# how to whiteboard markers work?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-whiteboard-markers-work/248725>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 4, 2004, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-whiteboard-markers-work/248725 "2004-06-04T23:06:11Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![stapel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a698b9/32.png) [@stapel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stapel)\
**Post date:** [June 4, 2004, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-whiteboard-markers-work/248725/1 "2004-06-04T23:06:11Z")

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What is different about whiteboard markers that makes them eraseable, where other markers will leave permanent marks on a whiteboard? I have not been able to locate an answer elsewhere online.

Thanks in advance for any info and/or URLs.

Eliz.

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**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\
**Post date:** [June 5, 2004, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-whiteboard-markers-work/248725/2 "2004-06-05T03:16:36Z")

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I can’t find a cite offhand that lays it all out as such, but my understanding is that the permanent markers like Sharpie markers use solvents like xylene and toluene, whereas the whiteboard markers use alcohol or water as a solvent. Also, the whiteboard surface is specially prepared to repel the marker, although it will stain if you leave it on there long enough, like for a week.

So basically it’s a combination of a different solvent, and a specially prepared surface, that makes whiteboard markers erasable.

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**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\
**Post date:** [June 5, 2004, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-whiteboard-markers-work/248725/3 "2004-06-05T03:23:38Z")

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Off topic but, if you use the wrong marker on a whiteboard you can remove it by scribbling over it with a whitboard marker and then rubbing it off with a rag or rubber or whatever.

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**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\
**Post date:** [June 5, 2004, 6:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-whiteboard-markers-work/248725/4 "2004-06-05T06:52:50Z")

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> [@Duck Duck Goose](#):
>
> …the whiteboard markers use alcohol or water as a solvent.

\<sniffs\> WHOOOOO!! That’s not alcohol! Or at least it’s not rubbing or drinking alcohol. \<sniffs again\> WHOOO!

Whatever it is, it’s fairly slow to evaporate. Just today, I grabbed a whiteboard marker to cross out the previous line on an inter-office envelope, and the smell lingered for about a minute.

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**Author:** ![stapel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a698b9/32.png) [@stapel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stapel)\
**Post date:** [June 6, 2004, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-whiteboard-markers-work/248725/5 "2004-06-06T23:18:24Z")

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What then is the solvent for transparency/overhead markers? I know they have water-based (or water-soluble?) ones, where you can clean the sheets with water (but also smear your work with your sweaty little hand) and alcohol-based (or alcohol-soluble?) ones, where your writing won’t smear, but you need drug-store alcohol to clean the sheets.

I don’t think you can use the water-based overhead markers on a whiteboard, though…

Eliz.