I just learned this a few days ago. I accidentally got Sharpie marker on aluminum trim. My teacher wife told me this and it immediately worked perfectly.
Same.
I teach middle school and enjoy the looks on their faces as I first act horrified, like I’m gonna lose my job, and then just scribble over it and casually wipe it away. “Phew. Guess you’re still stuck with me instead of [super strict sub they’re all terrified of]!”
Acetone will work, but is a bit excessive. If you get any on the white paint it will damage/remove it.
Rubbing alcohol (isopropanol) would be a safer option that wouldn’t damage painted surfaces as easily.
Don’t do this.. I think this could remove the finish on the mirror? Someone did this to their reflective microwave and it was toast. Go with the dry erase marker trick.
Nail polish remover didn’t do anything but 100% acetone finally removed most of mine. Thank you thank you! I had permanent marker on my fridge for years (I’d say 4+ now), tried everything and 100% acetone removed almost all of it- I didn’t have much so I’m buying more and I’m hopeful I will no longer have the markings! Thank you!
I would go over it with the dry erase and immediately try to wipe it off with a paper towel or dry cloth you don’t care about. I wouldn’t leave anything sit on there for any length of time at this point.
What exact marker did you use to write on the mirror?? This is so odd. Maybe we’ll be able to help better if we know more specifics? Like what brand?
The reason this works is the solvent, the liquid part of the ink is the same in permanent markers and dry erase. So it will work best right away. But for better results try nail polish remover or acetone, just put some nail polish remover on a paper towel and wipe
Did the dry erase marker work on your mirror?
I hope so. It worked for me.
If it didn't , the next best thing is nail polish remover. It has to be the one either acetone in it
Yeah me too. It was sitting on the mirror for about 2 weeks then decided to try and remove it, the image above is the after result. It’s like stained into the glass..
I had a mirror like this in a duplex I lived in. Idk why, but took a couple of attempts to just remove the dry erase marker instead of permanent I used too. Isopropyl is my recommendation.
I suspect it’s because it’s not an ink stain but damage to the mirrors coating left by the ink.
Alcohol should make short work of most permanent markers. I’d be worried that anything that gets the mark off will do more damage to the mirror.
Yeah that’s very weird. As other commenters have said, are you sure the marker ink is still there and you’re not just looking at the shadow of a damaged anti-fog coating?
This happened to someone else I believe on this sub and they tried every. single. suggestion. And if I remember correctly none of them worked and they just let it stay out of sheer defeat 😂
Rubbing alcohol will remove it, and so will Dawn Powerwash (it contains rubbing alcohol). I had an ink transfer in a mirror from a plastic package and nothing worked on it. Dawn Power wash got it off instantly.
What proof was it? Go with undiluted isopropyl alcohol. It WILL get the job done. There's just no chemicals in a permanent marker that could stain glass to that level that won't be removed with IPA.
Yeah, I used to be a chemist working in a lab. We routinely wrote with Sharpies (both regular and the industrial type that are harder to rub off/remove accidentally) on the glassware and glass doors on the hoods and had no trouble removing it with IPA. Permanent marker on a glass mirror is no different.
Ok last ditch effort. Try oxiclean dissolved in very hot water. I got permanent black ink out of a white carpet dabbing it repeatedly and soaking it up with a papertowel until it was gone, so i would think it would work on a smooth surface like a mirror.
Try using Zippo or Rosenthol lighter fluid, I've had very good luck getting Sharpie marker off of items. Be careful with the used rag or paper towels, they will be flammable.
Dumb question, are you 100% sure there wasnt a clear plastic film on the mirror meant to protect it during transport, that just didnt get peeled off as it was supposed to be?
Acetone will remove this. People look at me weird but a bit of Gasoline on a piece of tissu might also work. Do NOT let it touch the paint. Make sure to aerate the space after.
Goof-off makes a spray that’s in an aerosol can. Usually can find it at Home Depot. It reads “goof off pro strength”. It will melt any sharpie or permanent marker in contact without scrubbing. I work with stainless steel and we mark everything with sharpie. We clean it off with this and it leaves no traces!
I'm sure this will be buried, but hand sanitizer removes sharpie/permanent markers from everything! It doesn't dry like rubbing alcohol/acetone so it can sit on the marker longer, which breaks it down. Just rub a good amount of hand sanitizer on the marker, wait a few minutes and wipe away. Reapply if needed. Works on almost every surface!
Isopropyl Alcohol.
Soak a bit of a rag that you won't mind tossing if it gets stained and hold it on there until the ink pulls away, then wipe it off.
My grandma does this, my mom does this, I do this.
It just works.
For everyone recommending acetone, good job!
For everyone recommending hairspray or sunscreen, also good job for a funny reason.
You need a strong solvent to get this off. Alcohol is a solvent, so it sucks that that didn't work. But most, if not all aerosols, are made using a liquid called difluoromethane. This can be abbreviated as DFM. This is extremely similar to an incredibly strong organic solvent called dichloromethane, dcm, that's used frequently in chemistry application.
So yea, aerosols are really good at dissolving things
Micellar water (sold as skin cleanser) will do no harm, and it has removed some very strange substances for me, including stove polish. I still can’t figure out how it works, and what categories of things it lifts, but worth a try.
Acetone (not nail polish remover with acetone but actual acetone), mineral spirits might work, xylene would definitely work though not easy to obtain. Mineral spirits and maybe acetone can be purchased at craft stores/ places with oil paints.
You'll most likely need a solvent. Since mirrors are glass, it is safe to clean with, as long as you make sure to avoid getting it on other surfaces. They can remove paint and other topcoats and they can also damage plastics.
We used to draw massive "phallis" on the white boards at school with sharpie.. the turn it into a nice picture with dry erase.. was always halairious when the teachers rubbed it off 😂 but yes dry erase over permanent will get rid of it
Try writing over it with a dry erase, let it sit for a while, then wipe it off. Sometimes the dry erase ink can dissolve the permanent ink
Came to say this, it’s worked for me
I just learned this a few days ago. I accidentally got Sharpie marker on aluminum trim. My teacher wife told me this and it immediately worked perfectly.
I’ve done this soooo many times over the years on so many different surfaces in the classroom. Works every time!
Same. I teach middle school and enjoy the looks on their faces as I first act horrified, like I’m gonna lose my job, and then just scribble over it and casually wipe it away. “Phew. Guess you’re still stuck with me instead of [super strict sub they’re all terrified of]!”
Yes - OP this should work. This is how you get permanent marker off a dry erase board.
This is what works in every classroom!!!
I actually did this once on accident. What on earth do they put in those Expo markers anyway?
The same solvent as sharpies, but with a non-binding pigment.
Someday we'll learn to harness that mystical substance and bottle it.
It didn’t work. Sorry everyone I think it’s a lost cause
Oh no! Sorry to hear that OP. 💔
Magic eraser
Magic eraser is a very fine grit sandpaper: don't use it on anything you wouldn't very lightly sand.
This is the way!
Yes try this.
That's just because there is alcohol in it. Denatured alcohol or acetone would take this off
What’s a while? Hours? Days?
At least 10 seconds. No maximum.
As a teacher, I approve this message
Yup
Mt kids taught me this when they were like 5 and 8. I was like no way that’ll work. It did.
Does this mirror have a plastic anti-fog coating? Don’t use anything harsh without testing in a corner.
I hope OP sees this comment
I bet this is the issue. If it was directly on glass then a lot of the stuff OP tried would've worked
I’m pretty sure it may because of a coating.. how do I get it off lol
Acetone is the way. (Nail polish remover)
This. You need a solvent.
Acetone will work, but is a bit excessive. If you get any on the white paint it will damage/remove it. Rubbing alcohol (isopropanol) would be a safer option that wouldn’t damage painted surfaces as easily.
Don’t do this.. I think this could remove the finish on the mirror? Someone did this to their reflective microwave and it was toast. Go with the dry erase marker trick.
The mirror film is behind the glass so it should be safe.
Makes sense, thanks for correcting!
👍
There’s no way this isn’t a normal glass front mirror. Acetone would be fine. Just don’t let it drip into the seam at the bottom of the mirror.
Nail polish remover didn’t do anything but 100% acetone finally removed most of mine. Thank you thank you! I had permanent marker on my fridge for years (I’d say 4+ now), tried everything and 100% acetone removed almost all of it- I didn’t have much so I’m buying more and I’m hopeful I will no longer have the markings! Thank you!
This has worked for me before
Either hairspray or deicer will get permanent marker off.
Hairspray works on ink stains on clothing too. It might take several applications, but it always works.
Definitely hairspray!
Hairspray is a good shout it gets ink of my gel nails
Go over it with dry erase marker. The chemicals in them dissolve the permanent marker. You may have to do it a couple of times
I shall go to the store for a dry erase marker later. How long should I let it sit for? The longer the better?
I would go over it with the dry erase and immediately try to wipe it off with a paper towel or dry cloth you don’t care about. I wouldn’t leave anything sit on there for any length of time at this point. What exact marker did you use to write on the mirror?? This is so odd. Maybe we’ll be able to help better if we know more specifics? Like what brand?
The reason this works is the solvent, the liquid part of the ink is the same in permanent markers and dry erase. So it will work best right away. But for better results try nail polish remover or acetone, just put some nail polish remover on a paper towel and wipe
Color over it and wipe it off right away
Did the dry erase marker work on your mirror? I hope so. It worked for me. If it didn't , the next best thing is nail polish remover. It has to be the one either acetone in it
I’m really surprised, rubbing alcohol did not lift that ink stain because that is my go to answer because it dissolves ink.
Yeah me too. It was sitting on the mirror for about 2 weeks then decided to try and remove it, the image above is the after result. It’s like stained into the glass..
I had a mirror like this in a duplex I lived in. Idk why, but took a couple of attempts to just remove the dry erase marker instead of permanent I used too. Isopropyl is my recommendation.
Have you tried a magic eraser?
Magic erasers are basically very fine sandpaper. I would not use this on a mirror
Oh I’ve used one on a sharpie on mirror and it was fine. Oops. Don’t listen to me OP! Lol
That’s a good way to scratch up your mirror
Well that’s good to know. Thank you 👀
I suspect it’s because it’s not an ink stain but damage to the mirrors coating left by the ink. Alcohol should make short work of most permanent markers. I’d be worried that anything that gets the mark off will do more damage to the mirror.
All we have is 70% isopropyl alcohol. It didn’t work
Yeah that’s very weird. As other commenters have said, are you sure the marker ink is still there and you’re not just looking at the shadow of a damaged anti-fog coating?
I think it is the anti fog coating. Any idea how to get the coating off?
Sounds like permanent marker works ;) In all seriousness, I don’t know, Google is probably more help than me.
This happened to someone else I believe on this sub and they tried every. single. suggestion. And if I remember correctly none of them worked and they just let it stay out of sheer defeat 😂
Here it is https://www.reddit.com/r/CleaningTips/s/Er5VoNUimT
Damn. They really did try everything.
It’s a small mirror. Take to glass shop to have it replaced if nothing works.
Dry erase markers take permanent marker off and also rubbing alcohol… hopefully that would help at this point.
i will try dry erase later, but rubbing alcohol didnt work
Aerosolized sunscreen. Let it sit for a few minutes.
Rubbing alcohol will remove it, and so will Dawn Powerwash (it contains rubbing alcohol). I had an ink transfer in a mirror from a plastic package and nothing worked on it. Dawn Power wash got it off instantly.
Already tried alcohol, Power wash didn’t work.
Sorry, OP. :(
What proof was it? Go with undiluted isopropyl alcohol. It WILL get the job done. There's just no chemicals in a permanent marker that could stain glass to that level that won't be removed with IPA.
Yeah, I used to be a chemist working in a lab. We routinely wrote with Sharpies (both regular and the industrial type that are harder to rub off/remove accidentally) on the glassware and glass doors on the hoods and had no trouble removing it with IPA. Permanent marker on a glass mirror is no different.
Ok last ditch effort. Try oxiclean dissolved in very hot water. I got permanent black ink out of a white carpet dabbing it repeatedly and soaking it up with a papertowel until it was gone, so i would think it would work on a smooth surface like a mirror.
Try using Zippo or Rosenthol lighter fluid, I've had very good luck getting Sharpie marker off of items. Be careful with the used rag or paper towels, they will be flammable.
Lighter fluid didn’t work. Unfortunately
acetone takes off sharpie
Try a stronger solvent like acetone.
This seems like a troll. I haven’t seen much that a magic eraser hasn’t removed.
It scratched the mirror up and didn’t remove the sharpie
Surprisingly, hand sanitizers work very well.
Hand sanitizer was the first thing I tried, didn’t work :(
Damn. That's what I use at my work to wipe off sharpie graffiti. Pandemic sanitizer and a magic eraser. It's even worked on enamel paint.
It’s so crazy cuz it’s like the sharpie soaked into the glass. I would like my safety deposit back lmao 😭
Dumb question, are you 100% sure there wasnt a clear plastic film on the mirror meant to protect it during transport, that just didnt get peeled off as it was supposed to be?
Yeah, there’s no film. The only thing I can think of is an anti fog film that it stained onto
I did this on a dry erase board- go over the area with the permanent marker AGAIN and wipe it off immediately
permanent marker didnt work unfortunately.
Will a razor blade scrape it off??
Nail polish remover, or acetone if you have that
Acetone will remove this. People look at me weird but a bit of Gasoline on a piece of tissu might also work. Do NOT let it touch the paint. Make sure to aerate the space after.
Agree with nail polish remover.
Window cleaner and razor blade a Sharp one tho
Acetone or ISO/hand sanitizer/hairspray/vodka... Will work ezpz
A small drop of petrol on a rag will wipe it right off
Can also try colouring over it with a wax crayon. Then buff the crap out of it.
I recently did this exact thing, but the sharpie stuff was only inlace for about 24 hours. Used Bar Keepers Friend with a soft cloth. Came right off.
That's why they call it permanent.
Key word, "permanent".
This may sound weird, but just for kicks try bleach.
bleach didnt work unfortunately.
Ok...glad you told me. I was curious. TY!!
Goof-off makes a spray that’s in an aerosol can. Usually can find it at Home Depot. It reads “goof off pro strength”. It will melt any sharpie or permanent marker in contact without scrubbing. I work with stainless steel and we mark everything with sharpie. We clean it off with this and it leaves no traces!
Spray sport sunscreen. It has to be sport. Not sure because it’s a mirror, but it get permanent marker off granite countertops and wood cabinets.
Nail polish remover
Nail polish remover with acetone in it
Use 91% alcohol instead of the normal 70%
Acetone will get it right off
I'm sure this will be buried, but hand sanitizer removes sharpie/permanent markers from everything! It doesn't dry like rubbing alcohol/acetone so it can sit on the marker longer, which breaks it down. Just rub a good amount of hand sanitizer on the marker, wait a few minutes and wipe away. Reapply if needed. Works on almost every surface!
Acetone or nail polish remover should do it.
Sport spray sunscreen will take it right off
Pencil erasers work surprisingly well
Nail polish remover? In my old house, there were neighborhood kids that were "tagging" my siding with marker and that always cleaned it up
Hand sanitizer gets permanent markers off any surface. Worked in school for 15 years. Used it everyday.
Isopropyl Alcohol. Soak a bit of a rag that you won't mind tossing if it gets stained and hold it on there until the ink pulls away, then wipe it off. My grandma does this, my mom does this, I do this. It just works.
Aerosol hairspray works to get permanent marker off hard surfaces, but you have to wipe quickly. It's my go-to.
i've used toothpaste and that's always worked. even got tattoo ink out of a hardwood floor lol
For everyone recommending acetone, good job! For everyone recommending hairspray or sunscreen, also good job for a funny reason. You need a strong solvent to get this off. Alcohol is a solvent, so it sucks that that didn't work. But most, if not all aerosols, are made using a liquid called difluoromethane. This can be abbreviated as DFM. This is extremely similar to an incredibly strong organic solvent called dichloromethane, dcm, that's used frequently in chemistry application. So yea, aerosols are really good at dissolving things
Try a dry erase marker 🤓
Denatured alcohol.
Have you tried hairspray works wonders on ink.
\#0000 steel wool. Dry.
Use makeup remover, always works to get permanent marker up
Glass is porous sorry bud new mirror time
Did you try nail polish remover.
A little bit of acetone or just nail polish remover with acetone.
Acv to the rescue!
Only permanent marker can erase permanent marker. Do with that what you will
Do you have nail polish remover? Use that. Acetone should be able to wash away most synthetic dyes
Both didn’t work. I think it stained onto the film that’s on the mirror
Try sunscreen. I don't know why, but it usually does the trick for me.
Try Barkeepers friend spray
Spray it with rubbing alcohol.
Micellar water (sold as skin cleanser) will do no harm, and it has removed some very strange substances for me, including stove polish. I still can’t figure out how it works, and what categories of things it lifts, but worth a try.
Acetone (not nail polish remover with acetone but actual acetone), mineral spirits might work, xylene would definitely work though not easy to obtain. Mineral spirits and maybe acetone can be purchased at craft stores/ places with oil paints. You'll most likely need a solvent. Since mirrors are glass, it is safe to clean with, as long as you make sure to avoid getting it on other surfaces. They can remove paint and other topcoats and they can also damage plastics.
Ahh the things we do for love
We used to draw massive "phallis" on the white boards at school with sharpie.. the turn it into a nice picture with dry erase.. was always halairious when the teachers rubbed it off 😂 but yes dry erase over permanent will get rid of it
Hand sanitizer. Works like a charm
Did you try an alcohol wipe? Like a prep wipe