So yesterday I sat down with Michael to do his homework (it was 5 seconds, he gets a sticker from the school, don't rally against the preschool for THAT, there are plenty of reasons, really), and I turned my back for a MILLISECOND and he was drawing on my wood DINNING ROOM CHAIRS WITH A BALL POINT PEN.
After deciding killing him was not an option I sent him to his room. And, did what any good blogger would do. I turned to twitter and google. I have tried, WD-40 (thanks CTMOM), lemon juice, hairspray, baking soda, magic eraser, wood cleaner, toothpaste, coloring it over with the same colored wood coloring pen, wood polish, wood scratch cover, and now, it looks worse and there still is PEN ON MY GOOD DINING ROOM CHAIR.
Fine preschool, you win, I see it now, I'm raising a terribly behaved hellion who can't behave in school and colors on dining room chairs. In England don't they send boys away to boarding school at 7? That seems too old right now.
He turns 5 in March. 5 better be a vast improvement I'm telling you, or one of us is not going to make it.
In the mean time, the first person to suggest something that gets the pen out of my chair wins something BIG, HUGE even. I have no idea what. It may be my eternal gratitude and a Starbucks card.
{ 25 comments… read them below or add one }
Yikes! I would have expected one of those remedies to work! How big is the “artwork?” You must post a photo. I once took a red lipstick to my Raggedy Anne AND my bedroom walls. My Mom did not laugh at all.
It’s boarding school at 8 in the UK, or it was for someone I know.
Magic eraser?
Use hairspray like cleaning fluid solvent on ink. Spray the ink stains until the hair spray on a cloth and test the chair first to be sure it won’t lighten the finish as some furniture stains aren’t sealed. If the wood doesn’t lighten after the test try spraying it on the cloth and rubbing the ink marks. You can also try superfine steel wool dipped in liquid furniture wax and carefully buff it away if all else fails.
I can’t type today – the spray should ‘soak’ the cloth.
My sister went to town on our entire living room wall when we were growing up. Lestoil and elbow grease got it out.
I second the hair spray idea too — that works wonders with marker – maybe pen too? Or concentrated OxyClean? Help us, Billy Mays, you’re our only hope!
Did you try Goo Gone?
All I can think of is sanding it down and refinishing that part, but that’s probably going to mess up the chair way too much. I feel like I’ve seen an infomercial dealing with this problem, but I can’t think of what it is. Good luck!
Rubbing alcohol? It took permanent marker out of my carpet and off my kitchen table.
I have no chair advice. But I do have this for you: four-year-olds are assholes.
My 2 yr old loves to right on my wood table with pen, highlighters and crayons….the only thing I use is Fantastic and it all comes out. This product is great on carpets too!
So you know you’re not alone- I was not fond of my children at 4 either. Here’s a reason you can be thankful you’re not me: mine were still having massive potty issues.
For the wood: Murphy’s Oil Soap. In the cleaning aisle at the store. Should do the trick.
I would try Oxyclean – I use the powdered stuff mixed with abit of water on just about any stain. I have used it for permanent marker on my dining table with no harm to the finish.
jc
Shaving cream.
I second the Magic Eraser. You’d be surprised at what that can get out.
Secondly, I’d try Fantastic. That seems to work well, too.
Third, a harder sponge and wood cleaner and lots and lots of elbow grease.
If its any consolation, when my daughter was two, she sharpy-ed our entire living room. And I still let her live.
There is something from a company called Melaleuca called Sol U Mel that I swear takes everything off everything (sharpie off an oil painting-no damage to painting). You have to order it through a rep. but there were plenty in the area I think. Just google Melaleuca-and NO I don’t have any stake in recommending this except maybe a free starbucks card.;)
Bummer. I would have thought the magic eraser or the WD40 might do the trick. What kind of finish is on your dining room table/chair? I’ll ask my Dad, the wonder wood-worker. And, what kind of pen?
I’m not looking forward to this stage, so far, I turn my back for two minutes and Noah has emptied and entire basket of FOLDED clothes by throwing them one by one down the stairs. You think I would learn? This happens at least twice a week.
I would use Murphy’s oil soap. Cleans stuff off wood you wouldn’t think it would. Also good for crayons that have gone through the dryer and are all over clothes.
Wow, I would have thought the Magic Eraser would work. I once bought the generic brand of magic eraser & they didn’t work as good so now I only go w/ name brand. The last commenter mentioned murphy’s oil soap for crayons on clothes thru dryer….boy.. I wish I had had that advice about a year ago. My girls didn’t write on furniture or walls but they left crayons in their coat pockets, that was horrible.
Magic eraser blocks get my vote as well. Definitely. They’ve got marks from wallpaper, tea stains off sinks – just fantastic. I love reading your blog by the way, all the way over here in Edinburgh. Boarding school starts age 6 here. There are times I’ve considered it myself!!
Duh, sorry, you already tried them. I’ll shut up!
Try Hydrogen Peroxide mixed with a little dishwashing liquid, let it sit, then rinse it -you may have to scrub a little- it should come up- hydrogen peroxide gets any stain out of clothes- !!!
I would try magic eraser, Or a chair cover
Try Simple Green if all else fails. My daughter took a pen to a freshly painted wall and (this part is kinda funny) a new toilet seat. The Simple Green worked nicely to remove the marks. Which is good because I was going to KILL her otherwise.
Good luck!
Did the pen actually scrape into the surface of the wood? If that is the case, then it is not just the ink you are trying to remove, but a different kind of mark altogether. If it is just the ink, and all of the above suggestions don’t work… you may try calling a furniture refinisher and asking their advice. They may be able to tell you a product THEY use. A picture would definitely help us!
My friend’s daughter wrote all over the walls and sofa using a permanent marker. She got it all out using Denatured alcohol (bought at Home Depot). The stains are gone from both the fabric and the walls.
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