How to Remove Permanent Marker From Car? – Detailed Guide

Written by

Bruce Sonnier

FACT-CHECKED BY

Marcus Dutton

how to remove permanent marker from car

Just the fact that “permanent marker” has the word “permanent” makes it horrifying when it gets on your car. You’d think it’ll be hard to remove, but with the right materials, it’ll be a breeze. This article will show you how to remove permanent marker from car, whether on the car exterior or interior.

There are various options for cleaning materials to get car marker off your car, which are probably available at your house. And you’d generally only have to apply the solution, rub off the stains, rinse, and wipe.

How to Get Sharpie Off a Car Exterior With Whole Milk

get-marker-off-car

What you need:

  • Whole Milk: Whole milk is a trusty permanent marker cleaner that you can just grab from your fridge. When applied to affected areas, it can remove pen ink from car exterior without damage.
  • Dishwashing Detergent: Dishwashing detergent is required for cleaning the affected areas.
  • Aerosol Hairspray: An aerosol hairspray consists of alcohol that can help break down permanent marker stains on the car exterior.
  • White Cotton Cloth
  • Terry Cloth Towel
  • Cool Water and Warm water
  • Towels

Step 1: Apply Whole Milk on the Permanent Marker Stains

To apply the whole milk on the permanent marker stains, you need to soak the white cotton cloth first, then place the cloth over the affected areas.

You may ask for help from someone to keep the cloth in place while you do the next step.

Step 2: Place a Large, Soaked Terry Cloth Towel Over the Cotton Cloth

Next, you’re going to add some weight onto the white cotton cloth that has been saturated with milk using a large terry cloth towel soaked in cool water.

After soaking the terry cloth towel, place it over the cotton cloth with milk, and anchor it over the car’s top to keep both the towel and cloth from sliding down. This helps ensure the contact of the milk-soaked cotton cloth with the permanent marker stains.

Step 3: Leave the Cloth and Towel on for several hours (or overnight if needed)

Once the cloth and towel are secured in place, you would leave them on the affected areas for 4 – 5 hours to allow the whole milk to take effect.

Afterwards, lift the cloth and towel and see if the permanent marker stains can be lifted out using a clean towel.

If the permanent marker stains persist, apply more of the whole milk onto the cotton cloth and leave them on the car exterior overnight.

Step 4: Wash Off the Permanent Marker Stains and Whole Milk

After leaving the towel and cloth on the car for several hours, it’s time to remove the towel and cloth and wash the permanent marker stains and whole milk off the surface.

Mix a few drops of dishwashing soap with warm water. Dip the clean cloth in the mixture

Then use the dampened cloth to wash the surface clean.

Step 5: Rinse and Dry the Surface

You should use a cloth damp with cool water, rinse off the surface you’ve washed.

Then, wipe the surface gently with a dry cloth until all residue and moisture is gone.

Step 6: Apply Some Aerosol Hair Spray if Necessary

If you notice any leftover permanent marker stains, liberally apply some aerosol hair spray on them. Then using a clean cloth, buff out the area and wipe it with a cloth damp with cool water.

How to Remove Paint Pen From Car Interior With Acetone

get-sharpie-off-a-car

What You Need:

  • Acetone – Acetone effectively removes permanent marker stains from the car interior.
  • Cotton Ball – Doing a spot test on your car’s interior first is a must to make sure that the acetone won’t damage the upholstery. So you will need a cotton ball for spot testing the acetone on an inconspicuous area of the upholstery.
  • Pieces of clean cloth

Step 1: First Do a Spot Test on an Inconspicuous Area of the Car Interior

Acetone would be the solution to get paint marker off car interior. But before cleaning the affected areas, you will first need to test the acetone on an inconspicuous area to see if your car’s interior won’t get damaged by it. If it doesn’t damage your car’s interior, then you can proceed.

Step 2: Rub the Permanent Marker Stains off With a Cloth With Some Acetone

Apply some acetone onto the cloth. Then with the cloth, gently rub off the permanent marker stains. Then rinse the area with a cloth damp with cool water.

Conclusion

You wouldn’t want to be driving around a car that looks ridiculous with permanent marker stains. So hopefully, this tutorial on how to remove permanent marker from car can help bring back the pristine look for your vehicle.

As you successfully get marker off car interior and exterior, let us know in the comment section below. Feel free to share this article too. Thank you!

Furthermore, to take care of your car exterior, please take a look at the helpful articles below: 

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Author

Bruce-Sonnier

"As the content writer of Charmcitycirculator, I intend to bring just the best purchase options and straightforward answers to your problems. Other than what we put up on our website, we hope to hear more from you. "

– Bruce Sonnier