Really hoping that the name 'permanent marker' isn't literally accurate
August 13, 2010 2:57 PM Subscribe
Permanent marker on painted walls. So far have tried: Goof Off, TSP Heavy Duty Cleaner, Magic Erasers, SOS pads, and alcohol based hand sanitizer. Help? What's next-- paint remover? Any suggestions gratefully received.
I highly recommend painting a few coats of the primer, then letting it cure, then seeing if you need to add more. You will eventually beat the marker, but in my experience it's taken 3-5 coats of primer for it to actually be gone.
posted by Zophi at 3:01 PM on August 13, 2010
posted by Zophi at 3:01 PM on August 13, 2010
Acetone is a pretty good solvent of last resort; it dissolves more or less anything. Try nail polish remover. If that works even a little, go pick up a quart of acetone from the hardware store.
posted by [expletive deleted] at 3:03 PM on August 13, 2010
posted by [expletive deleted] at 3:03 PM on August 13, 2010
Acetone has never worked for me for permanent markers. Try alcohol.
Aquanet has worked very well, especially if the surface isn't especially porous, but anything with a high alcohol content should work. (It works for hairdye spills, too.)
posted by small_ruminant at 3:06 PM on August 13, 2010
Aquanet has worked very well, especially if the surface isn't especially porous, but anything with a high alcohol content should work. (It works for hairdye spills, too.)
posted by small_ruminant at 3:06 PM on August 13, 2010
are you painting the walls white after all this? if they're going any actual color, a tinted primer might help.
posted by nadawi at 3:06 PM on August 13, 2010
posted by nadawi at 3:06 PM on August 13, 2010
One time I found that Coca-Cola was able to dissolve enamel off of a glass object. Though I suppose in your case that might be too much and take the paint off too.
posted by XMLicious at 3:10 PM on August 13, 2010
posted by XMLicious at 3:10 PM on August 13, 2010
If the walls are painted, and are going to be repainted, it might be easier to strip the paint than to clean it? Heat gun?
Other than that, I'd try straight alcohol (rubbing alcohol/surgical spirit), as that's probably the solvent that was in the original marker pens.
posted by Leon at 3:11 PM on August 13, 2010
Other than that, I'd try straight alcohol (rubbing alcohol/surgical spirit), as that's probably the solvent that was in the original marker pens.
posted by Leon at 3:11 PM on August 13, 2010
I used 409 to remove some tar stuck to my car once and it worked great. (It also removed a little bit of paint).
posted by at the crossroads at 3:14 PM on August 13, 2010
posted by at the crossroads at 3:14 PM on August 13, 2010
I've had success covering permanent markers with a single coat of an oil-based stainblocking primer like Kilz Original. Alternatively, you can remove it with an electric sander.
posted by RichardP at 3:20 PM on August 13, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by RichardP at 3:20 PM on August 13, 2010 [2 favorites]
Yes, a serious primer will hide anything and everything. The key term is "high hide" primer. The ones I've used would hide a stigmata.
posted by GuyZero at 3:21 PM on August 13, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by GuyZero at 3:21 PM on August 13, 2010 [1 favorite]
Yeah, we used Kilz Primer on a fairly marked up wall and it obliterated pretty much everything. I'd second the prime, wait, and if needed prime again approach.
posted by quin at 3:32 PM on August 13, 2010
posted by quin at 3:32 PM on August 13, 2010
Response by poster: Thanks, all! I've got Kilz, and I'm just going to hit the walls with sandpaper, as well. I'll update as I keep working, just for the benefit of future questioners...
posted by jokeefe at 3:33 PM on August 13, 2010
posted by jokeefe at 3:33 PM on August 13, 2010
yeah Kilz or BIN will do you right.
As a poor scholarship kid at my posh private high school, my work study job consisted of performing repairs/maintenance on the school during the summer. I sanded, dissolved, primered, painted and froze off more graffiti than you would even believe. BIN was my weapon of choice.
The reason you use BIN/Kilz is that it's actually a white shellac sealant and puts an impenetrable coating over the offending substance.
wear goggles and don't get it on your glasses or you'll be picking it off with your fingernails, like, forever. And use your cheapest deadest brushes, and then just throw them away. You cleanup with ammonia IIRC and nobody, but nobody, wants that.
posted by toodleydoodley at 3:47 PM on August 13, 2010 [1 favorite]
As a poor scholarship kid at my posh private high school, my work study job consisted of performing repairs/maintenance on the school during the summer. I sanded, dissolved, primered, painted and froze off more graffiti than you would even believe. BIN was my weapon of choice.
The reason you use BIN/Kilz is that it's actually a white shellac sealant and puts an impenetrable coating over the offending substance.
wear goggles and don't get it on your glasses or you'll be picking it off with your fingernails, like, forever. And use your cheapest deadest brushes, and then just throw them away. You cleanup with ammonia IIRC and nobody, but nobody, wants that.
posted by toodleydoodley at 3:47 PM on August 13, 2010 [1 favorite]
I've had a lot of success with writing over permanent marker with dry erase marker to allow it to be removed. It can be time consuming, and I'm not sure how it will work on the paint - may depend on how porous it is. Still, dry erase markers are cheap and easy to come by, so it may be worth a shot...
posted by polymath at 4:10 PM on August 13, 2010
posted by polymath at 4:10 PM on August 13, 2010
nthing Kilz - it works. May take a couple coats.
I used to sell markers for an industrial supply company. The solvent in some of them is Xylene, which is highly toxic and nasty to breathe. If for some reason you really need to remove, rather than cover, the mark and you know it's a marker, call an industrial supply company and ask for a Xylene solvent. One brand, if it's still available, is called "T solvent" from the Marsh Shipping Supply Co. But be careful with that stuff in close quarters.
posted by randomkeystrike at 4:54 PM on August 13, 2010
I used to sell markers for an industrial supply company. The solvent in some of them is Xylene, which is highly toxic and nasty to breathe. If for some reason you really need to remove, rather than cover, the mark and you know it's a marker, call an industrial supply company and ask for a Xylene solvent. One brand, if it's still available, is called "T solvent" from the Marsh Shipping Supply Co. But be careful with that stuff in close quarters.
posted by randomkeystrike at 4:54 PM on August 13, 2010
Have you tried toothpaste? We had some success with that on our wood floors.
posted by Jugwine at 5:07 PM on August 13, 2010
posted by Jugwine at 5:07 PM on August 13, 2010
nthing Kilz (Killz2, I believe, is the water-based for normal indoor paint/walls). I had a former housemate who painted black patterns on a white wall - one coat of Killz2 with a roller did the trick.
posted by Lyn Never at 5:42 PM on August 13, 2010
posted by Lyn Never at 5:42 PM on August 13, 2010
Denatured alcohol works much better than rubbing alcohol. I use denatured alcohol to clean permanent marker off of signs at my work all the time. On a flat matte surface it may leave a ghost of the mark, but that will be much easier to cover with your primer.
posted by a humble nudibranch at 10:18 PM on August 13, 2010
posted by a humble nudibranch at 10:18 PM on August 13, 2010
It depends on the particular permanent marker used, as different brands/models/colors use pigments that have different solubility profiles in comment solvents.
Things to try in order of "gentlest" to strongest (will remove almost everything):
1. Rubbing alcohol (denatured, diluted isopropanol usually)
2. (nearly-)Absolute ethanol (you can probably find denatured 95% ethanol pretty easily... or use everclear). If the alcohol hand sanitizer has absolutely no effect then this probably isn't the right direction.
3. Methanol (will remove many "alcohol-proof" markers)
4. Xylene (the solvent in some heavy duty permanent markers)
5. Acetone
posted by rxrfrx at 4:18 AM on August 14, 2010
Things to try in order of "gentlest" to strongest (will remove almost everything):
1. Rubbing alcohol (denatured, diluted isopropanol usually)
2. (nearly-)Absolute ethanol (you can probably find denatured 95% ethanol pretty easily... or use everclear). If the alcohol hand sanitizer has absolutely no effect then this probably isn't the right direction.
3. Methanol (will remove many "alcohol-proof" markers)
4. Xylene (the solvent in some heavy duty permanent markers)
5. Acetone
posted by rxrfrx at 4:18 AM on August 14, 2010
nthing Kilz, but do your future self a favor and use proper ventilation. It has noxious fumes. No kidding.
posted by jack.tinker at 5:35 AM on August 14, 2010
posted by jack.tinker at 5:35 AM on August 14, 2010
When acetone fails, try xylene.
posted by werkzeuger at 5:49 AM on August 14, 2010
posted by werkzeuger at 5:49 AM on August 14, 2010
If you are already planning to paint the walls, you want Kilz. Kilz will work - I have painted over murals for the result of clean gallery-white, and Kilz worked.
If you are not planning on painting the walls right away and want a stopgap, you might want to keep trying with the Magic Eraser - it is pretty easy to spot-strip small patches of wall paint with a damp Magic Eraser and some elbow grease. Though be aware that this will strip away at least a coat of the pre-existing paint. It's not going to be a pretty solution, but it's something to prevent you from having to completely repaint the wall right this second.
posted by Sara C. at 10:01 AM on August 14, 2010
If you are not planning on painting the walls right away and want a stopgap, you might want to keep trying with the Magic Eraser - it is pretty easy to spot-strip small patches of wall paint with a damp Magic Eraser and some elbow grease. Though be aware that this will strip away at least a coat of the pre-existing paint. It's not going to be a pretty solution, but it's something to prevent you from having to completely repaint the wall right this second.
posted by Sara C. at 10:01 AM on August 14, 2010
Response by poster: Quick update-- the Kilz worked wonders. Only two coats of the primer, and once the paint had been applied, the marks vanished. Can't recommend it enough-- I probably could have skipped the washing the walls bit entirely. Thanks everyone who responded.
posted by jokeefe at 11:40 AM on August 28, 2010
posted by jokeefe at 11:40 AM on August 28, 2010
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Help?
posted by jokeefe at 2:58 PM on August 13, 2010