How to Remove Marker Stains From Clothes

First: water-based or permanent marker?

This is the decisive first step. Water-based marker (most kids' felt-tips and 'washable' markers) lightens and transfers when you dab it with water. Permanent and whiteboard markers are alcohol- and solvent-based; they barely move with water and need alcohol to release. If the pen says 'washable', you are in luck – the job is far easier.

Water-based marker: often just cold water and detergent

If the marker is water-based, you usually get off lightly. Act before the stain dries in.

1. Rinse from the back under cold running water so as much colour as possible is pushed out.
2. Work in a little liquid detergent or washing-up liquid and let it sit a few minutes.
3. Wash as normal; an oxygen-based bleach can lift residue on white or colourfast fabric.

Permanent marker: dissolve with alcohol – without spreading it

Permanent marker is really dye dissolved in a solvent, so you have to dissolve it again with alcohol. The technique matters as much as the product: it is all about leading the colour down into a cloth, not out into the fabric.

1. Place a clean, white cloth or paper towel UNDER the stain – this is where the colour should travel.
2. Dampen a cotton bud or cloth with isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol), hand sanitiser or another alcohol-based product.
3. Dab – do not rub – the stain from the back, so the marker releases and is drawn down into the cloth beneath.
4. Move the garment to a clean part of the cloth often, so you do not paint the colour wider or create a ring.
5. Work from the outside of the stain inwards, and repeat with a clean cloth until no more colour comes off.
6. Then wash the garment as normal.

Acetone and colour risk – always test first

Acetone (nail-polish remover) is stronger than alcohol, but it dissolves acetate and can strip the fabric's own dye. Always test on a hidden seam first, never use it on acetate or delicate garments, and ensure good ventilation. Whatever the solvent: the cloth underneath and the 'work inwards' method are what stop the stain spreading into a pale ring.

Never apply heat until the marker is completely gone

Do not tumble dry or iron the garment while any colour remains – heat sets the marker permanently. Air dry the garment and check in daylight before you apply any heat at all, and repeat the treatment if a shadow is left.

When should the marker stain go to professionals?

If permanent marker sits on silk, wool, acetate, coloured or valuable fabric – or the stain has dried in – you can send the garment to us. Wherever you are in Norway, we treat the stain according to the fabric and its care label, using the right solvent in a gentle way. You order online, and you see the price before you order.

Frequently asked questions