by Melissa R. Bickel

Created on: October 08, 2009

You moan with frustration, the shirt had cost a small fortune. Now it bares the marks left by your son when he wiped his hands on it, while using permanent marker. You don't want to toss it, so what do you do?

It's true clothes these days cost a pretty penny. They can put a dent in an already tight family budget, so being able to clean them and remove unexpected stains is the plight for many a mom. So until clothes are invented which block staining, here are a few suggestion you might try if you find permanent marker on the clothes of your children, spouse or yourself. It's important to know while all of the following suggestions have been tried and worked, they might not work necessarily work for your type of stain.

1. Read the care instructions of your garment. Depending on the type of material your clothes are made from, you might want to have it professionally cleaned. If you decide you want to give it a go then, it's important that you "Not" launder the stained garment first. This can set the stain in the damaged garment and it'll be harder to remove.

2. Try pre-treating the stain with your laundry detergent. Rub a small amount directly on the stain and let sit for a few hours or overnight if the garment isn't needed right away. After the garment has sat for a time, with the detergent directly on the stain, add the garment to your next wash load and launder. If this doesn't work don't dry the garment, try something else.

3. If pre-treating with detergent doesn't work then try using a spot remover. In the laundry section of most retail stores a line of stain removers are available. Find one that suits your needs. Carefully follow the directions on the bottle. It's always good to remember to let the garment sit with the spot remover, for some time, before you launder.

4. Some have tried using hairspray as a means of removing stains and discovered it worked. If you're in a position to spray the garment right away with hairspray it's always best. If not, treat the stain as soon as possible. Be sure you spray the stain sufficiently. Launder at the end of the day or the next day.

5. Rubbing alcohol or nail polish remover are other avenues you might try when dealing with permanent marker. The acetone in the nail polish remover helps loosen the marker's ink left in clothes. Once applied to the spot only, rub the area vigorously then rinse the spot with cold water. If the spot has lightened, try again. After you have removed as much of the marker as possible pre-treat with your laundry detergent and wash.

6. Dawn dish soap has worked wonders for dishes, but many don't know it's also good in aiding the removal of stains. Try adding a small amount to the air which is marked. Next rub in with a nail brush. Do this as gently as you can. Rinse, and if you see this is working try a few more times.

7. In the section of the automotive area, at stores or automotive places, you'll find hand cleaner which helps in removing motor grease from your hands. This also works for removing stains from clothes. Try rubbing in a small amount directly to the stain. Let set over night and rinse. It might take a few more times, but this has been a successful way for removing marker for some.

While these suggestions cover a span of many different ways for removing permanent marker from a garment, know any suggestion isn't a 100% certifiable. Be cautious when attempting to remove stains from clothes, you could damage the garment further by not being aware of what your clothes are made of. It could be the stain isn't removable and you'll have to add your damage item to the rags pile.

Learn more about this author, Melissa R. Bickel.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.