# Permanent marker removal **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 13, 2000, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/permanent-marker-removal/25449 "2000-07-13T16:23:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2000, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/permanent-marker-removal/25449/1 "2000-07-13T16:23:15Z")
Once upon a time, people wished they could write with an indelible ink that wouldn’t wash away. So permanent marker pens were invented. I now have a soccer ball covered with permanent marker (long story). And for once, a product lives up to it’s name. It’s resisted detergent and water, rubbing alcohol, mineral spirit paint thinner, and even acetone-based nail polish remover. But the ink itself in the pen has to be dissolved in _something_: benzene? carbon tetrachloride? What will remove permanent ink, and where could I buy it? P.S. Hopefully, I will never need ink that’s resistant to permanent-ink remover. ---
**Author:** ![Guy\_Propski](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/5e9695/32.png) [@Guy\_Propski](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guy_Propski)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2000, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/permanent-marker-removal/25449/2 "2000-07-13T16:28:01Z")
There’s nothing you can do, short of sanding it. The ink has, by now, soaked into the hide of the soccer ball, and is one with it. Gasoline might work, but it also will probably ruin the ball. ---
**Author:** ![Powers106](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c57346/32.png) [@Powers106](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Powers106)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2000, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/permanent-marker-removal/25449/3 "2000-07-13T17:06:31Z")
This isn’t quite the same, but if you accidentally write with permanent marker on one of those dry-erase boards, don’t spend your time trying to clean it off with alcohol. Just take one of the dry-erase markers and completely scribble over the permanent markings - just like magic, the permanent maker then wipes away easily with the eraser. Of course, I never told my boss about that trick and he was endlessly using the wrong marker - it was always good for a laugh to put a permanent marker within his easy reach. (yes, I was an accountant) :0 ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2000, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/permanent-marker-removal/25449/4 "2000-07-13T17:17:26Z")
See, what you do is get a permanent marker of the color you want the ball … ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2000, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/permanent-marker-removal/25449/5 "2000-07-13T23:27:12Z")
Ajax or another scouring cleaner does it. ---
**Author:** ![zev\_steinhardt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/97f17d/32.png) [@zev\_steinhardt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zev_steinhardt)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2000, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/permanent-marker-removal/25449/6 "2000-07-13T23:45:53Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by handy \* > \*\* > Ajax or another scouring cleaner does it. \*\* If that’s the case, then it’s not really a permanent marker… 😃 ::ducks for cover:: Zev Steinhardt ---
**Author:** ![ren](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ed655f/32.png) [@ren](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ren)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2000, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/permanent-marker-removal/25449/7 "2000-07-13T23:53:05Z")
> [@](#): > > If that’s the case, then it’s not really a permanent marker… Ahh, but it’s the _marker_ that’s permanent and not necessarily the _mark_. This is beginning to sound rather Zen. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2000, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/permanent-marker-removal/25449/8 "2000-07-14T00:18:50Z")
Hair spray works on ink-stained fabric – don’t know about your ball though. ---
**Author:** ![Lance\_Turbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lance_turbo/32/6156_2.png) [@Lance\_Turbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lance_Turbo)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2000, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/permanent-marker-removal/25449/9 "2000-07-14T00:48:30Z")
Are the permanent markings decreasing the functionality of the soccer ball? I say, just play with the ball. The markings will fade, and you’ll eventually wear out the ball from use alone. Then you can buy a mark free ball. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2000, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/permanent-marker-removal/25449/10 "2000-07-14T00:49:13Z")
Per Guy Propski’s post given the absorbent nature of soccer ball surface unless the ink is sitting on some shiny painted section you are probably screwed. You can use an SOS nylon scouring pad with embedded abrasives to remove surface ink but the ball will probably end up looking worse than with the marker. You might try white shoe polish as a covering agent but _removing_ the ink is nigh impossible without potentially damaging the ball. ---
**Author:** ![stuyguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@stuyguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stuyguy)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2000, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/permanent-marker-removal/25449/11 "2000-07-14T01:00:17Z")
I think all the previous posters (PPs? I like that. Is that a standard SDMS acronym? If not, lets make it one.) are barking up the wrong tree(s) by their suggestions of solvents and abrasives. I suggest another route: try a bleach. Good luck in any case. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2000, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/permanent-marker-removal/25449/12 "2000-07-14T02:18:15Z")
This won’t help on your soccer ball, but on non-porous surfaces like desks, you can moisten the surface (saliva works better than water, but don’t tell anyone I said that) and use an ordinary pencil eraser. ---
**Author:** ![dragonlady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5f8ce5/32.png) [@dragonlady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dragonlady)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2000, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/permanent-marker-removal/25449/13 "2000-07-14T04:42:45Z")
I’m with stuyguy, try Softscrub with bleach. I’ve also had great luck with Auntie Pams hairspray suggestion. Took silver spray paint out of a dark brown carpet. Really old, dried in, tried-to-steam-clean paint. Amazing! However, if the ball is leather instead of vinyl, I don’t hold out much hope. ---
**Author:** ![dragonlady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5f8ce5/32.png) [@dragonlady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dragonlady)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2000, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/permanent-marker-removal/25449/14 "2000-07-14T04:44:10Z")
Second thought… Can you scuff it up enough for shoe polish or leather paint to absorb? ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2000, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/permanent-marker-removal/25449/15 "2000-07-14T16:08:10Z")
Why not just get a pen, look at it, find the 800 nbr on it you can call, & ask them? too easy 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2000, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/permanent-marker-removal/25449/16 "2000-07-14T16:18:51Z")
I don’t know if it will work on the soccer ball problem, but I’ve had good luck getting stuff out of fabrics and off walls with a product called Goo Gone. It’s fun to say, too. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![mouthbreather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a698b9/32.png) [@mouthbreather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mouthbreather)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2000, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/permanent-marker-removal/25449/17 "2000-07-14T17:00:33Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by AuntiePam \* > \*\*Hair spray works on ink-stained fabric – don’t know about your ball though. \*\* Works fine on my balls. (Sorry, I couldn’t resist)