Erasing the ghostly residue of dry-erase markers

August 15, 2005 10:58 PM

I wrote on my bathroom mirror with dry erase markers & now I have ghost writing.

Short story: I had what I thought was the great idea to leave myself notes with dry erase pens on my bathroom mirror. Quickly wiping the notes off made me think that they'd erase perfectly. And they are invisible at least until I get out of the shower and the mirror is fogged. It's a bit weird. I've tried windex with no luck. Clues?

posted by Wood to Home & Garden (17 answers total)

have you used windex with newspaper?
posted by punkbitch at 11:06 PM on August 15, 2005

Vinegar and baking soda may work...it did for our whiteboard at work with the same issue.
posted by Kickstart70 at 11:23 PM on August 15, 2005

Well, except the steam part...our arguments get heated, but never wet.
posted by Kickstart70 at 11:23 PM on August 15, 2005

Someone else has already had your exact problem. Their solution? Baking soda and water paste.
posted by jessamyn at 11:23 PM on August 15, 2005

If the kitchen remedies don't work, acetone surely will.
posted by fatllama at 11:47 PM on August 15, 2005

I do exactly the same thing with the dry erase and the mirror. I get the steamy residual marks after erasing, but when I clean the mirror with Windex-type cleaner and a cotton rag, it goes away. I'm thinking it may be the type of dry erase marker you're using -- I'm using Sanford Expo's. Another caveat when you're erasing notes: when you erase, it's like a chalk board -- the colour becomes like a powdery dust and gets on stuff when you least expect it.
posted by Extopalopaketle at 1:02 AM on August 16, 2005

I don't know that one, but I do know that if you accidentally write on a white board with a regular non-dry erase marker, all you have to do is write over that with a dry erase marker, and wipe it off. Why am I telling you this? Because more people should know. It's a frequent problem in dry erase land.

Good luck on cleaning your mirror.
posted by abbyladybug at 4:11 AM on August 16, 2005

I'm guessing but (non-gel) toothpaste would probably fulfil the same function as the baking soda paste suggestion, if you don't have any.
posted by peacay at 4:16 AM on August 16, 2005

Second acetone. Non-acetone nail polish remover is probably a bit safer though.
posted by caddis at 5:53 AM on August 16, 2005

I've been able to clean my whiteboard with a dab of rubbing alcohol.
posted by patgas at 6:03 AM on August 16, 2005

Yes to acetone. Abrasives, like baking powder and toothpaste may scratch your mirror. You can buy acetone in any drugstore or hardware store. A little dab on a paper towel will do the job.

Wear good gloves when you use it: nitrile are best, polyethylene (like a plastic shopping bag) or vinyl are ok, latex gloves (dish washing gloves) are useless for acetone. Acetone isn't that dangerous, but you still need to take some precautions.

Ventilate, bathroom fan on or window open. Leave the room for 10 minutes or so after you finish. Allow your paper towels to evaporate outside.
posted by bonehead at 7:53 AM on August 16, 2005

We use the bathroom mirror for some notes. Don't use dry-erase markers, use kids watercolor, washable markers. They wipe off with a tissue or wascloth. There's occasional faint ghost messages, but they come clean with glasscleaner. It's the most effective way to get my kid to read a note.
posted by theora55 at 8:30 AM on August 16, 2005

Acetone or rubbing alcohol works very well, too.
posted by garbo at 8:36 AM on August 16, 2005

Mr. Clean has a white pad called the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. It works wonders on white boards.

You can also buy whiteboards that are coated with a thin sheet of glass that helps avoid stains.
posted by zymurgy at 9:04 AM on August 16, 2005

Use those same markers to completely black out the mirror, then wipe clean.
posted by gigawhat? at 2:38 PM on August 16, 2005

I always wrote on the mirror with soap (use the corner of the bar), and that washes off well.
posted by jb at 11:57 PM on August 16, 2005

Response by poster: Thanks for the suggestions folks. So far I've tried the acetone and it hasn't worked. It may have helped a bit, though.
posted by Wood at 8:28 AM on August 23, 2005