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Reviving Dry Erase Markers

February 4, 2012

Rubbing Alcohol To Revive Dry Erase MarkersDried out dry erase markers? Your whiteboard markers may have more life in them. Dip the tip in a little ordinary rubbing alcohol. If color is drawn down into the alcohol, there's life in your marker, and you can write with it some more now that you have treated it. If this does not work, then the marker is probably out of lasting power.

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By Kirsten from Logan, UT

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More Solutions

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April 17, 2013

I simply snip the tip of the marker with scissors. Sometimes removing a bit off the dried tip will expose fresh ink. It works just about every time for me.

 
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5 Questions

Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.

September 10, 2006

Is there any way to recondition a dry eraser marker? I know it still has plenty of ink, but the cap didn't click well enough.

Thank you!

Maria from Derwood, MD

Answers

By gogogirl (Guest Post)
June 17, 20050 found this helpful

Pry off the bottom (it helps to put on rubber gloves- you can grip it better) and put 4-5 drops of water on the end of the fat ink-supply thing and store it upside down for a couple of days. I've never done it on dry-erase markers, but it works great on regular or permanent ones. (Ultra-fine to fat-tipped.)

 
September 12, 20060 found this helpful

Perhaps (NOT SURE), allowing the tip to sit a few hours in a small amount of rubbing alcohol? It should wick up into the marker barrel, reconstituting the dried ink. Gently turn in upside down & back a few times during the soaking.

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Keep watch to be sure it doesn't dilute too much. Regular markers can be revived by soaking a few hours in a shallow amount of plain tap water. Sometimes leaves them a bit too diluted, have to keep checking on them also.

 
September 12, 20060 found this helpful

This is NUTS... works for just about anything else... how about soaking the tip in a shallow amount of plain white vinegar? anyone?

 
September 13, 20060 found this helpful

I use rubbing alcohol to remove the lettering from my dry erase board so I'm questioning using it to reconstitute the markers themselves. I could be wrong though, only questioning.

 
By Maria from Derwood (Guest Post)
September 13, 20060 found this helpful

Guess I'll have to give up. I have tried: alcohol, water & nail polish remover w/o success. Only thing I haven't tried is vinegar. Maybe I should just buy new ones...:(

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-m.

 
September 16, 20076 found this helpful

Easiest, fastest, cheapest method!!: attach a string to the end of the marker (taping a knotted string works pretty well), spin the marker over your head several times. Centrifugal force will move any remaining ink to the marker tip. Make sure the cap is on though!! And be careful removing the cap, do it over a sink or wad of paper towels because sometimes a lot of ink can pool up in the cap. I'm a math teacher at a low income high school and we are always looking to save money in our department!

 
By Lauren (Guest Post)
September 29, 20070 found this helpful

Wow - I just tried it and swinging the marker around on a string really does work brilliantly! and instantly!
Thank you for the idea!

 
By Saratoga Dad (Guest Post)
September 8, 20080 found this helpful

Wow, the spinning thing works well. I got a little too over zealous on the spinning and was winging it around like a helicopter, I think 3-5 good spins is enough. If not -do more. The ink does pool in the cap and I think i wasted a lot.

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If you have a hard time attaching string to your marker, just tie it then wrap tape around it too, this should be secure enough. Good luck.

 
December 5, 20080 found this helpful

Thanks for the spinning idea. Worked like a charm for a homeschool mom on a budget:)

 
By Glowy (Guest Post)
February 11, 20091 found this helpful

Spinning with a string works like magic! I had a set of 4 dry erase markers that had stayed for 3 years in their packaging, still unused. When I tried them, 3 seemed dried out. I still wonder how it is possible, with the cap sealing well and all. Anyway, I was pissed. I had the idea to put them tip down in alcohol.

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After a couple of hours, one of them revived. But even after 3 days in the alcohol, the remaining 2 were still inkless. I found this thread via google, tried Atwilkes' spinning trick, and seconds later, the 2 stubborn markers were revived! Thank you Atwilkes.

 
February 4, 20100 found this helpful

The spinning thing works like a charm! Thanks, atwilkes!

 
March 12, 20100 found this helpful

Tried spinning around on a string, worked great, for about 3 minutes and then dried up again :(

 
November 19, 20140 found this helpful

Holy Guacamole! I have an old pre-1980's test tube centrifuge. A few seconds in that baby and voila. Just like new. Make sure to wear goggles.

 
Anonymous
January 19, 20160 found this helpful

You can possibly take the end off of the dry erase marker with a pair of pliers and fill it with rubbing alcohol or water and put the end back on and wait over night.

 
Anonymous
September 17, 20160 found this helpful

Yeah, do the same process with alcohol.

 
September 26, 20170 found this helpful

Do NOT use water to revive dry erase markers!!! It doesn't work and makes the problem even worse by washing out any remaining color left in the marker.

 
Anonymous
November 19, 20170 found this helpful

Did not work don't try

 
December 8, 20170 found this helpful

I used manual centrifuge and got back a surprising amount of ink back to the tip. Anybody tried the electrically powered centrifuge may have better results, please share.

 
Anonymous
February 14, 20190 found this helpful

Rubbing alcohol NOT water (which will kill it).

 
April 1, 20190 found this helpful

Amazing! that worked!

 
July 31, 20190 found this helpful

Doesn't work if the marker doesn't write at all, but works if the ink is getting light.

 
December 30, 20190 found this helpful

I usually just give them a few good shakes, a lot of ink does pool in the cap but the result is either that it works or that the marker just paints the ink on the board for a couple seconds before drying out again. I had a brand new marker that worked great the first time I used it, laid it down for a few weeks and now even shaking ink out won't work.

 
February 1, 20200 found this helpful

Worked too well!!!!! I skipped string and shook it real hard ink flew everywhere. Expo dry erase markers apparently do not have tight lid.

 
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March 28, 2013

My Expo Dry Erase markers are not old, but one just dried up and the lid was on it. Is there anything you can do to "rewet" them?

By Melinda M.

Answers

March 31, 20130 found this helpful

Dip tips in very hot water, cover with cap for a few minutes.

 
Anonymous
January 27, 20160 found this helpful

Put them in rubbing alcohol!

It worked for me!

 
Anonymous
January 27, 20160 found this helpful

Put them in rubbing alcohol

 
January 16, 20180 found this helpful

Does nail polish remover work too

 
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