Removing Pen Marks from Walls

Updated on February 18, 2013
T.W. asks from Winter Park, FL
15 answers

My son drew all over the wall with a ball point pen. Blue ink. The wall surface is painted drywall. I tried scrubbing it with a sponge using hot soap and water and an all purpose cleaner like Fantastik. It does nothing.

He also drew all over his whiteboard with a ball point pen, I can't get that off either.

Anyone know what might work?

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R.K.

answers from Appleton on

Hand sanitizer will remove ink. It may also remove the paint, so you will have to touch up the paint.

Updated

Hand sanitizer will remove ink. It may also remove the paint, so you will have to touch up the paint.

3 moms found this helpful

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☆.H.

answers from San Francisco on

Mr. Clean Magic Erasers

6 moms found this helpful
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☆.A.

answers from Pittsburgh on

Try hair spray . Try a Mr Clean Magic Eraser!

5 moms found this helpful

S.G.

answers from Grand Forks on

Mr. Clean Magic Eraser

4 moms found this helpful
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S.E.

answers from New York on

magic earser!.. i think its mr. clean.. my cousin used it to get pen off her car when her nephew decided it needed to be "pretty"

4 moms found this helpful
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K.N.

answers from Boston on

Not sure if or how it will work on a painted wall, but hairspray is great at removing ink from fabric. Maybe give it a try on a small area?

3 moms found this helpful

C.O.

answers from Washington DC on

Tracey:

I have used the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser.

The whiteboard might be history...once it gets hosed, I don't know how to fix that!!!

3 moms found this helpful
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S.H.

answers from Honolulu on

Rubbing Alcohol on a cotton ball.

Mr. Clean Magic Eraser

If you use the magic eraser on the white board, it may scratch it.

Both my kids have white boards. They ONLY use the dry erase pens on it. They know ONLY to use this pen, on the white board.
Even when my son was 4, he knew.
I just told my kids, and they understand.
I told them other pens are not to be used, on, the, white, board.
And I keep all their white board pens/erasers, in a "special" basket.
THAT is only, for, the, white, board.

IF the paint on your drywall is a "matte" paint, use the Magic Eraser on it. I do that on ours. And its fine.
IF the paint on the dry wall is a "satin" or "gloss" paint, then either the rubbing alcohol or the Magic Eraser, will work.

2 moms found this helpful
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G.B.

answers from Oklahoma City on

You are going to damage the surface of the drywall if you scrub, you might consider just getting some sealer paint then repainting it the same color it was.

1 mom found this helpful
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S.R.

answers from El Paso on

Magic eraser for the wall.

For the whiteboard... If Windex (or another glass cleaner won't do it) you COULD use acetone (fingernail polish remover) but it will probably damage the surface of the board and won't erase properly anymore. I think that's what I had to use when I was teaching and a student used a sharpie on my white board... :)

1 mom found this helpful
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A.C.

answers from Atlanta on

Magic eraser. I have actually used it for this purpose before.

1 mom found this helpful
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M.C.

answers from Washington DC on

Dawn liquid soap?
WD-40?

R.A.

answers from Boston on

Mr. Clean Magic Erasers.

I.X.

answers from Los Angeles on

rubbing alcohol can work. but I just do touch up paint when my kids draw on the wall.

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D.K.

answers from Cincinnati on

Milk removes ink stains. I have used milk to remove ink stains from whiteboards, plastic, clothing and walls.

For the whiteboard, lay it flat and pour a little milk over the spot that has ink. Wait for about a minute, then use a cotton ball to wipe it off. It does take some pressure to get it off (elbow grease). You may have to repeat several times. It only take a little milk for each rubbing.

For plastic toys or a wall (not covered by wall-paper), just put the milk directly on the cottonball and wipe. This will take a lot of elbow grease, but it does eventually take the pen ink off.

I know you didn't ask about ink on clothing, but I thought I would include it because milk really does wonders for getting ink out of all sorts of things. As for clothing, I have had numerous black and blue ink stains on shirts and skirts. Soak the clothing in milk over night. The next day rinse the milk out with water, lightly rubbing the fabric together. If the stain is still there. Repeat the whole process. I once had a huge red ink stain on one of my skirts. My friend's child was playing with stamps and ever so graciously decided to stamp Winnie the Pooh's face on my skirt. My friend felt awful and gave me money to buy a new skirt, but I couldn't find the exact same skirt. It was one of my favorites. So, I tried the milk. I used a litter of milk, and it took about five days of soaking. The stain completely came out though. I had to run the skirt through the washing machine a few times to get rid of the milk smell, but I had my favorite skirt back.

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