the permanent marker ink for a moment and allow you to swipe it off. It's not 100% but it works remarkably well in most cases

Frugalsod

Can you repaint the wall? Also why did you have any permanent markers in that room?

lushlifesaver

In the past I've used the whiteboard marker method (scribble over the permanent marker then quickly rub off) and also bathroom cleaner (spray or cream), nail varnish remover and hair spray to successfully remove permanent marker from my whiteboards (there's several in my parents home/dad's home office). As long as you clean the hairspray off whilst it's wet and make sure you clean off the nail varnish remover asap then give the board/wall with a damp cloth (just water on it) it's usually all ok

fermi

http://www.staedtler.co.uk/en/service-ideas/

Can permanent writing be removed?

Not elegantly but it can be done. Although the pen is smudge-proof and waterproof, it can easily be removed from most smooth surfaces using ethyl alcohol.

Not really old style, but at least it should be a reliable solution if all else fails..

Former_MSE_Andrea

Thank you everyone, we're working on it.

We don't know why there was a permanent marker in there, possibly from a previous meeting where people were writing on sheets of paper stuck on the wall!

wonderwallet

Those cleaning blocks (called Itworks at QVC) would definitely shift it, think other companies make them, think I've seen JML ones in supermarkets

donny-gal

Aldi &. Various £1 shops have them too. DG

Nightowl

I've not tried it myself, but I've been told a pencil eraser is effective. Something you will likely have in the house and I can't see it would do any arm to try. Good luck.