If you’re an online seller it’s enviable that you will come across items with permanent marker on them. If you don’t want to sell the merchandise with the marker on it here’s the only methods you can use for removing it:

In short, the answer is ALCOHOL. Chances are you probably already have what you need at home to perform the removal (we will go over the list in a sec), but there’s a few things you need to know first:

You MUST have a clean sponge. DO NOT USE THE DISH SPONGE SITTING IN YOUR SINK! For the love of God, just get a new sponge. My family buys this giant 40-pack sponges off Amazon and they’re great quality! Best of all they’re under $12!

Another alternative is to use a new, clean EXTRA FIRM toothbrush.  The benefit of using a toothbrush instead of a sponge is more targeted intense scrubbing, whereas the sponge gives you a larger overall scrub area.  

Now that we have the scrubber out of the way, you want to find something with HIGH ALCOHOL CONTENT. However, you absolutely DO NOT WANT TO USE A DYED PRODUCT! If you use a product that contains dye you can expect your garment to end up needing laundering (AKA: The Dawn Dish Soap / Goo Gone / Orange Clean Nightmare).

Here’s a list of things you probably own that contain high alcohol content and are clear:

Actual alcohol - Gin, Vodka, White Rum.  White Wine is usually not clear in color, so I would suggest avoiding this. Additionally, wine tends to have a lower alcohol percentage.

Rubbing Alcohol

Cheap Hairspray - Yes, only the cheap ones.  Get that 99-cent brand!  

Nail Polish Remover (NOT THE COLORED PRODUCTS!!!) 

Hand Sanitizer - Again, make sure it is CLEAR. Avoid the colored ones and absolutely avoid anything with glitter in it.

White Vinegar - I’ve heard endlessly that this works. Personally I would be too concerned that my garment would end up smelling like Vinegar… yuck.

Lemon Juice - This is another one people swear by. If you really want to try this make sure the vinegar isn’t dyed yellow. Yep, they really do dye lemon juice.  If you look at the lemon juice bottle, flip it over and examine the ingredients label.  It should say lemon juice.  If it says lemon juice, yellow lake (or a different word), it is dyed. 

If you don’t want to use any of the above items you can buy an actual stain remover.

Goof Off is specifically designed for this. It’s $3 - $7 depending which size bottle you get:

 The directions for removing the stain are pretty common sense. You should always perform a spot test. When you are ready to go for it, you apply the alcohol or Goof Off and let it sit for a bit. Then sponge it up. You may need to dampen the sponge.

Can’t get the stain out? We have tons of ways you can cover it!