How to remove marker stains from clothes

Marker on clothes is a fairly common and fixable occurrence, although it does add extra hassle. There are many products that can clean things from its traces, and which can be easily used at home.

Removal from white clothes

To remove marker stains from light-colored fabric, you can use the following steps:

• Apply a small amount of 3% hydrogen peroxide to the problem area. The product will bleach the stain without damaging the clothing. Then the item should be washed. This method is simple and effective.
• Press a sponge soaked in purified gasoline (from any hardware store) onto the stain. After 25-30 minutes, wash the item, adding a small amount of stain remover to the powder. The product can even erase traces of a permanent marker.
• Soak cotton wool in alcohol and treat the contaminated area, then wash it.
• Acetone or solvent are suitable if the marker has a paint base. Wipe the blot with a swab soaked in an aggressive liquid, then rinse thoroughly in cool water.
• Soap plus hydrogen peroxide equals a good cleaner. Use a piece of cotton wool soaked in hydrogen peroxide to treat the “artwork” on the front and back of the garment. And once the marker stain disappears, wash the item thoroughly in warm soapy water. This is an effective method that is great for removing “water” stains.
• A combination of vinegar and baking soda is good to use only for white clothes. Option 1: Mix the components in equal quantities, for example, a teaspoon each, and apply to the fabric during the reaction (it will fizz). Option 2: first sprinkle the stained area with soda, and then wet it with acid. Then wash the clothes in the machine.
• Whitening toothpaste will help remove marker stains from fabric. Gel toothpaste is not suitable for this. Leave the paste on the stained area for 20-30 minutes. Then try to scrub it off by hand and put the item in the washing machine.
• Stain remover or bleach intended for white clothing is used for soaking. For best results, a small amount of these products is added during washing. Using oxygen bleach at home helps get rid of marker stains on white fabric quickly and effectively.

To avoid damaging your clothes with yellow stains, use gasoline or alcohol with caution. For this purpose, it is best to test their effect, like other substances, on an inconspicuous area of ​​the item before use.

To check the reaction, apply a small amount of the product to the underarm area of ​​the garment, to the hem or to the area under the collar, the inner seam. If the structure of the fabric and the color have not changed, you can safely use the selected composition to remove stains.

In order for the method of removing marker marks to show good results, it can be repeated several times. The desired effect is not always achieved the first time.

Verified by the editors

A white T-shirt (95% cotton, 5% elastane) has a green marker (base unspecified). Attempts were made to remove the colored stripe:

1. Oddly enough, the result is zero.
2. The stain has spread a bit, lightened (see photo), but it is far from ideal. Perhaps if I cleaned it longer, it would disappear.
3. Laundry soap. The result is noticeable almost immediately. It would be good to use one with a whitening effect, it would be much faster.

Conclusion: regular laundry soap should always be in the house, along with bleaching soap. More details about the method below.

Removing streaks and blots from colored items

There are several effective means that can clean marker stains from colored clothes. You just need to choose the most convenient one:

• Pre-soak the stained item for 20 minutes in a stain remover or other product designed to remove stains from colored fabrics. Then wash.
• If the marker is chalk-based or water-based, dishwashing detergent can help remove its marks from clothing.
• Tar soap, like the following substances, is suitable for removing unnecessary “decorations” on clothes left by an alcohol-based marker. It is recommended to soap the contaminated area with it and leave it for half an hour to act. Then follow with regular washing.
• Apply glycerin to the stain and leave to soak in. After an hour, wash the item in warm water with 1 tablespoon of regular salt added.
• Mix 10 tablespoons of vinegar well in a three-liter jar with water. Soak the dirty spot in the prepared solution for 2-3 hours and periodically wash it, remembering to protect your hands with rubber gloves.
• Spray a small amount of hairspray onto the marker stain. Before the liquid dries, blot it with a cotton pad. The dye will come off with it.
• Salt, purified gasoline, and alcohol-containing substances are also suitable for removing paint from alcohol markers.

Universal remedies

You can wash marker off clothes using laundry soap or vegetable oil. It is rightly believed that they successfully cope with stains on any fabric.

• Laundry soap is suitable for removing traces of “water” or chalk-based markers. Rub it on the stained area and leave for a few minutes. Then rinse the item.
• Vegetable oil is especially effective in combating “oily” stains. Wipe the dirty area with cotton wool/sponge soaked in it. After an hour and a half, sprinkle this area with soda and rub it in with a brush. Then wash the item in a convenient way.
• A fresh stain is removed much faster. It is removed immediately with nail polish remover, cologne or alcohol. Soak the stained area with the product, placing a piece of old fabric underneath it. The paint will dissolve and “transfer” to the substrate.

You can’t smear a marker stain with a cotton swab. The movements should be soft and precise, as if the cleaning agent is being driven into the fabric.

From velvet, satin, silk and other delicate materials

Here are some ways to help remove marker from delicate clothing:

• Mustard can be used to clean woolen items. Mix mustard powder with water until a paste forms, which is then applied to the stain. The dried mass is removed along with the dye.
• A silk product can be cleaned using a tampon soaked in turpentine. Blot the stain several times, then wash it out with laundry soap.
• To clean satin, mix equal parts of milk, lemon juice, vinegar and borax. Leave the mixture on the stain for 30-40 minutes, then blot and rinse thoroughly.
• Velvet can be cleaned with citrus juice, which removes dyes well. Soak the desired area in it, wait for a while, and then wash the item.
• On denim clothing, marker stains can be erased with acetone, then blotted with a dry napkin and washed.

Markers are often used at work and at home. It is not always possible to handle them carefully, but removing marks from clothes, as you can see, is not at all difficult. If there is a risk of ruining your favorite thing, it is better to seek help from a dry cleaner.