Expert: Jamie Yocono - 7/15/2007

Question
Hope you can help. How do I remove permante marker from finished wood? Have tried elbowgrease,hairspray,and rubbing alcohol and nothing is working. Its on my dinette,looks HORRIBLE and I can't get it off!! Please HELP!!!

Answer
Hi Angela,

OK, you sound desperate, so I'll get right to the point. The "bible" on wood finishing is entitled "Understanding Wood Finishing" by Bob Flexner. I have a recent copy, and in it is a specific a cure for magic marker stains:

Try rubbing magic marker stains with an alcohol dampened cloth. If this doesn't work, try wiping with lacquer thinner. But use as little as possible, as the lacquer thinner will damage most finishes.

I'm just guessing here, but if you tried a little elbow grease, then I'm assuming your finish is an oil finish, one that penetrates the wood. If it's not a penetrating one, then it's a surface finish, like varnish. But if it was varnish, I think some strenuous rubbing would probably at least eliminate some of the marks. So I'm guessing that it's an oil finish, one that has allowed the marker to seep into the pores of the wood. That would make it extremely difficult to remove.

The good news is- if it's an oil finish, it's somewhat easily repaired. A little fine sandpaper and some oil, and you can do it yourself. Be careful- the oil that went on the piece originally might have been tinted, so if you use the wrong color, it will certainly look different.   

Try to find a place on your piece that won't show, like the back somewhere, and scratch the surface with something sharp, like a razor scraper or a sharp chisel. If nothing comes off, it's probably an oil finish. A drop of oil and a little sanding should remove the stain, at least most of it. When it's gone, wipe a drop more oil on it, then wipe clean. Leave NO residue, or it will stay sticky forever.

If you can actually scratch some of the surface off, it's a surface finish, which should be cured by the remedy above.

OK, hope this helps... write back if it doesn't and I'll try to help again.

Jamie Yocono
Wood It Is! Custom Cabinetry
Las Vegas, NV
www.wooditis.com