Permanent Marker Stains Will Be A Thing Of The Past With A Common Household Item

There's nothing worse than the feeling of utter frustration when you spot a permanent marker stain, especially if you don't realize it until you start scrubbing away at it. After all, how can you possibly remove something that is "permanent?" While you may automatically want to toss your now tarnished item into the garbage, you should think twice before doing so. As it turns out, there's actually a surprisingly simple solution to help resolve permanent marker stains once and for all: rubbing alcohol. In fact, you may already even have some. 

This nifty cupboard staple works great at removing permanent marker and may just help you transform your items into their former selves. Although it may seem daunting, this trick is relatively easy to do even if you don't have much experience. Now for the most important question of all. How can you use rubbing alcohol to eliminate permanent marker stains? Don't worry — it's incredibly easy.

Now you have some rubbing alcohol on hand; you are ready to remove the permanent marker in question. In a video posted by Live Free on YouTube, the user explains how to use it on hard surfaces. "Watch what happens when you use isopropyl alcohol. Spread it on there [the surface] and just let it soak in. Now when I wipe it, you can see that it's starting to come off. You may have to work it a little bit, but this works." However, if you find that the permanent marker stain is tough to remove, you may have to add some extra elbow grease or a bit more rubbing alcohol to the area. Once you've done this trick a few times, you should get the hang of it. You can either use a cloth or a cotton ball — both will do a good job. Just make sure the cloth is old.    

Keep in mind that there are certain surfaces you shouldn't clean with rubbing alcohol, such as painted walls or treated wood, so take extra care to ensure that you can actually effectively remove the stain using this household item. If you're unsure what percentage of rubbing alcohol is best, 70% will do just the trick. However, if you have a higher percentage in your cupboard, you can still use that too. So, why is this household item so effective? 

Rubbing alcohol is great at eliminating all types of stains, but why? As it turns out, this cupboard staple is actually a solvent. Solvents help to fight against permanent marker marks by wearing them down on a molecular level, which is one of the reasons why rubbing alcohol does such a good job at removing them, making them not so permanent after all. However, you do need to give it time and be patient so that it can work its magic. As a result, you will be left with surfaces that look just as good as they did before. 

Alongside eliminating permanent marker stains, rubbing alcohol can help clean up crayon marks and even your leather furniture. So, if you have a stain-filled house, rubbing alcohol may just be your best friend in this scenario. Of course, you should always double-check if it's suitable for specific surfaces and fabrics before commencing your stain-removing duties. This way, you can avoid inflicting unintentional damage that may occur as a result of your handy work.