Feeling bad about getting a permanent marker stain on your clothes? Permanent marker stains are tough to remove and tend to stick around for a while longer than welcomed.
The good news is that you can remove these stains and you don’t have to feel bad about them anymore. Just because the marker is permanent, doesn’t mean that the stain has to be too. There are many ways you can remove the permanent marker stains from the clothes!
One great agent to remove permanent marker stains is hydrogen peroxide. Hydrogen peroxide is known for its cleaning properties and other uses that make it the agent of choice for thousands of people.
Due to its oxidizing and bleaching properties, hydrogen peroxide can remove the permanent marker stains from your clothes in no time!
Removing Permanent Marker From Clothes
That permanent marker stain looks really bad, doesn’t it? Thankfully, there are so many agents that can help you get rid of those stains.
The key to removing the permanent marker stains is the application of solutions that are supposed to break down oils and alcohols in the stain through any mechanism. Those tough stains might be not so tough to remove after all. Let’s get into discussing how you can remove permanent marker stains from clothes!
#1 Using Hydrogen Peroxide to Remove Permanent Marker Stains From Colored Clothes
When it comes to removing resistant stains such as permanent marker stains from your colored clothes, hydrogen peroxide might be your best shot.
This chemical has oxidizing properties that break the bonds between color-causing compounds on a molecular level and destroys these stains from within. Hydrogen peroxide is an unstable compound that immediately splits and forms OH radicals on contact.
These OH radicals prove to be the oxidizing agents that perform miracles when it comes to cleaning as well as disinfecting. This agent can make the permanent marker stains stay only temporarily on your clothes!
What You Need
- Hydrogen Peroxide
- A Clean Cloth
How To Use
- Apply a generous amount of hydrogen peroxide to the clean cloth and dampen it as much as possible
- Now start blotting the stain with hydrogen peroxide and keep doing that for around 5-10 minutes
- You would find the stain to be gone by now or at least lightened
- Now, you can run it through your normal washing cycle and see if the stain is removed. If it isn’t, you can repeat this process.
Things To Consider
- The amount of hydrogen peroxide should be generous because we want the cloth dampened enough to be able to absorb the color of the stain
- When using hydrogen peroxide on your cloth, apply it only to a small part of the cloth in order to make sure that the color isn’t fading.
#2 Using Hydrogen Peroxide to Remove Permanent Marker Stains From White Clothes
Your white clothes don’t have to stay dirty anymore because hydrogen peroxide is here to help. The white clothes get very prominent stains and if swift action is not taken, then these stains may become permanent.
It must come as no surprise that you can use hydrogen peroxide to remove permanent marker stains from your white clothes. The best part is that you don’t have to worry about the color fading when using hydrogen peroxide on white clothes. Let’s find out the most efficient way to remove these stains!
What You Need
- Hydrogen Peroxide
- Rubbing Alcohol
- 2 Clean Pieces of Cloth
How To Use
- Apply hydrogen peroxide on a clean cloth in generous amounts
- Scrub the stained area with a clean cloth
- Now add rubbing alcohol to another clean cloth
- Scrub the stain again with it
- Allow your clothes to dry and run them through the washing machine.
Things To Consider
- Be careful while scrubbing the clothes and scrub it gently in order to not damage the actual fabric
- Observe the usage of gloves while using these chemicals because they can be harmful if exposed to skin or eyes
#3 Using Oxygen Bleach Remove Permanent Marker Stains From Clothes
Oxygen Bleach is not as strong an agent as its corresponding agent chlorine bleach, but that is what makes it the perfect agent to be used for your clothes without making the actual color fade away. The best oxygen bleach to use is Oxiclean.
Oxiclean contains hydrogen peroxide as a major component of it, hence it is pretty much understandable why oxygen bleach is such a great cleaning agent. Let’s find out how you can use this agent to remove those pesky permanent marker stains.
What You Need
- Oxygen Bleach
- Water
- Bucket
How To Use
- In a bucket, add oxygen bleach, and water and allow them to mix well
- Now soak your stained clothes in the solution for around 1-2 hours
- Take your clothes out and allow them to dry
- As an additional step, you can also run the clothes in your washing machine
- The stain should be gone by now. If it isn’t, then you can repeat this process
Things To Consider
- Oxygen bleach should be used in an appropriate amount and a concentrated solution would work best to remove the stains
- Oxygen bleach should not be ingested in any way or form because it can be damaging to your body
#4 Using Rubbing Alcohol to Remove Permanent Marker Stains From Clothes
The easiest and simplest method to remove permanent marker stains from clothes is the application of rubbing alcohol on them.
The rubbing alcohol breaks up the polymers that have bound the dye to the fabric and this allows for the proper dissolution of these stains.
Most permanent marker ink stains are alcohol-based, and the basic mechanism of action of alcohol is to dissolve these stains. This is why it is a very effective method to clean these stains up in no time!
What You Need
- Rubbing Alcohol
- Paper Towels
How To Use
- The first step is to locate the stain and spread the cloth on an even surface
- Now apply a generous amount of rubbing alcohol to a paper towel
- Use that paper towel to clean the stain by light dabbing
- Start from the edges of the stains and move towards the center in concentric movements
- As soon as you see the stain fading away from the clothes and transferring to the paper towel, pick up the next paper towel and use that
- Now that you’ve removed the stain, let the clothes be run in a washing machine and the stains would be gone in no time!
Things To Consider
- Put a paper towel under the stained part of the cloth so that the stain doesn’t transfer to the other surface
- Avoid ingestion or exposure of rubbing alcohol to sensitive areas such as eyes because it can irritate them
#5 Using Toothpaste and Hand Sanitizer to Remove Permanent Marker Stains From Clothes
This may seem like an unlikely duo but it works effectively because of the different properties that both of these solutions bring.
Toothpaste has alkaline properties that work on the bonds of these permanent marker stains while hand sanitizer has alcohol in it which dissolves the stains once the stain has been broken down by the toothpaste.
This paste that you’re gonna make can be used to also remove other stains too just because of the effectiveness of these chemicals as cleaning agents.
What You Need
- Toothpaste
- Hand Sanitizer
- Cotton Balls
- Paper Towels
How To Use
- You should start by applying hand sanitizer to the cotton balls
- Lightly dab the stain with these cotton balls and let the stain be transferred to them
- After repeating this 2-3 times, now you should apply some toothpaste to the stained area with your fingers
- Let the toothpaste stay for 10-15 minutes
- Now use paper towels to remove the toothpaste
- Run the clothes in a washing machine now
Things To Consider
- The toothpaste that you’re using should be non-gel type because it would allow for easier spreading and removal of the stains
- If you want, you can also use toothpaste with baking soda and make a paste out of them
Why Are Permanent Marker Stains Hard To Get Rid Of?
The reason permanent marker stains are so hard to get rid of is that they are made from such strong components that can easily penetrate the cell walls and cellulose of the plants.
This is an effective property that allows them to stay permanent on paper because paper and other dying materials are made up of plant-based products. This imparts them with a great penetrating capability and they settle in the clothes really well.
The other factor that might be contributing to its resistance to removal is that the ink has a high affinity for the fibers of clothes and these pigments immediately settle in the clothes and stay there.
The longer they stay over there, the more difficult it gets to remove these stains because they bind more strongly to the fibers of the fabric.
This also explains why time is a key deciding factor for the removal of these stains. If you want these stains gone, it is best that you act fast and swiftly instead of waiting for the appropriate time.
How To Remove Sharpie Stains Fast?
The fastest methods for removing the sharpie stains are the application of hydrogen peroxide and rubbing alcohol.
This method is simple and effective because of the useful mechanisms of action of hydrogen peroxide and rubbing alcohol.
Hydrogen peroxide destroys the stain-producing compounds while rubbing alcohol dissolves them and helps your clothes get rid of them. Together, this duo works to remove these sharpie stains and result in your clothes looking as fabulous as they used to!
The Best For Removing Permanent Marker From Clothes — Hydrogen Peroxide
When it comes to removing any stain, hydrogen peroxide is the agent of choice just because of the multifaceted usage it provides.
Hydrogen peroxide has a few properties that make it the most useful agent in removing permanent marker stains from clothes.
1) Oxidizing Powers
Hydrogen peroxide is an unstable compound and has one extra oxygen than water. As soon as hydrogen peroxide is allowed to expose to a surface, it breaks up into OH radicals. These OH radicals are highly penetrating and unstable molecules that can effectively destroy the stains.
The OH radicals work by penetrating these alcohol or oil-based ink stains and breaking down their color-causing compounds. Once these compounds have been broken down, they lose their ability to cause stains, and hence these stains are removed
2) Hard On The Stains But Soft On The Clothes
Hydrogen peroxide is the perfect agent because it is hard on stains and soft on the clothes. What that essentially means is that hydrogen peroxide doesn’t destroy or ruin the material that it is being applied in any way.
Hydrogen peroxide removes the stain without causing any damage to the clothes because it simply isn’t capable of doing that. Due to these properties, hydrogen peroxide can remove permanent marker stains from clothes effectively and efficiently.
3) Bleaching Powers
Hydrogen peroxide has bleaching powers and whitens your dirty clothes because of those. Though the mechanism is due to the characteristic OH radicals it produces, the best part is that these bleaching powers can whiten your white clothes and return their original shine.
The Ideal Hydrogen Peroxide Concentration To Remove Permanent Marker?
The ideal hydrogen peroxide concentration to remove permanent marker stains is a 3% solution. This 3% solution is widely available in the market and it is the perfect concentration to be used for your household cleaning purposes.
A 3% solution is strong enough to destroy the stains but not strong enough to negatively affect the surface it is being applied upon, which makes it unique and the perfect agent to be used.
This 3% solution could be effectively used to remove these permanent marker stains and allow your clothes to look beautiful again!
Follow Safety Precautions While Handling Chemicals!
While it is understandable that you require these cleaning agents for the removal of these tough stains, you need to heed necessary precautions in order to prevent any dangers from befalling you. Here are some precautions that you can observe:
1) Usage Of Gloves
Exposing chemicals like hydrogen peroxide, bleach, or rubbing alcohol to your skin or eyes does not seem like such a good idea. The usage of gloves is the perfect solution to this problem because it can protect you from the harmful effects of these chemicals
2) Avoid Ingestion In Any Form
Any cleaning agent should not be ingested in any form and while it makes perfect sense that you as an adult would never do that, the toddlers in your house aren’t smart enough to know that.
No cleaning chemicals should be just lying around and they should be kept at a safe height in order to avoid any exposure. Ingesting these chemicals can cause oxidative stress to your body and harm your actual functioning organs.
3) Be Careful With The Concentration
Before using any chemical cleaning agent, please read the concentration of the solution. If by mistake, you bought the chemical agent that has a higher concentration than required for household use, it can practically destroy the surface it is being applied on rather than just clean the stain.
You should always read labels and be cautious about the concentration of chemicals you’re using.
The Final Verdict
Permanent marker stains are easy to get but hard to remove because they settle in the fibers of the clothes and need proper cleaning agents in order to dissolve them.
These stains are usually oil-based or alcohol-based and require such agents for their effective removal.
Hydrogen peroxide is one great agent to remove these stains. Though it would require some time and patience from your side, you can use this agent to get rid of these stains because of its oxidizing and bleaching powers.
What are you waiting for then? Order your set now and make cleaning easier!
