First few minutes
Just happened? Do this first
- Rinse the spot with cold water right away.
- Blot with rubbing alcohol on paper towels, working from the edges in.
- Don't rub; change the towels as color transfers.
Dry erase marker on clothes soaks into the fabric fibers instead of sitting on the surface, so a mark on a shirt or a pair of jeans can spread fast. Rubbing alcohol is what lifts the color, and it works best on a fresh mark, though a dried one can still come out with patient blotting on clean towels.
Blot from the back of the fabric so the ink pushes out instead of deeper in, especially with dry erase marker on jeans or a shirt. Keep swapping in a clean towel as the color lifts. A black or red mark can take a few extra rounds before it fades.
Before you start
What clothes can take
Safe to use3
- Water
- Soaking
- Enzyme cleaners
Use with care6
- Hot water
- Chlorine bleach
- Oxygen bleach
- Solvents (alcohol, spot removers)
- Acids (vinegar, lemon)
- Scrubbing and abrasives
Avoid1
- Heat, once the stain is out
5 items
What you'll need
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- Rubbing alcohol (70% isopropyl or 90% denatured)The solvent that lifts the ink when it is blotted. (opens Amazon)
- Cotton ballsApply the alcohol to the mark without soaking the whole garment. (opens Amazon)
- Clean paper towelsThey absorb the color as it moves, and you get a fresh surface each time. (opens Amazon)
- Laundry detergentFor the hot wash once the stain is gone. (opens Amazon)
- Bleach for colored clothingOnly if the fabric is colorfast and the care label allows it. (opens Amazon)
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6 steps
Step by step
Step 1 of 6
Test the alcohol on a hidden spot
Start with a small test on a hidden seam or the inside of a hem. Use 70% isopropyl or 90% denatured rubbing alcohol with no added color or fragrance, and wait a moment before you decide. If the color lifts, the fabric dulls, or the texture changes, don't use alcohol on this item.
Careful. Alcohol damages acetate, triacetate, modacrylic and acrylic fibers.
Step 2 of 6
Rinse the loose ink with cold water
Hold the stained area under cold running water, with the water running through from the back so the ink isn't pushed deeper. Keep rinsing until no more color comes out of the fabric. Keep the water cold at this stage, since heat is what sets marks in place.
Tip. Work over a sink or basin so the rinse water doesn't carry color onto the rest of the garment.
Step 3 of 6
Blot the mark with rubbing alcohol
Lay the fabric flat on a stack of paper towels with the stain facing up. Dampen a cotton ball with alcohol, saturate the mark, and blot it, working from the outer edge toward the center so the color doesn't spread.
Careful. Keep alcohol away from open flames and use it with good ventilation.
Step 4 of 6
Keep blotting on fresh towels
Replace the paper towels as often as needed, since the color moves onto them as you blot. Keep going with a fresh cotton ball or a clean section of towel until nothing more transfers when you press the towel on the spot.
Tip. Fold the towel to a clean section every few presses so the stained part isn't pressed back onto the fabric.
Step 5 of 6
Rinse the area with water
Once the color has stopped transferring, rinse the area with water so the alcohol doesn't stay in the fabric. Check the spot in good light before you move on, since a faint tint can still be there.
Step 6 of 6
Wash in hot water, bleach last
Wash the garment in the hottest water the care label recommends, with laundry detergent. Add the bleach for colored clothing to that wash, since it is the last treatment after everything is rinsed out, then rinse in warm water.
Tip. If color is still visible after the wash, go back to the blotting rather than trying something harsher.
Careful. Use bleach only on colorfast items whose care label allows it, and never at full strength.
If you'd rather buy than mix
Best products for dry erase marker on clothes
You only need plain rubbing alcohol with no added color or fragrance, plus an all-fabric oxygen bleach if you're treating colored clothes. Specialty marker removers aren't needed, since rubbing alcohol lifts the marker.
Shout Triple-Acting Laundry Stain Remover
Clorox 2 Laundry Stain Remover and Color Booster Powder, 49.2 Ounces
How we picked these: each product is made for this type of stain, its maker doesn't warn against using it on clothes, and its directions fit the steps above.
Finished the steps? How does it look?
Nice work. Let it dry completely and check it again in good light before using any heat. Here is what done looks like:
How to tell it's really gone →A faint mark usually needs one more round, not a stronger product.
See what to do for what you're seeing →If the stain was already dried or set, the method changes.
Old, dried or set-in stains →When to call a professional →How to tell it's working
The spot is ready for the wash when a clean paper towel comes away with no color on it. Check the area in good light, because a faint tint can still show through after the rinse, and if it does, go back to blotting.
What changes for yours
Adjust for your clothes
Fabric, cloth, and clothing
Ink on any porous fabric sinks into the weave, so the blotting has to do the lifting rather than the rubbing. Only tough, durable fabric can take firmer dabbing, so keep the pressure light on everything else.
Cloth items like tablecloths or bags get the same steps, but check the care label for the wash temperature before you use the hottest setting.
Jeans, shirts, and pants
Denim and other heavy cotton can take a little firmer blotting than thin shirts, so you can press a bit harder there. For pants, slide a stack of paper towels inside the leg so the mark doesn't transfer to the back layer.
If the marker has gone through to the other side, blot from that side too, using clean towels each time. Check the pocket linings as well, since ink can smear onto them during the rinse.
White, light-colored, and cotton clothes
Cotton and light fabrics show leftover color quickly, so check the paper towels and the fabric closely as you blot. Cotton also handles the hottest wash the care label allows, which makes the final hot wash the one that clears up what's left.
On white items, chlorine bleach is an option at the last step if the care label allows it and the fabric passes a bleachability test. Otherwise, use an all-fabric oxygen bleach.
Black or red markers
On colored fabric, rubbing alcohol can react with untested dyes, so the hidden-spot test is required before any blotting. Pick a seam or the inside of a hem, and stop if the color lifts or the fabric changes.
Expect the mark to take more blotting than it would on white fabric, and keep the paper towels fresh so color doesn't come back onto the garment.
School clothes and sunscreen
Where the mark happened doesn't change the method, so school, sunscreen, or where you live all follow the same steps. Time is the thing that changes the picture, since a mark that has been through the dryer or sat for days turns into a set-in stain.
If sunscreen or lotion is on the fabric too, do the hidden-spot test before the alcohol touches the area and stop if the fabric reacts. Check the spot after every wash, because a faint shadow is easier to lift before the next cycle.
Bright-stick markers
A mark from this kind of marker is still a dry-erase ink on fabric, so it gets the same treatment as any other. Start with the hidden-spot test and the cold rinse, then move through the blotting and the wash as written.
If the fabric is a synthetic type that alcohol can damage, stop there and take the item to a dry cleaner. Stop and call a professional if the color doesn't lift after a couple of rounds of blotting.
Old, dried or set-in stains
Old marks are harder than fresh ones because the ink has had more time to soak into the fibers, so expect more rounds of blotting. Start the same way, with the hidden-spot test and the cold rinse, before you try anything stronger.
For dried ink, keep blotting with rubbing alcohol on clean paper towels and replace them until no more color transfers, then rinse with water. Repeat the whole sequence rather than adding heat or a harsher product, since each round can lift a little more.
If the item has been through the dryer or an iron, the stain may be set, and you may not get all of it out. Results vary, so judge the spot by whether any color still transfers to the towels; a faint shadow may be all that's realistic to expect.
Vinegar, baking soda, peroxide and more
Do home remedies work on dry erase marker on clothes?
Many household products get suggested for marker, but only a few suit fabric safely. Here's how each one fits, and why only some made it into the steps.
Works1Skip5
Chemical safety
Never mix these
Some products in this guide react dangerously with each other. Use them one at a time and rinse with water in between.
Chlorine bleach + Rubbing alcohol
Bleach and rubbing alcohol can form chloroform, which causes dizziness, nausea and loss of consciousness.
If they mix by accident: Stop and add nothing else; leave the area for fresh air, open windows and keep children and pets away; call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222, or 911 if anyone has trouble breathing.
What makes it worse
Mistakes to avoid
Don't dry or iron the stain
Heat sets the marker into the fabric, and once it's set it may become impossible to remove. If the spot still shows after washing, go back to blotting instead of reaching for the dryer or iron.
Don't reach for acetone or nail polish remover
Acetone and nail polish remover dissolve acetate, so they can ruin the garment as well as the mark. Stick with the alcohol and the blotting, and check the fiber content before you try anything stronger.
Don't follow alcohol with chlorine bleach
Bleach and rubbing alcohol form chloroform, so never use them on the same spot. Rinse out every remover fully before you move on, and never mix ammonia with chlorine bleach because the fumes are toxic.
Don't try milk or bar soap
Milk adds a protein stain on top of the ink, and bar soap sets many stains when rubbed in. The cold rinse and alcohol blotting are the methods that actually lift marker.
Troubleshooting
If the stain is still there
Pick what you're seeing:
Color keeps coming out onto the towels
That is a good sign. Keep moving the stain to a clean section of towel and blotting until no more color transfers.
A faint ring formed around the spot
The alcohol pushed a little ink outward. Blot the ring itself with alcohol, working from its outer edge toward the center, then rinse and wash again.
The stain survived the wash
Don't dry it. Repeat the alcohol blotting on fresh paper towels, rinse, and wash again.
The garment is dry-clean only
Skip home treatment and take it to a dry cleaner promptly, ideally within 24 to 48 hours. Tell them it is dry erase marker and what the fiber content is.
When to call a professional
Take dry-clean only items to a professional dry cleaner as soon as possible, and tell them the fiber content and the stain. Take even washable items there if the stain covers a large area, the item is bulky, or the fabric is fragile. Suede, leather and fur trim go to a cleaner who specializes in leather or fur.
Questions
Does dry erase marker come out of clothes?
Yes, most of it does when the mark is fresh and the fabric can take alcohol. Older marks take more blotting, and some faint color may remain on set-in stains.
Do dry erase markers stain clothes?
Yes, because the ink is solvent-based and soaks into fabric rather than sitting on top. That's why it's worth treating quickly, before it has time to set.
Will a cold rinse alone get dry erase marker out?
The cold rinse only lifts the ink that's loose, so it's the first step rather than the whole fix. Follow it with the rubbing alcohol blotting to pull out the color that has soaked in.
Is rubbing alcohol safe on every fabric?
No. Check the fiber content first, and if the fabric is one alcohol can damage, or it's silk or leather, use a dry cleaner instead. Colored fabric needs a hidden-spot test before any blotting.
Can a marker stain still come out after the shirt has been washed?
Sometimes, but it's harder once the wash and dryer have set it. Blot with alcohol as described, and expect that a faint trace may remain on a set-in mark.
Do I need a special stain remover for dry erase marker?
No. Plain rubbing alcohol with no added color or fragrance does the lifting, and an all-fabric oxygen bleach is the only other product worth trying, on colorfast fabric.
Methods, care labels and related guides
Good to know
Dry Erase Marker on other materials
Other stains on clothes
Start from the bigger picture
How we know this
Every method, amount and warning here comes from university extension services, industry bodies and product makers. We read them, check every step for unsafe combinations and changed amounts, and write it up so you can follow it.