Sharpie Marker vs. Polyester Shirt

A friend inquired a few weeks back if I had any effective advice for removing dried, black Sharpie permanent marker from her son's rather pricey dress shirt. I asked which methods and products she had already tried. She mentioned consulting Google for suggestions and, if I recall correctly, she used Dawn dish detergent and alcohol.

I mentioned to her that it was a good beginning, and she managed to significantly lighten the stain. However, it remained quite visible, making the shirt unsuitable for special occasions.

We both agreed that there was no harm in me attempting additional methods, so here's what happened next:

First, I pulled out my full arsenal of "fabric safe" cleaning supplies, vinegar, alcohol, peroxide, Dawn dish detergent, homemade laundry detergent, and homemade laundry pre-wash, and baking soda (not pictured).

This shirt is made of 92% polyester and 8% spandex. Polyester is a durable material, but the spandex allows for stretch, so I understood I needed to scrub vigorously, yet not too harshly.

You can clearly see the smudge, and it was enough "marker" that it bled through to the back of the fabric.

I began with the laundry pre-wash, aiming to help loosen and lift some of the stain.

It was certainly a process: initially, I let the shirt soak, then scrubbed it, and soaked it again. I applied baking soda to the area where the pre-wash was absorbed, scrubbed with a toothbrush, and rinsed the shirt. At various stages, I poured peroxide, then alcohol, followed by dish detergent, and then vinegar, adding baking soda to create a "fizz," hoping it would be effective. I also added homemade laundry detergent because it contains Oxy-Clean. I continued to scrub, let it soak, and scrubbed some more.

When I ultimately got to the point where I felt I couldn't do anything further, I ran the shirt through a wash cycle in the machine, using detergent and washing with hot water.

I hung the shirt on the drying rack and let it air dry overnight. Below you can see the progress.

It may not appear brand new, but I believe it looks suitable enough to wear out to a movie or dinner.

Clearly, this stain was quite intense; after all, Sharpie is known for a reason.

I must acknowledge that this process was quite intense, and most stains don't need this level of effort, time, or product to remove.

However, I believe this demonstrates that most stains can be eliminated with some effort, time, cleaning products, and elbow grease.