Can you bring a dried-out magic marker back to life?

Factual Questions
1

I know you can add a bit of water to the back end (assuming you can open it) to get the ink sponge damp again, and start ink flowing. I have done this for years, with variable success (never great). I am guessing the biggest problem with the “water” method is that water isn’t the best thing to use.

So, what is, and does it vary by marker type?

For example, if I have a dry-erase board marker that is brand new, and someone doesn’t put the cap back on correctly and it dries out, can it be saved? Can you put a few drops of water, alcohol, or something else that will re-saturate the ink sponge/cartridge/whatever?

Would the same method work for all markers and pens? A permanent market, like a black sharpie, might require something different than what a dry erase marker does.

Anyone know?

Or are these things just lost causes and pitching them is the only real solution?

Thanks

2

Alcohol is a solvent that lets you clean up the ink that comes from permanent markers. It works pretty well on non-porous surfaces IME. Whether it helps or not inside the cartridge is a different matter. I’d try it before water though.

3

For water based markers you could also try white vinegar.

According to Wiki, for dry erase markers you can pull the tip of the marker off with pliers. Then remove the wick, turn it around, and put it back in. Replace the tip, and it should write.

They also suggest tying a piece of string to the end of the marker, and swinging it in a circle like a lasso. The centrifugal force should push the ink from the end back to the tip. Note: If you do this, make sure the cap is on.

4

Wow. Are markers really that expensive?

5

Well, for the dry-erase markers in particular, you can go through quite a lot of them in a short time. When the cap is left off, they dry out so fast it’s a wonder you can even write more than a few words with them. Those markers seem to have a half-life measurable in milliseconds.

6

I will try these methods and see how they work. I really like the string one… Will have to give the pen a whirl like a lasso!

I have never pulled a marker tip out, so I’d be curious as to how this method works. I have a few of these things dried out right now, so I’ll try pulling a tip out of one also.

I haven’t had luck finding the wiki you are referring to, so if you could supply a link I’d appreciate it.

I will probably find it as soon as I post this, but I figured I’d ask just in case I don’t.

I really stink at google-fu.

FTR, my personal motivation for this question was dry-erase markers, but I figured I’d ask for info on any types of markers/pens.

Dry erase markers dry out very fast. I never noticed this until my little tyke discovered the joy of dry erase markers. Often, the caps are not put back on tight enough, (or at all), which makes them die long before they should.

7

And for this reason, I’ve noticed that teachers get very possessive about their markers. If they would just leave markers in the classrooms for all the teachers in that room to use, then for sure some teachers will leave the caps off for too long or put them on too loosely, and they will dry out in no time. So teachers are always coming into classrooms and finding the markers there are already no good. So teachers get in the habit of bringing their own markers to class with them, and taking them with them when they leave the classroom.

8

For dry erase, I’ve found laying them on their side causes them to not work, but if you hang them tip down (a lot of dry erase sets have a case that sticks to the board that allows you to hang the markers), the last a pretty long time.

9

Acetone works OK in dry erase markers. Of course, it works best in those that have just dried out due to age, not those that have been used up.

10

This thread brings up some ideas that should be marketable to people who use dry erase markers regularly.

Replaceable ink cartridges. It would probably be much cheaper to produce just the ink cartridge sealed in cellophane (or some other polymer) that would be easy to pop the end of the marker out, remove the old cartridge, tear off the top of the replacement cartridge package, and drop the new one.

Personalized markers. If the cartridges are replaceable, they should be able to produce some personalized markers, either molded plastic, carved from wood, made from metal, or composites. The point is, if you could easily replace the ink cartridge, you can sell a more expensive marker, one that could be identified with the owner, very similar to expensive fountain pens.

Another million-dollar idea thrown to the wind…

11

Well, I tried both methods.

Fail X 2!

I did enjoy whirling the pen over my head, though.

I also flipped the tip, which is pretty straightforward, and once I looked inside the pen, I thought it would work. But I guess the ink in this particular marker brand dries out very quickly. When I turned the tip, there was ink on the tip, but it only lasted for a small time. Once the ink was used up, no new ink was drawn into the tip from the cartridge.

I whirled the pen a second time, with the tip flipped, to tey and push the ink into the flipped tip, but no success that way either.

I now have it hanging point down in my garage as an experiment to see if I can get the ink back into the tip. I figure it is dead, but it isn’t hurting anything hanging there. The marker was only a week old, and there seems to be plenty of ink left, but unless I can figure out a way to make it flow into the tip, it’s gone. <RIP>.

Another dry erase marker dead before its had a chance to live. (sniff)
Where would I find acetone? Not that I am interested in bringing this one marker back to life (God knows, I tried) but if it is cheap and readily available, maybe I’ll pick some up the next time I’m out and keep it handy for the inevitable next time.

Dry erase markers have to have the greatest profit margin of any ink-based product. Whenever they die, people just assume the cap was not put on tightly by someone else, and in the trash it goes.

If the manufacturer decided to put half the ink in each marker, who would actually know? I know this is the longest I’ve ever tried to resuscitate one.

Conspiracy!

12

You can get acetone at any drugstore. It’s sold as nail polish remover.

13

Acetone is sold by the gallon in paint departments of Walmarts, Lowe’s, and the like. Nail polish remover has other stuff in it besides acetone, usually.

14

Typical nail polish remover does contain other things, but pretty much everywhere that sells it also sells 100% acetone with the nail polish removers (you need 100% for removing acrylics and gel polish). Walmart’s house brand Equate sells a 12 oz bottle for 97c. For such a small and experimental application, it’s far cheaper than buying by the gallon.