Marker on My Sofa!!

Updated on January 23, 2009
L.M. asks from Lexington, KY
15 answers

OK, despite my numerous requests for my 6 year old to keep the markers, scissors, pencils, etc. out of reach of my 1 year old there is now pink/red marker on my beige/brown chase. I need help! How can I get it out?

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M.T.

answers from Raleigh on

There is this stuff called Spot Shot. It works really well. I know it has gotten me out of more than one mess.

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C.D.

answers from Lexington on

You can try using rubbing alcohol. I've used it to get pen (rollerball gel ink) out of my carpet. Depending on how big the marks are you can wet a cotton ball, washcloth, etc. with the alcohol and DAB the ink spots until they come out. Keep using clean cotton balls or parts of the rag until the stain is removed.
Hope this works! C.

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E.M.

answers from Louisville on

if you call the place you got it from or the company who makes it they should be able to give you a cleaning kit. we had to do this with ours and it worked great. good luck

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A.K.

answers from Huntington on

Sol-U-mel. Best stain remover I've ever tried. It's made by Melaleuca and it's eco-friendly and natural. You can messege me for website info where you can purchase.

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J.S.

answers from Raleigh on

A friend of mine had this same issue...her son took a sharpie to their whole couch. She called a carpet cleaning company (like Stanley Steamer or something like that) who also does furniture. She said they came right out and got out all of the marker.

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B.L.

answers from Jacksonville on

Rubbing alcohol gets out non-permanent ink.

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D.E.

answers from Louisville on

I love a cleaner called Folex. It's described as an instant carpet spot remover, but I use it on my slipcovers and furniture all the time to clean stains (including marker). I have best results using the "stream" nozzle adjustment (versus the "spray" adjustment). Just spray a lot, agitate with your finger or small clean brush and spray more. Keep going until the stain is gone. You can also use to pretreat before washing in the laundry. Don't forget to test in a small area first before you use to make sure it won't affect you fabric color. I have 2 kids, a dog and white furniture. This cleaner has helped me keep my sanity. I usually buy it online, but I have seen it at Bed, Bath & Beyond and I think at Lowe's. Good luck!

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J.C.

answers from Greensboro on

goof off works great. got red nail polish off a white carpet.... good luck

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O.S.

answers from Charlotte on

i havent had this problem yet but my mom said to use toothpaste i dont know but im using her words

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L.D.

answers from Raleigh on

I have to agree with the Folex and Sol-U-Mel. Neither have ever failed me, although I've never tried Folex on furniture (but am sure it would work - just spot test the fabric.) Sol-U-Mel will absolutely get anything out - I used it to get nail polish off my hardwood floor with no damage to the floor finish, and I used it to get marker and paint off my daughter's white bedroom furniture (that had been on there for a couple of years) with no damage to the furniture. If you decide to buy some, go for the big bottle. It has tons of uses.

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C.S.

answers from Parkersburg on

If your sofa is some form of cloth, get cheap (cheaper the better) pump hairspray and saturate the area. Blot with a paper towel. Repeat. Shampoo once most of the color has lifted.

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V.C.

answers from Wheeling on

More info needed (material, kind of marker), but rubbing alcohol works on most permanent markers. Hairspray does work on BALL POINT pen ink (keep that in mind or future reference! LOL), and probably on markers, too. There's a carpet spray called 'Spot Shot' that I bought after a store demo showed it eliminating permanent marker stain (if you can find it). Even dry-erase markers are 'permanent' when used on absorbent materials (leather, cloth, paper, carpeting, etc).
Maybe you need a special room just for 'art projects'! LOL We kind of 'camped out' with 4 kids for 20 years and we still own the old house, but when our kids were little, we didn't painted the walls. We had spackled the drywall cracks, and the kids had fun scratching pictures in the plaster. (We never did paint the walls so we still have their 'artwork' memorialized! LOL)

Good luck and God bless!!

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J.S.

answers from Johnson City on

Hi, The original Mr. Clean Magic Eraser will take it out. I have 4 kids ages 16-6-3-2 and the magic eraser took out permanent sharpie marker from my couches and recliner. Just wet it like you would a sponge sqeeze out the excess water and scrub away. It will leave parts of the sponge on your couches, but you just vacuum them up afterwards. Hope this helps.

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A.H.

answers from Louisville on

Rubbing alcohol got marker off my sofa, but I have a dark sofa. You may want to test the color-fastness of the sofa in a hidden spot before applying where it can be seen.

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W.M.

answers from Louisville on

Either Tide Pen or hair spray and blot after a few minutes.
Good luck.
W. in Indiana

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