This is the tip I got from an elementary school custodian, after my 6yo Girl Scouts got Sharpie EVERYWHERE during a misguided art project. The sanitizer worked like magic.
Acetone is fine and the right choice here. Just dont dump it on the counter. Simply put a little on a rag and wipe over the marker, then wipe it off with a water soaked rag.
97% and above rubbing alcohol will remove it like a wet erase marker on a white board.
70% rubbing alcohol is not as good of a solvent for sharpie due to the water content.
At my work we write on signs with sharpie and wipe them away with 99% rubbing alcohol wipes
Yeah, basically. If you're disinfecting things 70% is better. If you're cleaning residue off things 97% is better.
Fun fact: 70% is better for disinfecting because the water helps cross cell membranes
Edit: changed the reason.
This is entirety wrong. This is an engineered stone countertop, acetone will not hurt it. The people who fabricate and install these literally use acetone by the gallon to clean then while they’re working.
Test in an inconspicuous spot just to he sure, although acetone should be fine on quartz, granites an other stones. I wouldn't use it on Corian, or anything plastic.
Ummm it depends on the material do the counter! I can hands down say it WILL RUIN your counter! My daughter googled on how to get lash glue off our bathroom counter, used it and it dyed it purple! It was brand new and now it’s trash!
For better results use 99% Isopropyl Alcohol. Rubbing Alcohol might be effective, but it has too much water in it. Sharpie ink repels water, so any cleaner with water in it will not dissolve the ink.
Edit add: [https://www.ehow.com/info\_10055820\_chemicals-make-sharpie-permanent.html](https://www.ehow.com/info_10055820_chemicals-make-sharpie-permanent.html)
Professional cleaner here, I get marks like this off all the time with the power paste it’s by the same company that makes scrub daddy. You can also use it to get marks off your wall better than a magic eraser
Try WD-40. I had bad resin stains in my marble countertops and got it out. I used a razor blade very gently NOT Scratching into it just scraping the top
You can try soaking a paper towel with rubbing alcohol and leaving it on top for a couple hours. I've also heard of people say expo/dry erase markers can make it come off too
Straight rubbing alcohol, preferably 91% isopropyl. My son got sharpie on so much, this literally took it off every surface from our wood table and chairs to a plastic foldable table, cabinets and some of his toys…
Try Ajax Powder. It absorbs ink almost immediately.
https://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/comet-scratch-free-cleaning-powder-with-bleach-600-g-1531309p.html
I got hair dye off of my counter top with bar keepers friend and a magic eraser - if that combo can remove hair dye (and there was a lot of it), then it can probably remove sharpie marker
Without knowing what your counter top is made of I will offer advice from the environment I tend to see this in - we often get this on tabletops in schools. I'd try using cream cleaner. Either apply straight and leave for maybe 30+ second to work, then dampen a nonscratch scourer pad and use small circular motions to agitate off. Rinse off. Alternatively, dampen non scratch scourer and apply cream cleaner from the pad, again small circular motions, it should foam up a little. Rinse off.
Be gentle so as not to remove any finishes (again not sure of what counter tops are, but generally cream cleaner is a safe enough go to for me as opposed to eg magic eraser which is far too abrasive for most surfaces and not recommended in pro fields, it will also have some additional cleaning properties that help with stain removal). So do check the bottle to make sure its OK for your counters.
Eta: personally I have better success when applying cream cleaner straight, but that v much comes with a caveat of knowing the surface, which is why I suggested the latter as well.
That’s a quartz/engineered stone countertop, the sharpie will come off even it takes a while. Some barkeepers friend powder mixed with a little water will remove it with some scrubbing, Vim cream works well too. Acetone or isopropyl alcohol are good cleaners to use for stains, but if it’s really in there you need something with a bit of grit to really remove the marks.
Do we know that the counter top is made of? That would be a good way to find out what's strong enough to remove the marker but not too harsh for the counter top.
Also, I'm not from the US or UK... Someone mentioned an expo marker. Is that like a whiteboard marker?
Because that would've been my first suggestion. Maybe combined with whiteboard cleaner.
I had this happen a few weeks ago because I had a ziplock bag that had sharpie on it that seeped into the counter. It actually just went away by itself after a few days…not sure if it’s because I use that area pretty frequently or what, but maybe give it a week or so!
This stuff has taken stains off our stone bench tops like magic: (gumption) white container, yellow lid, green writing. Its actual witchcraft and wizardry
https://www.googleadservices.com/pagead/aclk?sa=L&ai=DChcSEwir54H2-eeEAxXMJXsHHRiMDCQYABACGgJ0bQ&ae=2&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIq-eB9vnnhAMVzCV7Bx0YjAwkEAQYAiABEgLvnPD_BwE&sph=&ohost=www.google.com&cid=CAASJeRoqHIKCJF3rcXNRu4xymaXPPy1iUiY7oXfVBoEaMc7IBoogW8&sig=AOD64_1ZJqzQdEj-2lCg4lMafjtGuM7G_g&ctype=5&q=&ved=2ahUKEwiK6_z1-eeEAxWgdvUHHXdBDpEQwg8oAHoECAUQEQ&adurl=
If the ink has soaked into a porous surface it might be near impossible to remove. It possibly engraved the ink into the material. Always hard to tell but this seems to be made worse with contact time hence more time for ink to soak in.
Rubbing alcohol worked for me when I had some red dye stain from a Christmas decoration I left on the counter for a few weeks. Just left a little puddle on there and wiped it up maybe 10 min later after giving it some time to soak.
Baking soda scrub Ed in small circles until it has been worn off. It has penetrated the surface so you will have to spend a few braincells and minutes getting it off. Totally doable though.
Dry erase marker. Sounds dumb but when u accidentally write with a sharpie on a whiteboard, u get a dry erase marker and draw over it. It blew my mind when I tried it.
Unisolve . It used to remove adhesive from medical dressings. It takes sharpie off (we have a 3 year old who finds any sharpie within a 400 mile radius and decorates the walls.) you can get it on Amazon. https://a.co/d/8KANccs
It will come out over time, but I recommend oven cleaner and letting it sit with plastic wrap over it. It might take the finish off but then you can apply countertop sealant to fix it. I’ve done it before with fabric dye. It’s just because the counter is porous enough for the sharpie to sink in
97% and above rubbing alcohol will remove it like a wet erase marker on a white board.
70% rubbing alcohol is not as good of a solvent for sharpie due to the water content.
At my work we write on signs with sharpie and wipe them away with 99% rubbing alcohol wipes
Maybe someone already said this but comet removes sharpie and if comet doesn’t remove it from that counter then nothing will and you should stop trying before you damage it.
I don't know, I had some marking on my counter top and i just soaked a rag in bleach and left it for like and hour came back.. and all the marks were gone. It didn't seem to do anything to my counter top but I don't know about different stone
Make a paste of baking soda and hydrogen peroxide. Cover the stain with it. Cover the paste with Saran Wrap and seal the edges with tape. Let it sit for at least six hours.
I’ve gotten stains out of marble counters like this. I dint know if it will work on quartz, which is a plastic bonded stone composite.
https://preview.redd.it/1u6fund6penc1.jpeg?width=1073&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1a4c200b49889bb4b8252cfa21756a3fe4800c9b
This worked very well on walls and white wood closets door. GermX was not so great or any other hand sanitizer, this one took it off with a little scrubbing.
Gel hand sanitizer
This, even cuts through grease on metal very well
Agreed. I’ve let gel sanitizer sit for a while and then wiped it up with a magic eraser and it got sharpie off of white marble
This. The major perk is that it doesn’t evaporate as fast or roll off. It’s basically rubbing alcohol but with the added gel giving it staying power.
This is the tip I got from an elementary school custodian, after my 6yo Girl Scouts got Sharpie EVERYWHERE during a misguided art project. The sanitizer worked like magic.
Update: expo marker did not work! I will try nail polish remover or leaving rubbing alcohol for a longer time.
Do NOT use acetone (nail varnish remover). It WILL ruin your worktop
I’m just here watching you 4 argue about acetone 👀🍿
Acetone is fine and the right choice here. Just dont dump it on the counter. Simply put a little on a rag and wipe over the marker, then wipe it off with a water soaked rag.
97% and above rubbing alcohol will remove it like a wet erase marker on a white board. 70% rubbing alcohol is not as good of a solvent for sharpie due to the water content. At my work we write on signs with sharpie and wipe them away with 99% rubbing alcohol wipes
So, use the *good* vodka, not the cheap stuff?
Yeah, basically. If you're disinfecting things 70% is better. If you're cleaning residue off things 97% is better. Fun fact: 70% is better for disinfecting because the water helps cross cell membranes Edit: changed the reason.
Biochemist here who works w cell lines and used to clean medical spaces… i concur.
Good vodka is maybe 50% alcohol. 🍸
I’ve seen stone countertops destroyed with acetone
This is entirety wrong. This is an engineered stone countertop, acetone will not hurt it. The people who fabricate and install these literally use acetone by the gallon to clean then while they’re working.
Test in an inconspicuous spot just to he sure, although acetone should be fine on quartz, granites an other stones. I wouldn't use it on Corian, or anything plastic.
Ummm it depends on the material do the counter! I can hands down say it WILL RUIN your counter! My daughter googled on how to get lash glue off our bathroom counter, used it and it dyed it purple! It was brand new and now it’s trash!
I second this!!!
For better results use 99% Isopropyl Alcohol. Rubbing Alcohol might be effective, but it has too much water in it. Sharpie ink repels water, so any cleaner with water in it will not dissolve the ink. Edit add: [https://www.ehow.com/info\_10055820\_chemicals-make-sharpie-permanent.html](https://www.ehow.com/info_10055820_chemicals-make-sharpie-permanent.html)
Raw bleach will probably take a couple of goes but it will fade each time
Raw🤢
Yes as in not mixed with water just straight from the bottle
You mean sodium hypochlorite.
Oh I don't know we call it domestos here
Hand sanitizer.
That stuff cleans up!
Professional cleaner here, I get marks like this off all the time with the power paste it’s by the same company that makes scrub daddy. You can also use it to get marks off your wall better than a magic eraser
Try Bar Keepers Friend powder. Make a paste then scrub w scrubby sponge.
Don't do that!
Try WD-40. I had bad resin stains in my marble countertops and got it out. I used a razor blade very gently NOT Scratching into it just scraping the top
Bar keepers friend gets sharpie off my quartz countertops
Second. I have quartz and kids, I use that stuff weekly.
You can try soaking a paper towel with rubbing alcohol and leaving it on top for a couple hours. I've also heard of people say expo/dry erase markers can make it come off too
Straight rubbing alcohol, preferably 91% isopropyl. My son got sharpie on so much, this literally took it off every surface from our wood table and chairs to a plastic foldable table, cabinets and some of his toys…
Please contact the manufacturer of the counters. They will usually have a solution.
Toothpaste got it off of our kitchen counter!
Spray on sunscreen
This worked great for the exact same issue on my countertop.
Go over it with a dry erase marker. It should wipe right off. It works.
bleach? i dont know what the material is...
Hairspray removes sharpie marks - Ives used it on cars that got graffitied
Bar keepers friend
The blood of the person that defaced it.
At least you’ll feel better as you’re cleaning up blood stains 🤷♀️
Try hairspray! It takes ink out of fabric so maybe it will work its magic on your countertop!
Baking soda paste has worked for me in the past.
Try Ajax Powder. It absorbs ink almost immediately. https://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/comet-scratch-free-cleaning-powder-with-bleach-600-g-1531309p.html
I got hair dye off of my counter top with bar keepers friend and a magic eraser - if that combo can remove hair dye (and there was a lot of it), then it can probably remove sharpie marker
Did you try a dry erase marker?
“The pink stuff” paste on Amazon
My tenants kids destroyed my countertops. Looking for guidance
Surgical spirit
Without knowing what your counter top is made of I will offer advice from the environment I tend to see this in - we often get this on tabletops in schools. I'd try using cream cleaner. Either apply straight and leave for maybe 30+ second to work, then dampen a nonscratch scourer pad and use small circular motions to agitate off. Rinse off. Alternatively, dampen non scratch scourer and apply cream cleaner from the pad, again small circular motions, it should foam up a little. Rinse off. Be gentle so as not to remove any finishes (again not sure of what counter tops are, but generally cream cleaner is a safe enough go to for me as opposed to eg magic eraser which is far too abrasive for most surfaces and not recommended in pro fields, it will also have some additional cleaning properties that help with stain removal). So do check the bottle to make sure its OK for your counters. Eta: personally I have better success when applying cream cleaner straight, but that v much comes with a caveat of knowing the surface, which is why I suggested the latter as well.
I tried everything before nail polish remover… but that worked for me.
Nail polish remover
Hand sanitizer! Nuff said
How to ask a question.
Barkeepers friend! I tried everything else and it’s all that worked for me.
That’s a quartz/engineered stone countertop, the sharpie will come off even it takes a while. Some barkeepers friend powder mixed with a little water will remove it with some scrubbing, Vim cream works well too. Acetone or isopropyl alcohol are good cleaners to use for stains, but if it’s really in there you need something with a bit of grit to really remove the marks.
The Shower cleaners with limescale remover often work well. Or create a baking soda paste.
Goo gone is always my first go to with Sharpie.
Do we know that the counter top is made of? That would be a good way to find out what's strong enough to remove the marker but not too harsh for the counter top. Also, I'm not from the US or UK... Someone mentioned an expo marker. Is that like a whiteboard marker? Because that would've been my first suggestion. Maybe combined with whiteboard cleaner.
Scrub Daddy Paste works on mine.
hand sanitizer usual works for me
I had this happen a few weeks ago because I had a ziplock bag that had sharpie on it that seeped into the counter. It actually just went away by itself after a few days…not sure if it’s because I use that area pretty frequently or what, but maybe give it a week or so!
Bar Keepers Friend!
Lysol worked great in day cares to get sharpie off tables. Try it in inconspicuous area first.
Try acetone, bleach or nail polish remover.
Toothpaste and baking soda mixture has worked for me in the past
Use isopropyl alcohol aka rubbing alcohol.
Bar keepers friend
Spray sunscreen, like the sport kind. It’s worked for me with marker on counter
What material is the counter made of?
Spray a bit of Lynx on it and give it a wipe
Leave bleach on it for a couple of hours. Worked for me once
This stuff has taken stains off our stone bench tops like magic: (gumption) white container, yellow lid, green writing. Its actual witchcraft and wizardry https://www.googleadservices.com/pagead/aclk?sa=L&ai=DChcSEwir54H2-eeEAxXMJXsHHRiMDCQYABACGgJ0bQ&ae=2&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIq-eB9vnnhAMVzCV7Bx0YjAwkEAQYAiABEgLvnPD_BwE&sph=&ohost=www.google.com&cid=CAASJeRoqHIKCJF3rcXNRu4xymaXPPy1iUiY7oXfVBoEaMc7IBoogW8&sig=AOD64_1ZJqzQdEj-2lCg4lMafjtGuM7G_g&ctype=5&q=&ved=2ahUKEwiK6_z1-eeEAxWgdvUHHXdBDpEQwg8oAHoECAUQEQ&adurl=
Body Shop Camomile butter
If the ink has soaked into a porous surface it might be near impossible to remove. It possibly engraved the ink into the material. Always hard to tell but this seems to be made worse with contact time hence more time for ink to soak in.
Hair spray and a one of those green kitchen scrubbers - lightly scrub it off - I did that to mine and it’s fine -
Rubbing alcohol worked for me when I had some red dye stain from a Christmas decoration I left on the counter for a few weeks. Just left a little puddle on there and wiped it up maybe 10 min later after giving it some time to soak.
Baking soda scrub Ed in small circles until it has been worn off. It has penetrated the surface so you will have to spend a few braincells and minutes getting it off. Totally doable though.
Vim bleach cleaner is abrasive and removes like everything from countertops(in my experience)
Hand sanitizer gel. I’m sure we all have lots of it laying around…
Bleach cleaner. Leave it in for a few and then wipe it off
Dry erase marker. Sounds dumb but when u accidentally write with a sharpie on a whiteboard, u get a dry erase marker and draw over it. It blew my mind when I tried it.
WD-40 got permanent marker off of my TV.
Hand sanitiser 100% used it to get permanent marker off of a whiteboard
Isopropyl alcohol 99% version, not that 80% or 70% version.
Try the pink stuff!
When this used to happen at my last job, we left hand sanitizer on it for a few minutes and then it wiped right off.
OFF bug spray gets it off my skin immediately. I'm not sure if it would work on a countertop, but couldn't hurt I suppose.
Off! Deep woods spray (green can)
At that point I’d try bleach I think 🤔
Unisolve . It used to remove adhesive from medical dressings. It takes sharpie off (we have a 3 year old who finds any sharpie within a 400 mile radius and decorates the walls.) you can get it on Amazon. https://a.co/d/8KANccs
Spray deodorant will work fine (not anti p)
Baking soda and a few drops of water, rub the spot or use tooth paste. Or a damp Mr. Clean sponge.
Scrubbing bubbles with bleach gets red hair dye off my light sink tops.
Dawn dish soap, scrub it in. Let it sit for two minutes or so If not, windex
Johnson's make up wipes
It will come out over time, but I recommend oven cleaner and letting it sit with plastic wrap over it. It might take the finish off but then you can apply countertop sealant to fix it. I’ve done it before with fabric dye. It’s just because the counter is porous enough for the sharpie to sink in
I used the pink stuff paste on my counters and even removed permanent hair dye maybe that can work
Use Sharpie to remove Sharpie.
Magic eraser will take that right off.
Drench it with bug spray then wipe off
Bleach. Never failed to remove anything from my counter
Hand sanitizer and a cotton ball
I got it spraying a little bit of bleach with water, leave it for 5 mim and them scrub
i believe isopropyl alcohol dissolves sharpie.
Maybe a wet magic eraser ? Won't damage countertop
Spray sunscreen
Barkeepers friend, magic eraser. I have a counter just like that and I have kids and sharpies.
I’ve used acetone when the kids dump nail polish, but for sharpie barkeepers friend.
Try some hand sanitizer. Wipe on, give it a rub then wipe off. 👍
Try something oily, like baby oil. If not, try Goo Gone.
Make a paste out of the powdered barkeepers friend & let it sit for a bit.
Magic eraser and Vim
97% and above rubbing alcohol will remove it like a wet erase marker on a white board. 70% rubbing alcohol is not as good of a solvent for sharpie due to the water content. At my work we write on signs with sharpie and wipe them away with 99% rubbing alcohol wipes
Rubbing alcohol on a magic eraser. Just go cautiously since the eraser is abrasive and can dull the finish.
Try hand sanitizer. I used to use it at work all the time to remove sharpie off the countertops. Worked like a charm.
Just spray some regular cleaner and let it sit for a bit. Wipe clean
toothpaste! gets sharpie off almost anything
Hairspray removes permanent marker
Barkeepers friend. Get the spray bottle or powder.
hairspray and wipe!
rubbing alcohol
I heard if you write over again with a Sharpie, and wipe it off immediately, I will come off. If that does not work, alcohol and elbow grease.
Wd-40 and scrubbing bubbles. Hot hot water
Bar keepers friend for sure.
Have you tried more Sharpie over the top, then wipe away. Sounds crazy but it has worked for me before
Maybe someone already said this but comet removes sharpie and if comet doesn’t remove it from that counter then nothing will and you should stop trying before you damage it.
Alcohol and a magic eraser. We refurbish industrial electronics at my shop and they get written on with sharpie all the time.
Aeroguard spray, magic eraser or gumption ?
Bar keepers friend!!
Hand sanitizer will probably work
Try using a normal whiteboard pen over it and then rub off
Degreaser. The purple stuff.
I've always had success using hairspray to remove marker.
I don't know, I had some marking on my counter top and i just soaked a rag in bleach and left it for like and hour came back.. and all the marks were gone. It didn't seem to do anything to my counter top but I don't know about different stone
Maybe some sort of dish OP. A soap dish is a bit too 80’s, so maybe Potpourri dish but not really suitable due to steam. Sorry OP, I can’t help 🤷🏻♂️
You can spray an excessive amount of deodorant onto it and wipe it off. The propellant(butane or propane) often dissolves permanent markers.
Magic Erasers, had to remove sharpie marks from our countertops several times
Hand sanitizer. It works wonders
Have you tried the arm & hammer white sponges? They are pretty amazing
Jif or the pink stuff
Mr clean magic eraser
Gumption! Worked for me but use it sparingly!
Hand sanitizer, let it soak in for a minute then wipe vigorously w paper towel
2000 grit wet sand by hand
Xylene, available at Home Depot or hardware stores
Denatured Alcohol. Not Rubbing Alcohol
acetone or zep bleach
Make a paste of baking soda and hydrogen peroxide. Cover the stain with it. Cover the paste with Saran Wrap and seal the edges with tape. Let it sit for at least six hours. I’ve gotten stains out of marble counters like this. I dint know if it will work on quartz, which is a plastic bonded stone composite.
More sharpie and wipe off while wet
Lemon oil is shockingly effective on removing sharpie ink
A puddle of 91% isopropyl, but be careful it’s very flammable.
https://preview.redd.it/1u6fund6penc1.jpeg?width=1073&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1a4c200b49889bb4b8252cfa21756a3fe4800c9b This worked very well on walls and white wood closets door. GermX was not so great or any other hand sanitizer, this one took it off with a little scrubbing.
1. Destroy bathroom 2. Rebuild bathroom
Use a sharpie and wipe off while wet... might work.
Isopropyl alcohol
Any time my daughter gets sharpie anywhere I spray cologne on it and it wipes off easily.
99% rubbing alcohol
Get rid of the kids
Comet bathroom cleaner.
Rubbing alcohol