If you are a first-time parent, it is no doubt that seeing your child picks up a crayon or marker for the first time can be such an unforgettable experience! From there, you may just let their imagination run wild. From drawing doodles to coloring, it can be such an exciting sight! Nevertheless, once they begin writing or drawing on just about everything including your walls, your enthusiasm can instantly transform into distress. No matter how many coloring or drawing books you give your child or how many times you try to convince him or her to stop this behavior, a small child will surely insist to brighten up your walls. Because permanent markers are produced to be non-removable, they can lead to serious difficulties when they get on interfaces they are not deemed to be placed on. This can be aggravating if you have a small kid who is fond of drawing on your walls. All the more so if you have wrongly identified your permanent marker for a whiteboard marker and given this to your child. However no need to fret, even these doodles using permanent markers should not have to detract from the aesthetic of your home. Fortunately, even if your child makes a tough mess, there are different ways how to remove marker stains on your walls. In this article, we will look into proven ways how to remove marker stains on your walls without sacrificing your home’s aesthetic.
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But before anything else, good preparation is a necessity! The first step in how to remove marker stains on your walls is to be certain that your walls are free from impurities. To end up making stain removal from walls simple and easy, make sure you have stripped away all residue from dirt and grime. You should utilize a cloth where you can target the debris and opt for a broom with soft bristles in the areas where you cannot reach it. Similarly, a good quality dust mop can be extremely useful for this purpose. Then, open up a window, turn on ceiling fans, and leave the doors open to achieve better ventilation. Use protective clothing, which includes rubber gloves, to lessen marker ink residue from minimally staining your hands.
Here are five ways how to remove marker stains on your walls:
Clean cloth and soapy water
Wipe the wall gently with a cloth and soapy water. It is strongly advised that you use dish soap to wipe down marker stains on your walls without damaging the paint. Dish soap is not strong enough to destroy paint, but it will surely make your walls clean. To make this mixture, fill 3/4 of a bowl with warm water. Add some dishwashing liquid soap to the bowl of water and thoroughly mix it until all of the liquid soap has dissolved. Next, soak a sponge in the bowl. Then, use this to clean the walls gently. Since sponges are not rough, these will surely not scrape the paint off your walls. When cleaning, squeeze the sponge to draw the dirty water out on a regular basis. If the marker stain is still new, this method may succeed. However, when rubbing walls, exercise extreme caution. If you rub excessively hard, you risk damaging the paint on your walls.
Baking soda and water mixture
Baking soda is a useful household item for removing permanent markers from walls. Baking soda is widely considered to be an effective cleaning agent due to its ability to eliminate stubborn stains. Baking soda can be used to produce a cleaning solution paste or sprinkled directly on the wall surfaces and scrubbed. Combine 3 parts baking soda and 1 part warm water to make a cleaning paste. Apply the paste to the permanent marker stain and rub it away gently. The paste rubs away the marker stain but is great enough not to destroy the paint on your wall. It may take some effort, but the permanent marker stain will surely bring you a spotless wall. To remove the baking soda residue, wash the wall art with a soft cloth and normal water.
Baking soda and toothpaste mixture
Toothpaste and baking soda may appear to be an odd pairing, but admit it or not, baking soda and toothpaste make an excellent stain remover. Do not consider using gluey gel toothpaste because this will not work. White toothpaste or baking soda toothpaste is strongly advised for this mixture. To help eliminate undesirable marker stains from the wall, the toothpaste contains an additional layer of grit as well as cleaning and whitening agents. In a small container or bowl, combine the toothpaste and baking soda in equal parts. Using a toothbrush, cotton ball, or your finger, slowly and carefully scrub the mixture over your permanent marker stains. Allow it to rest in a tiny space for a couple of minutes before rinsing it with clean water. Get ready to put in some effort with this strategy.
Toothpaste and lemon mixture
Another combination that may seem unusual is toothpaste and lemon juice. This mixture can be efficient at eliminating permanent marker stains from your walls. The combination of these two is impactful enough to remove several stubborn stains. Again, it is best to opt for white toothpaste rather than gel toothpaste for this to be effective. To make the mixture, start with a small bowl of warm water. Then, mix in a small amount of white toothpaste. Afterward, add your lemon juice to the mixture. For most circumstances, one lemon will suffice, so make sure to squeeze it thoroughly. Upon incorporating the lemon juice, mix the two together with a spoon. Ensure that they are completely mixed until the toothpaste has completely dissolved. The cleaning mixture should then be applied to the marker stains on your walls. You can do this by using either an old toothbrush or a cotton swab. In either case, immerse the toothbrush or the swab in the mixture completely. Begin gently scrubbing the walls. You may have to soak the brush several times and scrub vigorously. After scrubbing for a while, it is best to thoroughly rinse the toothbrush or cotton swab in a bowl of warm water. This is carried out to reduce any remnants of stain remover and stains from the bristles or cotton, making it more impactful.
Alcohol
To eliminate marker stains from your decorative wall, your last option is to use rubbing alcohol. Since alcohol could fizzle or permanently damage the walls, this should only be done as a last option. Rubbing alcohol is a convenient and practical method for removing permanent marker stains from walls. Isopropyl alcohol is a powerful stain remover that works effectively. Using a reasonable amount of rubbing alcohol, dampen a clean dry cloth. Keep wiping the stain away until it is gone from the wall. Then, using a clean cloth and water, gently scrub down the wall.
Getting to know how to remove marker stains on your walls can be extremely useful, especially if you have a young toddler in the house. Just about all parents are aware of how powerful a marker could be once it is used by a small child. And even though your child used a permanent marker, this does not entail you need to have a lasting memory of what they did. While there are available methods for how to remove marker stains on your walls, expect that there is also an increased tendency to develop damage to the paint of your walls.
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Written by MC Sanchez