• I have a pretty strict rule around here involving permanent markers like sharpies. Personally I love sharpies and could use them for lots of fun things, but I have a two year old. A mischievous two year old who manages to get into anything that is not intended for him to get into. For example, the day of the sharpie. This day will forever live in infamy around here. It started out as any other day might. And just like many days, I had to use the restroom. Now I know what you’re thinking, a stay at home mom using the bathroom? I’m just asking for trouble. When I returned from my thirty second pee break my beautiful son had managed to sharpie my entire living room. The walls, the carpet, the couch, the tv stand, his clothes, and his adorable stinker face.

    I tried a lot of Internet suggested remedies to get things clean. Some worked, and some did absolutely nothing. I imagine that results will completely depend on the surfaces and finishes that were written on.

    First off, I tried a magic eraser on everything. This helped remove some spots and lessened others. It wasn’t full proof, but I figured it was a great place to start. My tv stand is made of solid wood. It is actually an old dresser. The best solution here was rubbing alcohol. Just a small amount on a dust rag helped to wipe it right off.

    Next up was my carpet. My first choice was boiling water. That just seemed to spread it, so don’t do that. A small line of marker is much better than a pool of it.

    Finally I used white vinegar here. I poured it straight onto the offending spot and then used clean towels to blot out the sharpie. It took a while, and lots of reapplications but it did finally come out.

    His cute shirt, which I must add was brand new, was a different story. The white vinegar didn’t help much here. Different fibers I suppose. The first thing I read suggested Purel. This worked like a charm! I do have to wonder if that would have worked on the carpets too.

    The walls came mostly clean with the magic eraser, what didn’t come off that way was easily removed with baking soda and water paste. Thank goodness I (I probably would have had my husband do it) didn’t have to repaint!
    The only thing that I was not successful at removing paint from was his face. It was too dangerous to try various chemical solutions. So, we just had to wait that one out. It took about three or four days, gradually fading with each bath.

    So now you know why we simply do not allow sharpies in our home. I cannot guarantee my success or patience if this incident were to be repeated.