how do you get dry erase marker off the wall without taking the paint off too?

Lauri - posted on 09/14/2012

Ok! My 4 yr. old just drew blue hearts all over my house. Pictures, head boards, treadmill, mirrors,walls, doors, blankets, floors, toys, dad's computer!! Everywhere! The kid's and I tried everything from WD40, dish soap, bleach, toothpaste, proactive!! Finally we did the alcohol and ureka!! We got it all off. It was almost effortless with alcohol. Sooo happy...my lil one got off with a scolding whew...no fun though.



Alcohol # 1 tyr it first before you damage the wall anymore.

Maryellen - posted on 01/08/2009

Magic eraser! It got black sharpie off of my WHITE kitchen cabinets...my husband had to scrub a little but it came off...

Pinkie - posted on 01/08/2009

Magic eraser! It takes permanent marker off the wall without taking the paint off! I was so surprised it will take almost any type of writing off!

Karen - posted on 01/08/2009

Quoting Mariah:

how do you get dry erase marker off the wall without taking the paint off too?

Help! My son just wrote all over my wall with a dry erase marker! How do I get it off? I just used some soap and water but it won't budge! UGGG...

Have you tried Magic Erasers - they seem to get everything off - just make sure you rub gently as they can take off your paint especially if it is an eggshell finish.  Good luck.

Tiffany - posted on 01/07/2009

wd40 works awesome on it.... had a toddler I babysat get ahold of a black one while she was supposed to be napping and I ran quick to go pee.... she got both sides of my hallway wall the carpet and a coffee table.... Her nickname was Taz (as in Tazmanian Devil)... anyway I sprayed it on and let it sit for maybe a minute.... then it wiped right off

Tammi - posted on 01/07/2009

hairspray works great, it will also take ink out of cloths too, so when he moves on to drawing on himself and his cloths like mine did just sray on rub gently and rince with water

Tammi - posted on 01/07/2009

hairspray works great, it will also take ink out of cloths too, so when he moves on to drawing on himself and his cloths like mine did just sray on rub gently and rince with water

Mariah - posted on 01/07/2009

Thanks for all the advise. I didn't have any of the magic erasers that the majority of you recommended. Since we have been slammed with snow and ice blizzards I really didn't feel like going shopping. (Gotta love Wisconsin). Anyway...I ended up trying the cleaner that came with the dry erase board. I sprayed it on a dry rag and scrubbed. It took some elbow grease but it took all the marker off and left my paint intact.

Mariah - posted on 01/07/2009

Thanks for all the advise. I didn't have any of the magic erasers that the majority of you recommended. Since we have been slammed with snow and ice blizzards I really didn't feel like going shopping. (Gotta love Wisconsin). Anyway...I ended up trying the cleaner that came with the dry erase board. I sprayed it on a dry rag and scrubbed. It took some elbow grease but it took all the marker off and left my paint intact.

Jocelyn - posted on 01/07/2009

i think that the mr. clean erasers work for everything! they even have them in different colors now to help with different types of dirt. you can also try 409 or maybe even windex.  one other solution is go on line and find the dry eraser company and see what it suggests. good luck

Mandi - posted on 01/07/2009

mr clean eraser...... you can even buy the fake one from dollar general.. It works on EVERYTHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mandi - posted on 01/07/2009

mr clean eraser...... you can even buy the fake one from dollar general.. It works on EVERYTHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sherienne - posted on 01/06/2009

God love him!!! Try aerogard spray it works wonders Good luck

Hollie - posted on 01/06/2009

My son drew all over his bedroom walls and furniture with a black permanent marker. I used magic eraser to get it off of the furniture, but my mother in law used comet cleaner to take it off the walls. When she was done scrubbing, I couldn't see anything left. I had tried the magic eraser on the walls, but it didn't work. Good luck!

Dina - posted on 01/06/2009

They make a dry erase pen called a Dry Erase Dr. It is for if someone writes with a permanent marker on a dry erase board. I have found that it works when Dry Erase wont come off an item.

Rebecca - posted on 01/06/2009

The magic erasers do tend to take off paint if you scrub too hard, so does goo gone. My husband is a painter and he just suggests to prime and repaint. But I would try those other ideas first on an inconspicuous spot on the wall.

Wendy - posted on 01/06/2009

try WD40 or the magic eraser from arm & hammer I think

Silvia - posted on 01/06/2009

Magic eraser? But all depends the type of paint you have...It works wonders for everything!

Debbie - posted on 01/06/2009

Those Mr. Clean Magic Erasers work great! My niece did that with perm. marker & it cleaned it all off the wall. Welcome to the joys of toddlers!

Beverly - posted on 01/06/2009

Try rubbing alcohol, we used it to get permanent marker off of xray films. I don't know if it will work but give it a shot. 

Judy - posted on 01/06/2009

Do yourself a favor and invest in a very inexpensive package of Mr. Clean's Magic Erasers. They are available anywhere that cleaning products are sold. They work on everything! Please write back and let us know what you think. Just so you know, I have no connection with this product other than I LOVE IT and don't know what I would do without it! Good luck! Judy

Wendy - posted on 01/06/2009

The magic erasers work but if you don't have any on hand my mom always used toothpaste to take pen and crayon off the walls when I was little, just rub lightly with whatever you use otherwise it will take some of the paint off but it isn't noticable if it's just a little bit!

Gena - posted on 01/06/2009

i've never tried it, but i hear white bread gets inks and crayons off the wall... i think you use it kinda like the magic eraser??

Kacie - posted on 01/06/2009

Have you tried Magic Erasers be Mr Clean?  I've never tried it for this, but it seems to take off everything else without removing paint!

Julie - posted on 01/06/2009

Have you tried the mr clean magic eraser?  My daughter wrote on everything in her room with chalk including the walls and carpet and it took it off no problem.  Well not the carpet but the walls anyway.   It seem like the eraser takes off anything.  Good luck! 

Jennifer - posted on 01/06/2009

Try using rubbing alcohol

Amy Thomas - posted on 01/06/2009

Have you tried the goo-be-gone? I have used it on my carpets and doors.. it works pretty well to get rid of stains and marks. I also suggest the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. That thing is a live saver!! Good Luck!

Jessica - posted on 01/06/2009

MAGIC ERASERS are my friends!!!! They work on everything!

Ashley - posted on 01/06/2009

The magic eraser should do it.

Jen - posted on 01/06/2009

I've used the magic eraser to before. But it may remove some paint depending in the type of paint and how hard you scrub.

User - posted on 01/06/2009

I took red dry erase marker off my wall with nail polish remover just last week!

Andrea - posted on 01/06/2009

If the magic eraser didn't work - try spraying hairspray on it. It works on all kinds of ink. After the stain is gone water takes any hairspray residue away easily.

Jenni - posted on 01/06/2009

Yep ~ these ladies just read my mind! I was also going to suggest the magic eraser....they have worked amazing wonders in my household with three little boys! Good luck!

Laurie - posted on 01/06/2009

Mr. Clean ORIGINAL magic erasers are probably your best bet. Try it in a small spot first -- they work great for crayons I know that :) Good luck. Let us know how it goes.

User - posted on 01/06/2009

Quoting Mariah:

how do you get dry erase marker off the wall without taking the paint off too?

Help! My son just wrote all over my wall with a dry erase marker! How do I get it off? I just used some soap and water but it won't budge! UGGG...

Have you tried using a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser?  I don't know for sure that it will work for this but they have worked wonders on many other things on our walls.