How to remove dry erase marker stains from fabric and upholstery
To remove dry erase marker stains, rinse the fabric in cold water until no more color comes out, then blot the stain with rubbing alcohol over paper towels, changing them often, and wash hot with detergent and oxygen bleach. Dry erase ink is made to sit on top of a slick whiteboard; on fabric it lodges between the fibers, and alcohol is what dissolves it again.
- Best method
- Cold rinse, rubbing alcohol, hot wash with oxygen bleach
- Time
- 20 to 30 minutes plus a wash
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Stain type
- Dye
You will need
- Cold water
- Rubbing alcohol
- Cotton balls
- White paper towels
- Laundry detergent and oxygen bleach
How to remove dry erase marker stains
- 1
Rinse in cold water
Hold the stain under cold running water from the back until no more color washes out.
Why: This flushes out loose colorant before you use any solvent.
- 2
Test the alcohol
Dab rubbing alcohol on a hidden seam and blot with a white towel.
Why: Alcohol can fade some fabric dyes, so check first on colored items.
- 3
Blot with rubbing alcohol over paper towels
Lay the stain on a pad of paper towels and saturate it with rubbing alcohol on a cotton ball, blotting as you go. Replace the towels as they pick up color.
Why: Alcohol dissolves the ink so it moves into the towels instead of staying in the fabric.
- 4
Wash hot with oxygen bleach
Launder in hot water, if the care label allows, with detergent and an oxygen bleach (color-safe bleach), then rinse in warm water.
Why: Hot water and detergent remove the residue, and oxygen bleach oxidizes any leftover tint.
- 5
Air-dry and check
Air-dry and check in daylight. Repeat the alcohol and wash if a mark remains.
Why: Dryer heat sets ink, and a heat-set mark may only lighten.
Why it wipes off a whiteboard but stains fabric
Dry erase ink is designed for non-porous surfaces. On a whiteboard, the colorant sits on top of a slick coating and lifts off with a dry wipe. Fabric is the opposite: a tangle of fibers with countless gaps, so the colorant settles into the weave and stays there. That makes a dry erase mark on clothing a small dye stain.
The ink dissolves in alcohol, which is why a marker maker's own stain guidance for fabric and upholstery relies on rubbing alcohol. Plain water barely moves it. A wet cloth mostly smears it wider.
Dry erase marker on a couch
First check the cleaning code tag. On codes that allow solvent (S or W/S), blot the mark with a sponge dampened with rubbing alcohol, changing to a clean area of sponge often. Then use an upholstery or rug shampoo per its directions, and a spot remover if a trace remains. That's the marker maker's upholstery method.
Use as little liquid as possible so it doesn't soak into the cushion, and test the alcohol on a hidden spot first. For X-coded fabric or a large mark on a light couch, call an upholstery cleaner. See dry erase marker on a couch.
Dry erase marker on every surface
The method changes with the surface: fabrics can soak, carpets and mattresses can't. Pick yours for the full steps.
By situation
Dried marks
Dry erase ink dries quickly, so most marks are already dry when you find them. The alcohol method is the same; fresh marks just lift faster.
It went through the wash or dryer
Repeat the alcohol blotting and an oxygen bleach wash. Marks that have been through a hot dryer may only lighten.
White versus colored clothes
On whites, use oxygen bleach, or chlorine bleach if the label allows. On colors, test the alcohol first and use oxygen bleach only.
Acetate, silk, wool and dry-clean-only items
On acetate, dilute the alcohol with two parts water. Take silk, wool and dry-clean-only items to a dry cleaner.
What not to do
- Don't dry the item until the mark is gone. Heat sets ink stains.
- Don't rub with a wet cloth. Plain water doesn't dissolve the ink well, so rubbing only spreads it.
- Don't soak upholstery with alcohol. Liquid that reaches the cushion is hard to remove and can leave a ring.
Other methods that work
Hand sanitizer
It contains alcohol and is often suggested when you're away from home. No stain guide recommends it; treat it as traditional, with weak evidence.
Caution: The gel can leave residue. Test it, and wash the item afterward.
Upholstery or rug shampoo
After alcohol blotting, the marker maker's upholstery method uses an upholstery or rug shampoo to remove what's left.
Caution: Check the couch's cleaning code and test first.
Stain still there?
A faint gray shadow is left
Repeat the alcohol blotting over fresh paper towels, then wash again with oxygen bleach.
The mark spread into a halo
Dissolved ink wicked outward. Work alcohol from the edge of the halo toward the center over clean towels.
Safety
- Rubbing alcohol is flammable. Ventilate and keep it away from flames.
Never mix cleaning products; see chemicals you must never combine.
Questions
Does dry erase marker come out of clothes?
Usually. Rinse in cold water, blot with rubbing alcohol over paper towels, and wash hot with detergent and oxygen bleach. Heat-set marks may only lighten.
How do you get dry erase marker off a couch?
Check the cleaning code, then blot with an alcohol-dampened sponge, follow with upholstery shampoo, and use a spot remover for any trace. Use as little liquid as possible.
Is dry erase marker easier to remove than permanent marker?
Often, because it's designed to release from surfaces. On fabric, both need rubbing alcohol, and extension guides warn that some permanent inks never fully come out.
Other dye stains
Sources
- Dry-Erase Markers on Clothing or Fabrics, Crayola (manufacturer stain-removal guidance)
- Dry-Erase Markers on Upholstery, Crayola (manufacturer stain-removal guidance)
- Stain Removal for Washable Fabrics (HE 2-840), University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service
- A General Guide to Stain Removal (Extension Bulletin E-1453), Michigan State University Cooperative Extension Service (archived bulletin)
Last updated . Methods are drawn from the sources above; how we research and check our guides.