How to remove dry erase marker from clothes
To remove dry erase marker from clothes, rinse the mark under cold water until no more color runs out, then lay it on paper towels and blot it with rubbing alcohol, changing the towels as ink transfers. Finish with a hot wash using detergent and oxygen bleach. Whiteboard ink is made to wipe off smooth boards, but on fabric it lodges between the fibers, and alcohol is what redissolves it.
- Best method
- Cold rinse, rubbing alcohol blotting, 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 and paper towels
- Laundry detergent
- Oxygen (color-safe) bleach
How to remove dry erase marker from clothes
- 1
Rinse with cold water
Hold the stain under cold running water, from the back if you can, until no more color is coming out. Don't rub it with a wet cloth.
Why: Cold water flushes out loose colorant that hasn't settled into the fibers. Rubbing would spread it instead.
- 2
Test the alcohol on a seam
On colored clothes, dab a little rubbing alcohol on an inside seam and blot with a white towel to make sure the fabric's own dye doesn't come off.
Why: Alcohol dissolves some fabric dyes as well as marker ink.
- 3
Blot with rubbing alcohol on paper towels
Lay the stain on a pad of paper towels and saturate it with rubbing alcohol on a cotton ball, pressing and blotting rather than rubbing. Replace the towels as they pick up color.
Why: Alcohol redissolves the ink so it moves into the towel. Fresh towels keep it from being pressed back in.
- 4
Wash hot with detergent and oxygen bleach
Wash in hot water, or the hottest the care label allows, with laundry detergent and a color-safe oxygen bleach, then rinse in warm water.
Why: The wash carries out alcohol and loosened ink, and oxygen bleach breaks down the last of the color. This follows a marker maker's own stain directions.
- 5
Air-dry and check
Hang the garment to dry and check the spot in daylight. Repeat the alcohol and wash if any color remains.
Why: Dryer heat can set leftover ink.
Why a marker that wipes off a board stains your shirt
Dry erase ink is designed to sit on top of a smooth, non-porous whiteboard so it can be wiped away. Fabric is the opposite: it's porous, so the colorant slips between the fibers where a dry wipe can't reach it. That's why rubbing it with a cloth or tissue only smears it.
A marker maker's fabric stain directions rely on rubbing alcohol, consistent with an alcohol-soluble ink. The approach is close to the one for permanent marker, with one difference: the maker's directions start with a cold rinse to flush out loose color before the alcohol.
By situation
Dried dry erase marker
Dry erase ink dries in seconds, so most marks are already dry. The method is the same: cold rinse, then alcohol blotting, then a hot wash. Fresh marks just lift a little faster.
It went through the wash or dryer
Repeat the alcohol blotting and the hot wash with oxygen bleach. Marks that were heat-set in the dryer may only lighten rather than disappear.
White vs. colored clothes
On whites, use oxygen bleach, or chlorine bleach if the care label allows it. On colors, test the alcohol on a seam first and use oxygen bleach only.
Delicate fabric and dry-clean-only items
On acetate, dilute the alcohol with two parts water to one part alcohol. Silk, wool and dry-clean-only clothes should go to a cleaner, with the stain pointed out.
Marker on a fabric couch or chair
Upholstery can't go in the washer, so the approach changes: blot with a sponge dampened in rubbing alcohol, then use an upholstery shampoo, after checking the cleaning code. See dry erase marker on a couch.
What not to do
- Don't rub the mark with a wet cloth. Plain water doesn't dissolve the ink well, and rubbing spreads it.
- Don't dry the garment until the mark is gone. Heat sets ink stains.
- Don't use undiluted alcohol on acetate. Alcohol can damage acetate fibers unless diluted with water.
Other methods that work
Hand sanitizer
Alcohol-based sanitizer is often suggested because it contains alcohol. It's traditional, with weak evidence, and no stain guide recommends it.
Caution: The gel can leave residue. Rinse well and wash afterward.
Prewash stain remover
Extension guides suggest a prewash stain remover for ink stains in general; no source covers dry erase ink specifically. Apply it before the hot wash if you don't have rubbing alcohol.
Caution: Follow its label time and test on colored fabric first.
Stain still there?
The mark spread into a blurry patch
Keep blotting with alcohol over fresh paper towels, working from the edges in, then wash.
A faint shadow remains after washing
Repeat the alcohol blotting and wash again with oxygen bleach, air-drying in between.
Safety
- Rubbing alcohol is flammable. Use it in a ventilated room away from flames.
Never mix cleaning products; see chemicals you must never combine.
Questions
Does dry erase marker come out of clothes?
Usually, yes. A cold rinse removes some of it, and rubbing alcohol followed by a hot wash with oxygen bleach removes most of the rest.
How do you get dry erase marker out of fabric without alcohol?
Rinse with cold water, apply a prewash stain remover, then wash hot with detergent and oxygen bleach. Alcohol is the sourced method, so expect slower results without it.
Is whiteboard marker permanent on clothes?
No. It's made to be erasable on boards, and on fabric it generally lifts with rubbing alcohol and a hot wash, though heat-set marks can linger.
Can I just wash out dry erase marker?
A plain wash may not remove it. Rinse and treat with rubbing alcohol first, then wash with oxygen bleach, and air-dry to check.
Dry erase marker on other surfaces
Other stains on clothes
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)
- Marker pen, Wikipedia
Last updated . Methods are drawn from the sources above; how we research and check our guides.