Many of us use whiteboard markers daily at school or work, so getting stained clothes is a common problem. Luckily, it is possible to remove dry-erase ink from fabric.
In fact, there are a few different ways to do this using common home remedies. Keep reading to find the method on how to get dry erase marker out of clothes that works for you!
Table of Contents
Remove Dry Wipe Marker/ Dry Erase Marker On Clothes
Method 1: With Murphy’s Oil Soap
From my experience, Murphy’s oil soap is the answer to dry erase marker removal. Here’re what you should gather:
What to Prepare
- Murphy’s oil soap
- Thick Towel
- Unused Toothbrush
- Sponge
- Water
- Mild Dishwasher Soap
- Washing Machine
The dry erase marker comes out of clothes easily with Murphy’s oil soap. You might be skeptical initially, but we are not the only ones claiming this.
Plus, if you want to get dry erase marker out of fabric without rubbing alcohol, this is the best option.
Step 1: Prep the clothing item and toothbrush
To begin, place an old, thick towel under the stained fabric on the table. Next, grab an unused toothbrush wet with water and dunk it in Muphy’s oil soap.
Step 2: Scour the stain
Use the toothbrush to scour the stain. You can add more soap as you go. Do this until suds start to form and the stain fades.
Alternatively, you can pour the soap directly on the stain and let it settle. After about a minute, use a toothbrush to scour the stain.
Step 3: Work the stain out
Now, work the rest of the stain out with a sponge doused in water and mild dishwasher soap. Rub the stain until it disappears.
Step 4: Remove residue soap
Rinse the sponge or grab a new one and wet it. Then, sponge your piece of clothing to get rid of any soap that is left.
Step 5: Launder and dry
Finally, throw your stain-free clothing into the washing machine. Launder it as you normally would and avail of a brand new garment when the wash is finished!
Method 2: With Rubbing Alcohol and Vinegar
What to Prepare
- Towel
- Sponge (Or Cotton Balls)
- Rubbing Alcohol
- A bucket that fits your garment
- Water
- White Vinegar
- Spoon
- Washing Machine
Step 1: Prep the clothing item and blot the stain
Like the previous method, you will need to start by arranging a towel beneath your stained clothing.
Then, using a clean sponge, pick up a small amount of rubbing alcohol and lightly blot the stain, so it fades gradually. Try not to rub the stain to avoid smearing it larger.
Step 2: Soak the stained fabric
Pour one glass of vinegar into the bucket and fill more than half of it with warm water. Put the garment into it and swirl it around a little.
Then, soak your piece in the sink for 20 minutes. When you take it out of the sink, wring it gently to remove excess water.
Step 3: Launder and dry
To finish, launder it in your washing machine as normal. The rubbing alcohol and vinegar should be washed away.
You also can use this way to get dry erase marker from plastic or permanent marker off the countertop.
Method 3: With Hand Sanitizer
If markers bleed onto your clothes at school or at the office, you can pour some hand sanitizer on them and blot clean the stains.
Hand sanitizers are generally made of alcohol, so they can help clear most inks.
What to Prepare
- Water
- Hand Sanitizer
- Paper Towel or Cotton Ball (Optional)
Step 1: Apply the sanitizer and rub the stain
Dispense a dollop of hand sanitizer onto the ink. Use just enough to cover the spot. Next, rub the sanitizer against the stain for a minute. You can use a paper towel or cotton ball.
Step 2: Rinse or blot
Head to the bathroom to rinse the treated area under cold water. Be careful not to splash the inky water onto other parts of your clothes.
If you cannot wash the area under running water, use a wet paper towel to blot it clean.
Method 4: With Hairspray
Hairspray can help you with removing dry erase marker from clothes if it consists of alcohol. However, nowadays, many hairsprays do not contain it as an ingredient. So, only use this method if you know your hairspray has alcohol in it.
Bring out the following
- Hairspray (Containing Alcohol)
- Stack of Tissues (Or Towel)
- Tissues (Or Sponge)
- Running Water
- Cloth (Optional)
- Step 1: Stack several sheets of tissue or take an absorbent towel and slip it under the stain on your clothing.
- Step 2: Then, grab your hairspray and spritz its solution right on the stain. While it is still wet, proceed to the next step.
- Step 3: Blot the stain with a damp tissue or sponge. The stain should be lifted onto your tissue or sponge. If you observe this, you know that the hairspray is working. Otherwise, your hairspray might not have enough alcohol to get the job done.
- Step 4: Once the stain is mostly faded, rinse the area carefully with water. If you cannot access such water, douse a clean cloth with water to sponge the area clean.
Method 5: With OxiClean
This well-known commercial bleach product can handle various sorts of ink stains. It is many households’ staple for stains on fabric chairs, farbric coaches, cloth coaches, and carpets. You can also use it for stained clothing.
Prepare the following
- Hot Running Water
- Washing Machine
- OxiClean
- Step 1: Run the stained area under hot water to fade as much of the ink away as possible.
- Step 2: Then, throw your stained clothes into the washer. Set your wash cycle and add a stage to soak it in the middle of the cycle (before the rinsing) to it. Add the laundry detergent as you normally would.
Next, put in the OxiClean. The amount that you take for the latter should be the recommended amount for one laundry load. Look at the package’s label instructions if you are unsure.
- Step 3: Launder your clothes and wait until it finishes. After being washed, your clothes should be clean, fresh, and stain-free!
Method 6: With Baking Soda and Toothpaste
Baking soda and toothpaste are two handy ingredients you can consider if the other methods do not work. It is quite effective but can take more time. So, be patient!
What to Prepare
- Cool Water
- Toothpaste
- Cloth (Optional)
- Baking Soda
- Paper Towel (Or Cloth)
- Step 1: Start by dousing the area that needs treating on your clothing. You should use cool water.
- Step 2: Next, apply toothpaste to the stain. You can do it directly or use a cloth to pick it up and smudge it over. Then, add the baking soda. You should use half a teaspoon.
- Step 3: The ingredients will form a gritty paste. You can dab this paste into the inky spot firmly. Let it work its magic for a bit more than an hour.
- Step 4: Thoroughly wipe the paste away with a clean but damp paper towel or cloth. Finally, run cool water over the treated area again.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Do dry erase ink come out of clothes?
It’s best to clean the ink stains right away with the above-mentioned home remedies, as they can come off quite easily when fresh.
Stubborn marks left by dry-erase ink can still come off if you use a strong cleaner. Just make sure it does not discolor the fabric.
What removes dry erase ink?
Murphy oil’s soap, rubbing alcohol and vinegar, hand sanitizer, hairspray, OxiClean, toothpaste, and baking soda can all work.
How do you get Crayola dry erase ink out of clothes?
According to Crayola’s website, you should:
- Wash your stained clothing for 12 minutes in hot water with laundry detergent
- Soak it in a solution of Clorox 2 or OxiClean for an hour
- Launder it once more in a heavy soil cycle
How to remove dry erase ink from clothes after washing?
You can consider any of the methods we have above to do this! We recommend the ones that do not involve another washing cycle. So, you can use hand sanitizer, hairspray, or a combination of baking soda and white toothpaste.
How to get EXPO marker out of clothes?
You can try any of the methods above to get EXPO marker out of clothes. However, if they do not work, you can also try hydrogen peroxide.
According to silverbobbin.com, hydrogen peroxide can un-color the ink stains of EXPO markers. Hydrogen peroxide alters these stains’ chemical composition, making them look white or clear. This is the ideal approach if you are trying to remove dried EXPO marker from white clothes.
One important thing to note about using hydrogen peroxide to get white board marker out of clothes is that it can potentially bleach non-color fast clothes. So, it is necessary to do a patch test with it first.
Conclusion
If your little one comes home from school after dyeing their clothes in dry-erase ink or the clothes in the laundry still have stains, you no longer have to panic. Use any of the methods provided in this article to save your inky clothes.
If you have tried our methods after reading, feel free to leave a comment about your experience. It will be very helpful for other readers and us. Please share this to help others learn how to get dry erase marker out of clothes too!
Hi, I am Eveline Kessler, a content creator. My love for colors and arts draws me here to join the Intermediarts team with Leilani. I am responsible for testing new products and techniques with her and providing honest reviews and tips based on our experience. I have gained a lot of knowledge from this, and I believe you will find her suggestions to be invaluable as well.
