How To Get Permanent Marker Off Ceramic Tile Floors

If you're using ink in the house, you can expect some messes here and there. This fact is exacerbated if you have little children running around, treating every surface like a blank canvas. You're bound to see your precious ceramic tile floors being scribbled upon by the Sharpies you could have sworn you kept under lock and key in your home office. If this happens, try not to get scared when you see the word "permanent" on the body of the marker. Before you get to your wit's end, you might want to try this simple hack for getting rid of permanent marker ink stains from your ceramic tiles with some household staples you already have in your bathroom.

Permanent markers typically contain quality ink as well as hydrocarbons like xylene and toluene which help lock in this ink to whatever it comes in contact with. However, while permanent ink might never come off paper and some other surfaces, your ceramic floors stand a great chance of being rid of its stain.

If you find yourself struggling to scrub off permanent ink from your beautiful ceramic tile floor, just head to the bathroom and reach for a tube of toothpaste and some hairspray. Toothpaste is slightly abrasive and it is this physical quality that makes it effective against permanent ink stains on a smooth surface like ceramics. According to One Good Thing, all you need to do is grab an old toothbrush, squeeze some toothpaste onto the stained tile, and give it a good brush. If you want something even more potent, mix in some baking soda, too. If the mixture needs a few drops of water, add it to make a paste. This will help encourage the stain to lift off the floor.

Alternatively, you can also use an aerosol hairspray on the stain by either spraying the permanent ink directly or spraying it into a cloth and then wiping the ink down. You can also use a sponge with an abrasive pad to scrub away the stain. This is known to work because aerosol hairspray contains alcohol, an effective solvent. The alcohol will dissolve the ink considerably and leave your ceramic tile sparkling.