Getting "Washable" Marker off of My New Table??

I had the same thing happen to me! super irritating but the good news is I just found something that worked...

409 household cleaner and a scratchy sponge (the yellow and green ones) let it soak for a little bit (a min) and it'll be gone!

Sometimes if you use dish soap and rub it in hard it will come out (don't water it down at all). I would try that first since it won't take the shine off at all like a magic eraser can. I find this works if the markers were washable.

You could try the Magic Erasers. It has done wonders on things like that on my table, walls, and helped with pen on a leather lazy boy. Make sure you don't use the extra strong ones. Even with the regular ones you will need to be careful. It can take more than what you are trying to remove...so you might have some scuff looking spots - not as shiny, etc if the surface can't take it. Try doing it just lightly at first, or on a spot underneath the table to test if the underneath has the same finish on it.

I just tried using the Magic Eraser on my table. It had permanent marker on it from Easter Egg decorating a few days ago. It came off really well. My table isn't the most expensive and the finish still looks okay. My table isn't super glossy though because of the wood grain.

Arm and Hammer Essentails, it works wonderful on permant marker without scrubbing, so I'm sure it would do wonderful with washable marker

Cindy,

My daughter took crayons to a slate stone table that I have and I used a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser on it...you'd never know she colored on it. It might be worth a try for your marker marks.

Best of Luck!
A.
www.strollerfit.com

When we were coloring eggs this year the dye leaked through the towels I put down onto our wood table. The only thing that worked for me was Pledge Multi Surface cleaner. I sprayed it on and let it sit a few minutes and it literally pulled the dye out of the wood. You would never know that it happened! It also worked on a red stain on my countertop as well. Hope this helps!
L.

Try mr clean magic eraser...if they can't get them off then nothing can.
Color wonder markers have saved my life. They only color on color wonder paper and nothing else. Totally worth the cost. And the cleaning expense.

I have this happen A TON! Only my son found a black sharpie once. A damp majic eraser can do wonderful things! I use it to get marker off of tables, walls, chairs and even the bunkbed! :)

When my son was 3, he got ahold of a green sharpie and proceeded to "color" all over my blond kitchen table. I scrubbed with an all-purpose cleaner for a half hour to no avail, then I remembered the Sol-u-Mel I had in the cabinet. I dabbed a little, full-strength, onto a rag and it immediately removed the sharpie from the table, with no scrubbing! This stuff is amazing - a couple of years later, the same son got his hands on a can of spray paint that my husband thought was empty. Well, cobalt blue spray paint + brand new white car = you can imagine! The Sol-u-Mel removed the spray paint - most of which had already dried - without doing the slightest damage to the car's paint job. I was SO relieved!

Sol-u-Mel is only available through Melaleuca. If you know someone who is a member, ask them about it. If not, you can email me and I'll help you. Good luck!

I got permanent marker off of my cedar chest with magic eraser. Good Luck!

Have you tried Rubbing Alcohol?

My daughter found a bottle of Gentian Violet that I used when my youngest had Thrush and it is essentially bright purple dye. She opened the bottle, stepped in it and ran all over my hard wood floors. It took several bottles but it came up. Unfortunately, the more you rub it in before you use rubbing alcohol the harder it is.

I think the alcohol just brings the dye to the surface. Anyway, keep rubbing alcohol on hand for the next time.

Good luck.

I'm not sure, from what you write, whether your artist was using markers on the table itself or whether the markers were going right through the paper. I am always annoyed with markers because, for all the intensity of color, their "bleeding" is so hard to manage, "washable" or not. Yet I use markers myself, as you'll see below.

So first of all, if you haven't done it, set a rule that markers are for paper ONLY. Then lay in a big supply of paper - newsprint or the backs of computer waste paper or scrapbooking remnants or something else inexpensive. If you can find different sizes of paper your artist might enjoy that. If you can find a child-sized easel he can draw standing up. If you want to give him a BIG surface once in a while, get a roll of butcher paper (that brown wrapping paper) and tape it up to a wall (I'd back that paper with plastic or an extra thickness of paper as well).

As to the table, I ended up with black marker on my blond table, and I had no one to blame for it but (gasp!) myself. I cleaned as much off as I could, but some was stubborn. What worked for me was getting the finest grade of steel wool and rubbing the spots VERY lightly. This sanded the surface just enough to take the marks off. Then I used furniture oil over the whole surface. No one can tell there was ever a mark on the table, and I'm not telling anybody, either (except here). :^)

My first thought was Mr. Clean Magic Eraser, like some other posters suggested. That has worked wonders for me for a ton of different kid related stains (and markers). However, you have to be careful with it if your table is at all glossy. Mr clean will take the sheen off if you rub too hard or for too long. So just be aware of that. If you don't want to try that, or if nothing else works, you can try De-solv-It. It's the citrus oil spray cleaner/everything fixer that you can probably find at Walmart or Home Depot. It shouldn't damage the wood at all. Of course, test whatever on an inconspicuous part (whether you choose the rubbing alcohol, Mr. Clean, De-Solv-It... whatever). Also, with rubbing alcohol, be careful that you don't overdry the wood. Maybe use a pledge protector spray or furniture spray right after if you use the alcohol to avoid any changes in the wood. Good luck. I hope it comes out for you.

My daughter used sharpie all over my wood floor and the only thing that got it up was Magic Eraser. However, it did damage the finish slightly, so you may need to decide the lesser of two evils- having marker spots of different finish- with resorting to the magic eraser. One thing we tried first that faded the sharpie, but did not get it totally out, was WD-40. I bet it would do a much better job on washable marker and I do not think it will damage the finish. Maybe try a spot first (I would do that with anything, even alcohol or acetone or the magic eraser as you have no idea how your finish will take it). If you're afraid of using WD-40 (I was but it really was gentle on the finish) try rubbing petroleum jelly to lift the stain. Once you get the stain out, use white polish (I get it at Woodley's and it is the best wood refresher by far) to spruce it up and to get whatever you end up using from staying on the surface. Good luck!

I use a pine-sol solution to get marker off the tables here. You can also use lemon juice and even vinegar. HTH

Have a GREAT day!

S.

Go buy some MR CLEAN Magic Earasers. They really do work wonders. My kids many times have gotten pen and marker on my table and these little wonders always seem to remove the ink. They are about $2-$3 for a pack of two at walmart.

A few years ago my 2 youngest boys decided to draw all over our new wood dining table with permanent black marker. I was stunned!! I tried everything I could think of and nothing worked. Until someone suggested toothpaste! Yep! Just regular toothpaste, not the gel type. Rub it into the marker and it comes right off!! I was amazed! Some areas took a little more rubbing than others, but it really worked! Give it a try. :)

ah ben there.... i recamend GOO GONE its a great cleaner you can get it just about anywhere i no walmart has it. its whats ive used and it works grate.... hope it works for yah. oh and also i recamend byeing the color wonders markers and books there a bit more expensive but worth it cuse theres no mess at all.

I work at a preschool and we use Magic erasers for everything. I love them. I guess it depends on your table type, but they usually get just about everything. they are in the cleaning isle

Although I don't know what kind of surface your table is, Two things I've found useful to get stains out are lemon or lime juice and hydrogen peroxide (though it can leave a bit of a residual coloration on some surfaces) another thought comes to me is gently apply olive oil, let it stand for awhile then wipe clear, and I've used Avon's skin so soft bubble bath to remove marks from firm man made surfaces.

Hope you find those marks lifting right off !.